Maple Syrup Festival expands to Holiday Beach

By Fred Groves

There was lots to do this year at the annual Maple Festival hosted by the Essex and Regional Conservation Authority.

In celebration of its 50th year, ERCA decided to expand the annual event to two locations. John R. Park Homestead has always been one of the places where families can go for some outdoor fun but this year, Holiday Beach Conservation Area in Amherstburg also had the activities to enjoy.

“This world is starting to return to normal so we decided to expand to a second site,” explained Danielle Breault-Stuebing, ERCA’s Director of Communication and Outreach.

Friday’s bad weather left the grounds at Holiday Beach a little wet and muddy but volunteers were on hand to make sure those of all ages had a chance to sample what a Maple Festival is all about.

“It is flowing like crazy,” said Breault-Stuebing of the sap running out of silver maple trees. “We haven’t tapped at Holiday Beach before.”

She explained that it takes about 40 units of sap to make one unit of the sweet, delicious maple syrup. One of the activities that those who visited could see was the actual evaporator, heated with wood that boiled down the sap to make the syrup.

Breault-Stuebing said that at John R. Park Homestead where the festival has been celebrated for about 30 years, Indigenous and Pioneer methods of converting sap to syrup was shown and this year they wanted to showcase another method.

The festival runs for three straight weekends in March at both places and Breault-Stuebing is glad that a second location is now offered as there was pressure being put on the historic buildings at John R. Park Homestead. This year’s event she said was possible, in part, by contributions from the federal government.

Highlighting the weekend at Holiday Beach was the themed Lumber Jack Games in which participants could throw axes, courtesy of Bad Axe Throwing, dress in costumes and even roll logs like in the pioneer days.

“We created Family Lumberjack Days so all members of a family can get involved.”

There were horse-drawn carriage rides on Saturday and of course, lots and lots of maple sugar treats.

For more information on the festival and to download the Maple Trail pass, visit www.essexregionconservation.ca/maple.