Vermont’s biggest harbinger of spring – maple sugar season – kicks off in March and continues through April with fairs, festivals, and family fun. As the largest producer of maple syrup in the US, Vermont knows how to celebrate the sweet stuff.
Depending on the festival, you may find a scavenger hunt, carnival, sleigh ride, or sugaring demonstration. Many will feature special treats such as maple cotton candy, maple kettle corn, or sugar-on-snow (served the traditional way with pickles and doughnuts). The granddaddy of them all is the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans April 24th-26th, but maple fests can be found throughout the state this spring:
Sugaring Time Festival March 14, 9am-8:30pm, Sugarbush Resort
A delicious variety of maple-themed activities, including a resort-wide scavenger hunt.
Maple Festival 2015, March 14, 1pm-4pm, Middletown Springs
Watch a demonstration of early maple sugarmaking in a cast iron kettle over an open fire.
Cabot Maple Festival, March 21, 9am-3pm, Cabot
Pancake breakfast, silent auction, crafts, Lego fest, independent films, skating, snowshoeing.
Lunenburg Maple Festival, March 28, 8 am-4pm, Lunenburg
Pancake breakfast, photo displays, antique sugaring equipment, maple recipe samples, maple pie baking contest, maple quilt contest.
Maple Fest Celebration, March 28, Poultney
Horse-drawn carriage rides, raffle, and open sugar houses.
Open House Weekend, March 28-29, statewide
Watch as maple syrup is being made. Activities vary by sugar house; each has its own, unique character.
Maple Madness, March 28-29, Woodstock
Scavenger hunt, pancake breakfast, tree tapping, tastings, and a Maple Adventure bike ride.
Whitingham Maple Festival, March 28-29, Whitingham
Sugarmakers open their doors to visitors to give them a better understanding of the sap-to-syrup process.
Vermont Maple Festival, April 24-26, St. Albans
The biggest festival of all! Antique show, tastings, contests, craft show, comedy, face painting, carnival and more.
World Maple Festival, April 25, St. Johnsbury
Pancake breakfast, 5K run, street festival, crafts, food vendors.
Source: www.VermontVacation.com/maple.