March is not only when the snow is beginning to melt but it’s also the sweetest time of year. Maple Syrup Festivals usher in the spring season. When our kids were younger we’d visit the locations and see how the sap was tapped from the trees, boiled down and then, of course, have a taste of the “Liquid Gold”. There are a few places to learn and explore Canada’s most treasured treats. Here are a few that are worth a visit…
SUGARBUSH MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL takes place from March 14 to April 12, at four locations just outside the GTA. Each location offers visitors a variety of activities from nature walks, learning about the history, maple syrup demonstrations, pancake meals, tastings, and even wagon rides at a few. Here are the locations:
- Kortright Centre for Conservation: Open each day from March 14 – April 12. Hours of Operation are 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area: Open on weekends (March 14 – April 12), including March Break (March 16 – 20) and Good Friday (April 10). Hours of Operation are 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Terra Cotta Conservation Area: Open on weekends (March 14 – April 5) and March Break (March 16 – 20). Hours of Operation are 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Island Lake Conservation Area: March 20, 21 & 28. Hours of Operation are 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
SUGAR SHACK TO: at Sugar Beach. March 14 and 15. Hours of Operation are 11:00 am – 5:00 pm daily. Free admission. The fifth annual maple syrup festival returns to Toronto’s waterfront to help chase the winter blahs away. Discover maple themed activities, live entertainment from musical guests to Fiddle shows and Lumberjack shows and ice sculptures. Food vendors get creative with sweet and savoury offerings. Maple Buffalo Tater Tot Poutine anyone?
Sweet Water Season: Crawford Lake Conservation Park (Milton). Weekends, March Break from February 29 to April 5. Visit the reconstructed 15th-century Longhouse Village and learn how maple sugar was discovered and made by the Indigenous people of the land 600 years ago. Enjoy sweet samples and take in a nature walk.
