YORK COUNTY — Sunday is the 34th annual Maine Maple Sunday, during which nearly 100 sugar houses across the state will open their doors for the public to explore.
Throughout the annual event, held the fourth Sunday of March each year, visitors to the houses can enjoy freshly-made syrup, candy and other confections and syrup-making demonstrations, all sure to delight.
York County has a number of participating sugar houses — a baker’s dozen of them, according to mainemapleproducers.com — that will open their huts to the public on Sunday, with several also hosting events on Saturday.
Participating sugar houses near you include:
• Brookridge Boilers, Route 111, Lyman
Open all day Sunday, Brookridge Boilers in Lyman will feature syrup-making demonstrations and a maple taffy-pulling demonstration at noon, weather permitting. Visitors can enjoy free syrup samples and a number of maple products will be available for sale.
• Chase Farms, 1488 N. Berwick Road, Wells
Open both Saturday and Sunday, Chase Farms in Wells will highlight their own wood-fired maple syrup-making process featuring free samples of maple products. The farm will offer wagon rides to the sugarbush, face-painting, food and more. Maple products will be available for purchase at the farm’s on-site market. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is a free pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. both days.
• Clark Cole Family Pure Maple Syrup, 588 River Road, Dayton
On Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, Cole Farm will host a pancake breakfast and open house in conjunction with Andy’s Agway at the sugar house. Visitors can learn about “sugaring” and enjoy maple syrup on ice cream.
• Douston Maple and Honey, 251 Old Alfred Road, Arundel
On Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the sugar house will be open for tours. Sample maple syrup on ice cream. Syrup and other products will be available for purchase. There will also be sugarbush tours.
• Dunn Family Maple, 419 Chicopee Road, Buxton
There will be maple syrup making, sap gathering, sugarbush tours, syrup sales and other food available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Gile’s Family Farm, 100 Shaker Hill Road, Alfred
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, check out their new post and beam sugar house. Enjoy free maple syrup samples, maple goodies to buy and great deals on syrup.
• Harris Farm, 280 Buzzell Road, Dayton
On Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harris Farm in Dayton will host a pancake breakfast featuring homemade whole wheat pancakes. Maple donuts, candies and syrup will be highlighted both days, with horse-drawn wagon and sleigh rides available. The dairy store will be open, as will the sugar house for viewing, plus sugarbush tours.
• Hilltop Boilers LLC, 157 Elm St., Newfield
Enjoy family time on the farm with games, activities and a barnyard of cows, calves, chickens and pigs. Enter interactive contests or play on a John Deere tractor. Country music station WPOR 101.9 will broadcast live on Saturday. All activities are free, including farm tours and samples of the farm’s award-winning maple syrup. Hours: Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Maple Hill Sugar House, 93 Hicks Road, Newfield
Open all day Sunday, join those at Maple Hill for sugar house and sugar bush tours, samples of maple products and free face-painting. Come see the different methods of sap collection, old-fashioned to present day. Syrup, maple cream, sugar, nuts, maple cotton candy and more will be available for sale as well as homemade lunches.
• Maple House Farm, 1063 West Road, Waterboro
Those at Maple House Farm hope to “put a smile on your face,” as you enjoy a sample of their sweet maple syrup on ice cream. Visit, relax and take in the sights and smells of syrup being made on the farm’s homemade wood-fired evaporator and, if you’re lucky, say “hello” to Franklin the Maple Hound. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• Maple Moon Farm, 289 Chick Road, Lebanon
Tour the sugarbush, help collect sap and learn about sugaring using techniques old and new at Maple Moon Farm in Lebanon on 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Go savor the smell of boiling sap, draw finished syrup off the evaporator and enjoy pancakes and a cup of maple tea.
• Pingree Maple Products, 90 High Road, Cornish
Pingree Maple Products, open Saturdays and Sundays in March including Maine Maple Sunday, will have samples of maple syrup on ice cream and feature syrup-making demonstrations. For sale is a product line of pure Maine maple syrup, maple cream, maple candy and granulated maple sugar. Sign up for door prizes and enjoy farm tours. Hours: Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., or, “anytime steam is rising.”
• Thurston and Peters Sugarhouse LLC, 299 Bond Spring Road, West Newfield
Thurston and Peters Sugarhouse, or TAPS, makes maple syrup the new-fashioned way — with tubing, vacuums, reverse osmosis and an oil-fired evaporator — with, “old-fashioned hospitality.” Stop by for a tour and sample of maple syrup, maple soft-serve ice cream, maple candy and maple cream, too. Sugarbush tours will also be available. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each weekend from March 4 to April 2.
— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.
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