a project of Cayuga Nature Center
Maple Sugaring Events
Maple Syrup is a special and unique product- the Finger Lakes is one of few places on earth where we can harvest and boil tree sap into a delicious food! We've been harvesting maple syrup for many years at CNC and will be tapping our trees in late February this year to gather as much sap as we can, boiling over six hundred gallons of sap into just fifteen gallons of syrup! Our focus for production is in education; we want to help the community understand the benefits and wonders of maple syrup production.
This year we are again offering an opportunity to purchase home harvested Cayuga Nature Center syrup and participate in the various elements of production. We sold out last year, so get your orders in early! Syrup will be sold at the following prices:
$12 Pint
$24 Quart
$45 Half Gallon
$15 Pint of Maple-Chipotle
Opportunities to help tap, haul, and boil will be ongoing. In addition to the events listed below, we will be busy for many of the days and welcome visitors out to the land. Please call us at 273-6260 or email [email protected] to find out if the trees are running and how you can get involved.
*COME HELP TAP TREES THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24!*
Sunday, February 24
1:00 - 3:00 pm
DISCOVER MAPLE SUGARING!
Fee: General Admission
Visitors of all ages are welcome to a tour of our sugarbush, maple syrup tastings, and an overview of the history and lore of sugaring in our region. CNC staff will also offer information on the process of turning sap into sugar and offer tips to help you sugar at home. WE WILL BE TAPPING TREES TODAY!
Sunday, March 8
1:00 - 4:00 pm
MAPLE SUGARING FAMILY DAY
Fee: General Admission and donations
Families are welcome to join us as we tap, haul, and boil sap! Tours and stories will be told at 1:00 and 3:00 along our sugarbush trail. Games, maple sugar tastings, and sledding will all be part of the fun. We will celebrate the turning of the seasons with a traditional Irish Ceili Dance led by Kay Cafasso at 2:00pm.
Saturday, March 15
1:00 - 3:00 pm
DESIGNING AN AGROFORESTRY SITE WITH MAPLE SUGARING
Fee: Sliding scale $5 - $15
Maple Sugaring is a regenerative practice that can be easily combined with mushroom cultivation, timber management, and edible and medicianal mushroom production. Come enjoy a tour of our budding agroforestry project led by Land Use Manager Steve Gabriel who will share designs and engage participants with tools to help in designing their own forest stands.
Friday, March 21
6:00 - ?
SUGAR MOON CELEBRATION
Fee: Sliding Scale $5 - $15 donation
Come dance and enjoy a moonlight tour of the sugarbush trail! Live music (8:00pm), a sugarbush tour with stories of maple lore (7:00pm), and a community potluck (6:00pm) will ensure a fun fulled evening for all ages!
Sunday, March 23
1:00 - 3:00 pm
DISCOVER MAPLE SUGARING!
Fee: General Admission
Visitors of all ages are welcome to a tour of our sugarbush, maple syrup tastings, and an overview of the history and lore of sugaring in our region. CNC staff will also offer information on the process of turning sap into sugar and offer tips to help you sugar at home.
Saturday, March 28 & Sunday March 29
10am - 4pm
2008 MAPLEFEST
Fee: $12 Adults, $8 Children, $25 Families
One of the great treasures of New York State is maple syrup! At Cayuga Nature Center, we have turned that treasure in a two day festival celebrating syrup, community and the great outdoors. It’s called MapleFest; the annual festival is now in its 29th year. This year’s event features live local music from over ten groups; boiling and tapping demonstrations, educational pieces about the history of maple syrup, arts and crafts, entertainers, a firetruck, live animals, and a local foods pancake breakfast!
Cayuga Creamery will be on hand for refreshments, along with other local food and craft vendors. Live entertainment will be provided by the Wayward Girls, Zela Zola, the El Caminos, the Native Earthling Band, and other local musicians. There will be hourly tours of our sugarbush trail, which tells the story of sugaring from Native Americans to present day production systems.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.CayugaNatureCenter.org or call 607.273.6260