THIS WEEKEND: Maple Weekend kicks off; Here’s which farms are taking part

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Maple Weekend, a celebration of New York State’s maple syrup industry, begins on Saturday.

Maple Weekend takes place during the weekends of March 22 to 23 and March 29 to 30. More than 50 maple producers, including several in the Finger Lakes region, are participating in tastings, special events, and demonstrations.

New York is the second-largest maple-producing state, making 846,000 gallons last year. That’s a 13% increase from last year. The owner of Schoff’s Sugar Shack in Victor showed News10NBC how they produce maple syrup, from tapping to bottling, ahead of Maple Weekend.

Most events run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and most tours and product samples are free. You can see a list of farms taking part across the state here. Here are some of those farms:

Genesee Country Village & Museum (PO Box 310, Mumford): The museum is hosting an outdoor exploration of the history of maple sugaring in New York State. People can start at the Sugarhouse, then, journey to the 19th century to see the techniques and tools that early settlers used to collect sap and make maple sugar.

Humphrey Nature Center at Letchworth State Park (6787 Denton Corners Road, Castile): There will be demonstrations of three different maple sugaring techniques. Guests can learn about Haudenosaunee stone boiling, iron pot fire pit boiling, and the use of a modern evaporator. Hourly walks are led by environmental educators will highlight maple tree identification, how to tap a tree, and sap collecting.

Kettle Ridge Farm (515 Log Cabin Road, Victor): The farm will offer maple tours, tastings, and pancakes. Guests can enjoy a heated barn and a large outdoor fire pit for maple smores. Igloo seating is available with a reservation. The farm will offer maple and honey products for sale, along with local craft beer from Noble Shepherd Brewery and KRF mead.

Schoff’s Sugar Shack (1064 Willis Hill Road, Victor): The farm will host maple syrup production, education, samples, and tours. That includes a look at the sugaring process from sap to bottled syrup. The sugar shack will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day for tours.

Keyes’ Trout Brook Sugarhouse & Alpacas (296 Taylor Road, Honeoye Falls): Experience the smell of pure maple syrup being made on a custom 2×8 wood-fired evaporateur. The farm will detail every step of the production process –trees, tapping, collection, reverse osmosis, boiling, grading and packaging– and conclude with tastings.

The DAM Farm (2095 Harris Road, Palmyra): Guests can take a tour of a sugarhouse to see how maple syrup is made. There will be tastings and demonstrations of various products.

Shadow Hill Maple Syrup (7259 Lakeside Road, Ontario): All Saturdays and Sundays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in March, guests can come to the farm for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with pure maple syrup. There is also a large variety of maple products to sample and buy. 

Packard Valley Farms (438 Macedon Center Road, Macedon): There will be a range of activities for people of all ages. That includes guided tours of the sap house, free samples of maple products, horse-drawn wagon rides to the sugar bush, a petting zoo, and pony rides along with fresh made Maple Products.

Stoney Ridge Farms (625 County Road 28, Palmyra): The farm will boil on its wood fired evaporator. There are several activities for families to enjoy. Sugar house tours will include an explanation of sap to make syrup process, history of making maple syrup, and a history of the farm.

Embers Rising Farm (927 LaRue Road, Clifton Springs): There will be farm tours, maple demonstrations, boiling in the sugarhouse, tastings, and adopt-a-tree basket pickups. There will also be vendors and artisans.

Timber Trails Forest Farm (5585 County Road 33, Canandaigua): Guests can come to taste, learn, and interact with the environment to see where your food is made. There will be tours, maple syrup tastings, and all-you-can-eat pancakes.

The Naples Maple Farm at The Wohlschlegel Estate (8064 Coates Rd, Naples): Experience the “tap to table” process firsthand. Guests can also eat stacks of pancakes drizzled with farm-fresh syrup.

Red Shed Sweets (3835 Shay Road, Naples): Guests can learn about maple syrup production. There will also be Sugar house tours, wood fired boiling of pure maple sap, and more.

Keuka Maple (3100 E Valley Rd, Branchport): There will be maple syrup production and Sugar Shack tours, along with boiling sap on a wood fired evaporator if conditions permit.