In late February and early March state and county parks are sponsoring a variety of maple syrup related events across the state of Ohio.
Tapping maple treesNatural maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees in the springtime. The sap is collected and boiled till it is a thick syrup suitable for a stack of pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Native Americans were the first to discover the wonders of maple syrup and introduced it to European settlers. The Canadian province of Quebec produces three-quarter of the world’s maple syrup. Ohio is the fifth largest producer of maple syrup in the United States.
UPDATE (4/1/2013) – Maple syrup events at Ohio parks are over for the year. We have published an article about producing (and enjoying) maple syrup at Stratford Woods. However, Geauga County’s 84th Annual Maple Festival is scheduled for April 25 – 28, 2013. It will feature a variety of events including a sugar shack producing maple syrup.
02/16/2013 (Saturday)
- Burton Square (Log Cabin) – Burton, OH (NE)
- 10 AM – 4 PM Fifth Annual Tree Tapping Ceremony – maple syrup demos, hot chocolate, donuts
02/23/2013 (Saturday)
- Slate Run Historical Park (Central)
- 1 PM – 3 PM Maple Weekend
- Stratford Woods Farm & Ecological Center (Central)
- Maple Sugar Tours – reservations required
03/02/2013 (Saturday)
- Hueston Woods State Park (SW)
- 7 AM – 1 PM – Pancake Breakfast (Fee)
Noon – 4 PM – Tours of park & explanation of maple syrup making
Call 513-523-6347 for info - Malabar Farm State Park (NE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Horse drawn wagon rides to see maple syrup making
Call 419-892-2784 for info - Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
- Stratford Woods Farm & Ecological Center (Central)
- Maple Sugar Tours – reservations required
03/03/2013 (Sunday)
- Hueston Woods State Park (SW)
- 7 AM – 1 PM – Pancake Breakfast (Fee)
Noon – 4 PM – Tours of park & explanation of maple syrup making
Call 513-523-6347 for info - Malabar Farm State Park (NE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Horse drawn wagon rides to see maple syrup making
Call 419-892-2784 for info - Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
- Punderson State Park – Punderson Manor (NE)
- Maple Syrup Making & Pancake Breakfast – 10 AM – 2 PM
Call 440-564-9144 for info
03/09/2013 (Saturday)
- Hocking Hills State Park (SE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Maple candy / syrup demonstration @ Naturalist’s cabin
Pancake breakfast at dining lodge (fee)
Call 740-385-6841 for info - Hueston Woods State Park (SW)
- 7 AM – 1 PM – Pancake Breakfast (Fee)
Noon – 4 PM – Tours of park & explanation of maple syrup making
Call 513-523-6347 for info - Malabar Farm State Park (NE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Horse drawn wagon rides to see maple syrup making
Call 419-892-2784 for info - Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
- Stratford Woods Farm & Ecological Center (Central)
- Pancake breakfast – reservations required
03/10/2013 (Sunday)
- Hocking Hills State Park (SE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Maple candy / syrup demonstration @ Naturalist’s cabin
Pancake breakfast at dining lodge (fee)
Call 740-385-6841 for info - Hueston Woods State Park (SW)
- 7 AM – 1 PM – Pancake Breakfast (Fee)
Noon – 4 PM – Tours of park & explanation of maple syrup making
Call 513-523-6347 for info - Malabar Farm State Park (NE)
- Noon – 4 PM – Horse drawn wagon rides to see maple syrup making
Call 419-892-2784 for info - Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
03/16/2013 (Saturday)
- Holden Arboretum (NE)
- Spring Hike & Pancake Breakfast – Starting 9 AM
Call 440-946-4400 ext. 224 (reservations required) - Olander Park, Sylvania, OH (NW)
- 1-4 PM – Maple Syrup making demonstration
- Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
03/17/2013 (Sunday)
- Holden Arboretum (NE)
- Spring Hike & Pancake Breakfast – Starting 9 AM
Call 440-946-4400 ext. 224 (reservations required) - Rocky River Reservation (Cleveland Metro Parks) – Maple Grove Picnic Area (NE)
- History of Sugar Mapling tour – 11 AM – 4 PM
The Ohio Maple Producers Association sponsor an annual Maple Madness Driving Tour and Geauga County has their annual Geauga County Maple Festival. Still more events here and here.
Additional Information
- TrekOhio: Enjoying Real Maple Syrup at Stratford Woods
- Wikipedia: Maple Syrup
- Traditional pancake recipe
- Chocolate chip pancake recipe – my favorite
- Corn meal pancake recipe – Native Americans and early settlers made pancakes from corn meal
Bob Platt
Deb Platt
Here’s one more – Feb 16, 5th Annual Tree Ttapping on Burton Square in Burton, Ohio. .http://www.burtonchamberofcommerce.org/site/events.php. Nothing like real maple syrup. If you’re lucky they may be making maple cotton candy, yum yum!
Added it – thanks!
I was at Alley Park just south of Lancaster yesterday, and they’d already put out their blue hoses for tapping the maple trees. And, with such a warm day, they said that they were getting sap already. They’ve had an event in the past, but I was unable to find anything online for this year. Just this two-year-old page: http://www.lancasterparks.com/Special_Events/Maple_Tapping_Festival/maple_tapping_festival.html