A child checks out a sugar maple tap at Genesee Country Village and Museum. Gather with friends and family to explore the history of maple sugaring, see historic trades in action, and hike the Maple History Trail, all at GCV&M’s Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast, coming up March 19, 20, 26, and 27. Photo provided by GCV&M
In celebration of the return of maple sugaring season in NY State, Genesee Country Village & Museum will host its annual Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 19, Sunday, March 20, Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27. Visitors will enjoy the Museum’s sprawling grounds, perfect for gathering with family and friends after the long winter months. Explore the history of maple sugaring in NY, hike the Maple History Trail, and indulge in a Pancake Breakfast in the Museum’s Meeting Center. From the Nature Center to the Historic Village, visitors will explore all aspects of a New York staple: maple syrup. The Maple Sugar Festival & Pancake Breakfast is sponsored by Brite. Tickets are now available – purchase online in advance, as space is limited.
Follow the history of maple sugaring in NY 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 in the Genesee Country 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 a pancake breakfast: Gather with family and friends to savor freshly made classic or cinnamon swirl pancakes, maple apple French toast, pork sausage, maple bacon scrambled eggs, maple banana baked oatmeal, and of course, real maple syrup. Fuel up before heading out for an adventure around the Museum, or, plan to warm up and enjoy breakfast after touring the Nature Center and Historic Village. Tickets for the Pancake Breakfast can be purchased separately from the Maple Sugar Festival tickets, or, visitors can save by purchasing a combo ticket for the 12 p.m. breakfast seating only. Purchase tickets online in advance, as this event has limited seating and could sell out.
Explore traditional uses of maple in the Historic Village: Explore the Historic Village to find kitchen fires roaring, and costumed interpreters sharing insight into life in 19th century New York. Stop in to see the candle maker and cooper, see historic homes alive with activity, visit animals on the pioneer farmstead, and more. Visitors will have the opportunity to get hands-on with maple games, try out a two-man saw, and explore tree tapping tools. Plus, take a peek into the life of a lumberjack with demonstrations of skill by local timber sportsmen, and listen to Haudenosaunee storytellers as they share tales of Western New York’s first sugaring traditions. ASL interpretation will be offered for select programming on Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 27, through a partnership with NTID’s Department of American Sign Language & Interpreting Education.
Sample sweets and treats: Foodies will delight in the chance to try maple treats, both sweet and savory. Learn how to make sugar on-snow, enjoy a meal in the Depot Restaurant, savor a maple-forward craft beer in the Freight House Pub, purchase maple baked goods in the D.B. Munger & Co. Confectionery, and stop by the Flint Hill Store to purchase genuine New York State maple syrup to enjoy at home or give as a gift. Plus, explore historic kitchens in the Historic Village to see traditional foods cooked using maple products, learn how villagers preserved food before the invention of refrigerators, sample historic “receipts,” enjoy chili, cornbread, tea, coffee and hot cocoa served out of Hosmer’s Inn (built in 1818), and more.
Advanced ticket purchase is strongly encouraged as tickets to both the Maple Sugar Festival and Pancake Breakfast are limited and may sell out. The Maple Sugar Festival will take place on Saturday, March 19, Sunday, March 20, Saturday, March 26, and Sunday, March 27, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., and seatings for the Pancake Breakfast will be at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12 p.m. Tickets for the Pancake Breakfast can be purchased separately from Maple Sugar Festival tickets, or, visitors can purchase a combo festival & breakfast ticket (for the 12 p.m. breakfast seating only). Tickets for both the Maple Syrup Festival and Pancake Breakfast are now available online at gcv.org.
Masks will be required for all visitors when inside Museum buildings, as well as while on guided tours. Visitors should also continue to practice safe social distancing at all points when on Museum grounds. Find all upcoming event listings and more information at https://www.gcv.org/events/.
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.
