The festival is more than 70 years old and is always held during the last weekend in April. It offers something for everyone — a petting zoo, a princess pageant, a pancake derby, arm wrestling, arts and crafts, and Mid-America rides, among other activities.
You can not only nosh on a pancake breakfast but also see how sap is collected. There are lumberjacking demonstrations too.
At the Maple Sugaring in Your Backyard event in Farmington Hills, you’ll learn the basics of maple syrup, including how to identify and select the perfect maple tree. You’ll also learn about sap collection and the boiling process.
Wolcott Mill Metropark in Ray is a great place to learn the ins and outs of syrup-making. You’ll not only identify and tap maple trees but also see a wood-fired evaporator up close and learn exactly how maple sap is turned into maple syrup.
This event begins with a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausage, cocoa, and coffee. Then, it’s followed by a hay wagon ride to the farm’s sugarbush. Once there, your little ones can try their hand at tree tapping, watch sap get cooked into syrup, and see draft horses go to work.