One of the things I love about writing this blog is that over the years I’ve grown increasingly aware of the subtle rhythms of New England agricultural life. I know that pick-your-own season officially opens with strawberries in June, that fresh berries and stone fruits start to top pancakes in local eateries in early July, and that corn mazes spring up anew each September. You can always catch a hayride (preferably to a pumpkin patch!) in October and the holiday season brings with it a chance to harvest a Christmas tree the old fashioned way.
But one of my favorite discoveries has been the brief (blink and you’ll miss it!) season of Maple Sugaring that generally happens late February into March. So I thought we’d put together a list of fun ways to enjoy this all-too-short season. Here are TWELVE ways to learn more about a time-honored CT tradition, support local CT business and communities, and indulge your sweet tooth (of course!).
It’s going to be a tasty month!
Please note: Where possible, we’ve included our signature “Venue Preview” of destinations we have visited. While these posts may not be about these particular events, they should still give you a good overview of what to expect at each location.
Auerfarms Annual Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, March 16th, 2024; seatings at 8:30am, 10:00am & 11:30am. Auerfarms in Bloomfield, CT hosts their annual pancake breakfast! Bring your friends and family to spend a morning at Auerfarm. Enjoy a farm-to-table pancake breakfast with their farm-fresh maple syrup! After breakfast, walk over to their maple trees to learn how they tap for sap, and then it’s off to the sugar shack to watch the boiling process! Afterward, they invite you to tour the rest of the farm, meet their animals, and walk through their Farmstay’s Open House! Tickets are $20/adults, $10/kids, children under 4 are free. Register here.
OAAM Venue Preview; Website; Facebook Page
New Canaan Nature Center Syrup Saturday
Saturday, March 9th, 2024, 8:30-11:30am The New Canaan Nature Center hosts its annual syrup season celebration, Syrup Saturday: A Pancakes & PJs Party! Bring the whole family and join them for their annual syrup season celebration – you won’t want to miss their famously delicious Pancakes & PJ’s party, complete with TONS of fun syrup-related activities! They’ll be serving up flapjacks and an array of tasty toppings (butter, chocolate chips, and of course, REAL maple syrup!). The day will also include tree tapping demonstrations, a real maple sap “boil down,” sweet maple-inspired crafts, campfire with marshmallows, and a real v. fake syrup taste test. All are welcome and encouraged to dress in their PJs! While dining for this event’s Pancakes & PJs party will be available both indoors and outdoors (depending on personal preference), all other activities take place outdoors! Pre-registration is highly recommended. All attendees (children + adults) must purchase a ticket. $15/person. To register click here.
OAAM Venue Preview; Website; Facebook Page
Roaring Brook Nature Center Maple Sugaring Demo
Sunday, March 10th, 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm (Snow date March 17th): Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, CT offers their annual Maple Sugaring in Your Own Backyard demonstration teaching you how to make maple syrup the easy way. They’ll cover the entire process from identifying the tree to the best part – tasting the final product. Cost: $11 each / $36 family of four. Please dress for cool weather while attending this family-friendly program. Pre-registration is not required.
OAAM Venue Preview; Website; Facebook Page
Northwest Park Annual Pancake Breakfast
Saturday, March 23, 2024 8:00 am – 10:00 am. Since the first weekend in February, park volunteers have been busy taking the sweet sap from the sugar maples of Northwest Park and making it into the sweet syrup that will be featured on pancakes. This full breakfast has become a rite of spring and a fitting conclusion to the busy activities at the sugar house. After breakfast, visitors can enjoy a visit to the sugar house to see how syrup is made, visit the nature center, tobacco museum, and animal barn or take a leisurely walk on some of the park’s trails. Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for children under 12 and children 3 and under are free. The proceeds go toward projects at the park. Picnic tables will be setup outside for attendees to enjoy their breakfast. In the event of inclement weather there is indoor seating for approximately 90 people.There are no advance ticket sales. Tickets can be purchased on site during the event. Cash only please. There are no reservations being taken. If you are bringing a large group, please be aware that the busiest time tends to be the 9-9:30am range. This may increase wait times.
OAAM Venue Preview; Website; Facebook Page
ELCC’s Annual Pancake Breakfast and Maple Sugaring Demonstration
Saturday, March 9, 2024 from 8:00am-12:00pm: The Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut’s annual pancake breakfast and maple sugaring demonstration at Indian Rock Nature Preserve @ 501 Wolcott Road in Bristol, CT. The Pancake Breakfast & Maple Sugaring Demonstration at Indian Rock Nature Preserve will be Dine-In or Take-Out for 2023. Join them for a pancake breakfast featuring pancakes (plain, apple, and chocolate chip) served with ELCCT’s own pure maple syrup, bacon/ sausage, and choice of coffee, milk, or orange juice. When you come for breakfast be sure to visit their animals indoors and their outdoor maple sugaring demonstrations. Learn how to identify a Sugar Maple and try your hand at tapping a tree. See the different methods that Native Americans and colonists used to collect and boil sap to make maple syrup and sugar. Learn how you can make maple syrup in your own backyard on a small scale and visit their mobile sugarhouse to learn how they make their maple syrup. If pure maple syrup is one of your favorite things, ELCCT’s own maple syrup and maple candy will be available for sale. Pre-registration preferred – Walk-ins Welcome. $10/Adults; $7/Children (12 months-10 years); Children under 12 months are free. Pre-registration preferred – Walk-ins Welcome. Register here.
Flanders Nature Center Maple Syrup Making & Pancake Breakfast
Maple Syrup Demonstrations:
Reserve your time to visit the Sugar House as staff and volunteers demonstrate turning sap into syrup with an entertaining mix of science, stories and humor. The entire family will be fascinated by the maple sugar-making process. There is a $3 per person donation suggested, which supports Flanders future maple sugar programming. 2024: March 2, 3, 9, 10, and Sundays, March 5 & 12 |1-4 PM time slots | Sugar House. Register here.
Pancake Breakfast:
Bring the family and join us for our Annual Pancake Breakfast! The menu will feature all you can eat pancakes and sausage. All served with Flanders’ very own maple syrup, butter and beverage of choice (coffee, tea and/or orange juice). The cost for the breakfast is $10 for adults and $8 for children. Children under 2 are free. All proceeds from the breakfast will benefit Flanders’ education programs. Sunday, March 3, 2024 | 8 AM – 12 PM| Woodbury Emergency Services Building, 25 Quassuk Road. (Snow date: Sunday, March 10)
Maple Sugar Fest Sundays at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center
February 25th, March 3rd & 10th, 2024 from 10:00am-2:00pm: The Stamford Museum & Nature Center hosts its annual Maple Sugar Festival. Join them as they make their very own line of maple syrup from the 200+ mature maple trees found on their 118-acre campus. Each Sunday they’ll open their site at 10:00 am with added attractions, enhanced programming, and fun seasonal offerings including free giveaways and traditional favorites like modern, colonial and Native American sugaring demonstrations. Online registration recommended. Walk-ins admitted as capacity permits. Find pricing info and register here.
OAAM Venue Preview; Website; Facebook Page
Lyman Orchards Maple Sugaring and Pancake Breakfast Party
On March 3, 2024 there’s a Pancake Party at the 1741 Pub & Grill located at Lyman Orchards Golf Course in Middlefield, CT. Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut’s traveling sugarhouse will be onsite for families to learn about the tradition of maple sugaring. Kids and adults can try their hand at tapping a “tree” before or after you indulge in their delicious ‘Pancake Party’ brunch menu. A delicious pancake menu awaits, strawberry, blueberry, apple or chocolate chip. Enjoy the outdoor demonstration with your paid brunch reservation. Limited reservations available. Make a reservation online (scroll through their events page until you reach the Pancake Party entry).
Maple Sugar Madness at the Welles-Shipman-Ward House
Maple Sugar Madness at the Welles-Shipman-Ward House in Glastonbury, CT is on Sunday, March 17th, 2024 from 1:00-4:00pm. It is the time of the year to tap the maple trees and boil the sap down in the fire pit into sweet syrup. Visitors can sample pancakes straight from the colonial hearth smothered in local syrup.
There will be tours of the lower floor of their beautiful 1755 colonial mansion, tours of the barns, colonial and Native American games for the children to enjoy. Please park at rear of the St. Augustine’s Church parking lot on Hopewell Road and then proceed down the path to the Welles-Shipman-Ward property. Admission fee $5 for those over 10 years old.
Hebron Maple Festival
The Hebron Maple Festival is being held March 16th & 17th, 2024. Visit local sugar houses for demonstrations, browse maple syrup and maple syrup products, and enjoy live music, local vendors and many other family-friendly activities. Public parking is available at RHAM High School; 85 Wall Street; a shuttle bus will be available to transport fair-goers.
Maple Weekend
Brought to you by the Maple Syrup Producers Association of Connecticut March 16th & 17th, 2024: Visit sugarhouses and taste great maple products. During the two days, many sugarhouses across the state will be open for tours and will be selling their products. This is a great opportunity for visitors to learn how maple sap is collected and turned into delicious, sugary products.
Lamothe’s Sugar House
Lamothe’s Sugar House in Burlington, CT will be offering tours on Saturdays & Sundays from 1:00-4:00pm from mid-February through late March for the 2024 season. Tours last about 30 minutes and start at the top of each hour, and participants will learn a little history about maple syrup, learn how syrup is made, and get to watch while they are actually making maple syrup. Lots of free goodies like maple coffee, hot cider and maple lollipops. Be sure to save time to browse their store for everything you need to get your maple fix!
OAAM Blog Post; Website; Facebook Page
Looking for even more maple fun? Check out the Maple Syrup Producers of Connecticut’s website for a list of CT sugar houses where you can buy pure CT maple syrup and even a map of all the sugar houses located in CT!
Originally posted on 2/29/24; please be sure to check each venue’s website for any event updates or schedule changes.
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