Like these visitors checking out the taps on maple trees, you can learn about maple sugaring at Genesee Country Village & Museum’s Maple Sugar Festival, coming up March 18, 19, 25 and 26. Photo by Paige Engard
In celebration of the return of maple sugaring season in New York State, Genesee Country Village & Museum will host its annual Maple Sugar Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 18 – 19, and Saturday and Sunday, March 25 – 26. Explore a modern-day sugarhouse where fresh syrup is boiling, then journey into a 19th-century sugar camp staffed by costumed historical interpreters to learn about the techniques and tools used by early settlers used to collect sap and make maple sugar. Head into the Historic Village to see maple sugar used in historic kitchens, sausage making, timber sports with representatives from SUNY ESF, Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Haudenosaunee) cultural traditions and storytelling, and more. From the Nature Center to the Historic Village, visitors will explore all aspects of a New York staple: maple syrup. Tickets are available now at https://www.gcv.org/event/maple-sugar-festival/.
Follow the history of maple sugaring in New York State: Visitors to the Maple Sugar Festival can tap into the history of maple in the 19th century by following the tap lines from sugar maple trees along the Maple History Trail to the Sugarhouse at GCV&M’s Nature Center. See how the wood-fired evaporator transforms fresh, clear sap into thick, amber maple syrup and learn from GCV&M naturalists about the tree tapping process and history of sap collection. Plus, learn about sugar maples and the collection techniques employed to keep the sugar bush sustainable.
Indulge in sweet treats and savory snacks: Foodies will delight in opportunities to sample, savor, and indulge in all things maple at this year’s Maple Sugar Festival. Enjoy a Pancake Plate (think a “garbage plate,” but maple-themed!) to fuel up for the day’s adventures, purchase historic maple-themed confections in the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery, grab a maple-themed hot snack or beverage in the Depot Restaurant, and wash it all down with a Rohrbach’s Griddle Cake Ale, on tap in the Freight House Pub. Plus, visit the Flint Hill Store to find maple products made with syrup tapped at Genesee Country Village & Museum.
Explore uses of maple sugar in the Historic Village: Explore the Historic Village to find kitchen fires roaring, and costumed historical tradespeople sharing insight into life in 19th century New York. Stop in to see the village cooper, blacksmith, and cooks working over open hearths; explore historic homes alive with activity; and visit animals on the pioneer farmstead. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch timber sport demonstrations with representatives from SUNY ESF and watch a sugar maple tapping demonstration on the Village Square. ASL interpretation will be offered for select programming.
Experience Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Haudenosaunee) cultural traditions: With the help of guest performers and storytellers such as Perry Ground, Ronnie Reitter, Tonia Galban, and the Indigenous Spirit Dancers, visitors to Maple Sugar Festival will have the opportunity to explore Hodinöhsö:ni’ (Haudenosaunee) cultural traditions and storytelling related to maple sugaring season.
Tickets on sale now: Purchase a standard festival ticket for access to all activities associated with the Maple Sugar Festival, or sweeten the visit with a stop in the Meeting Center for a Pancake Plate (three pancakes and three sausages smothered in Museum-made maple syrup, plus tasty treats at a toppings bar). Tickets for the Maple Syrup Festival are now available online now at gcv.org.
Find all upcoming event listings and more information at https://www.gcv.org/events/. Support for the Maple Sugar Festival is provided by a Market New York grant awarded to GCV&M from I LOVE NY/ New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
GCV&M is the largest living history museum in New York State with the largest collection of historic buildings in the Northeast. The Museum, with its John L. Wehle Gallery, working brewery, vintage base ball park, and Nature Center, is located in Mumford, NY, 20 miles southwest of Rochester and 45 miles east of Buffalo. Visit www.gcv.org for more information.
