Maple syrup season is upon us in Ontario and an early one at that! Not to get sappy, but we’re totally obsessed! Discover the best spots in Ontario for sugarbush tours, maple activities, meals, events and more.
All the Best Ways to Experience Maple Season in Ontario
Read on for our list of top ways to enjoy maple syrup season in Ontario this spring.
Go for a Road Trip Along the Muskoka Maple Trail
The Muskoka Maple Trail runs from March 8th-April 26th, 2024 and is made up of stops across Muskoka offering up something fun and delicious this season! Think restaurants using local syrup on their menu (maple back ribs, anyone?), breweries getting creative with drinks like a Maple Espresso IPA and some hands on activities too!
From roasting your own marshmallows in the woods while drinking maple hot chocolate to touring a sugar bush and more, there is so much to discover. A major highlight this year is visiting Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm for a behind-the-scenes look at their maple operation.
No visit is complete without trying a Maple Creemee– a mix of pure maple syrup and vanilla soft serve dairy mix in a cone or cup. This is the believed to be the only spot to get it in all of Ontario so don’t miss out!
It all comes together in a very sweet way with the Muskoka Maple Festival on April 27th, 2024 in downtown Hunstville!
Tap into Maple Season in Perth County
Perth County is home to not one but two excellent maple syrup producers: Hoover’s and McCully’s Hill Farm.
At Hoover’s, tour the sugar bush with Terry – a maple extraordinaire who is ready to answer all of your questions. See their state of the art facility, walk through the sugar bush and of course, shop for some of that mapley goodness. You can book your tours now online.
Less than an hour away, McCully’s Hill Farm welcomes families each spring to experience their farm on weekends. Sugarbush tours, horse-drawn wagon rides and pancake brunches abound! Keep up with the scoop on their website.
Family Maple Fun in Ontario’s Southwest
The communities of Ontario’s Southwest are rolling out the sappy carpet for families!
Over in Oxford County– you’ve got options. Enjoy a guided tour of the sugar bush with Hayes’ Maple Syrup alongside breakfast all topped with the maple syrup including pancakes, sausage, eggs AND their signature crepes- yum!
Want a small-town feel? Jakeman’s Maple Farm teams up with the local 4H club each year to host their signature pancake breakfast in their historic store in Beachville- the town’s old post office.
Finally, kids and adults alike will fall head over heels for the family fun at McCully’s Hill Farm filled with barn animals, wagon rides and pancakes galore.
Over in Elgin County, things are just as sweet! At Springwater Forest, they invite you to tap into nature. Take in a wagon ride then tour the old-fashioned sugar shanty for demonstrations on maple syrup production. Finally, dine in the pancake house and enjoy different special attractions each weekend.
Want to know more about what’s happening in Ontario’s Southwest? Check out this link!
Wellington County Maple Activities
Wellington County is filled to the BRIM of the bucket with maple season celebrations!
Check out Feast On® certified Heartwood Farm + Cidery for their Secrets of the Sugar Bush experience. You’ll join farmers Val and Brent who will welcome you and lead you on a guided walking tour of the sugar bush.
You’ll gather around the wood-fired evaporator in the open-air sugar shack and enjoy some sap right off the evaporator. It’s completely sweet and delicious! Afterwards, forest bathe among the maples, try some aritsanal ciders and of course take some home. We LOVE their Forest Garden Cider which features their own maple syrup!
Want to try some authentic maple taffy? Enjoy it poured over snow and rolled at Elliott Tree Farm. Don’t miss out on the sugar bush tour and demo either before grabbing some syrup to go! Snyder Heritage Farms in Breslau is also serving up a unique maple celebration, highlighting the sustainable practices they’re using on their fifth generation farm.
With so much happening in Wellington, we can’t possibly name it all! Check out this link for the full scoop.
Heart of Ontario: Sip Fire Cider at West Avenue Cider
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Have you heard of fire cider? Created in Québec originally, it’s a smoky-syrupy cider not too dissimilar to ice wine or ice cider. It’s made in a maple syrup evaporator once a year- generally when a cidery’s neighbouring syrup farm is taking a brief slice of downtime during syrup season.
This spring, the Feast On® certified folks at West Avenue Cider in Flamborough have made a batch and experimented by aging them in cognan and bourbon barrels! You can try some at their annual Maple Taps Festival on April 12 and 13th, 2024!
The 2024 Warkworth Maple Syrup Festival
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On March 9th and 10th, 2024, celebrate the running of the sap in the small town of Warkworth! They go all out folks. Think sugar bush tours and syrup making demonstrations, maple taffy on snow (yuuuum), horse drawn sleigh rides, live entertainment, pancake breakfasts, a beer garden, log sawing contest, art show and SO much more. It’s bound to be a very sweet weekend. You can even score yourself some pretty sweet Warkworth Maple Festival merch.
Visit Ontario’s Maple Capital in Lanark County then Keep Exploring Ontario’s Highlands
Did you know Lanark County is known as Ontario’s Maple Capital? It’s no wonder why! With a mix of producers of excellent maple syrup and the heritage to back it up, you don’t want to miss out on your visit this spring.
Located where the Canadian Shield meets the Limestone Plains, the combo of minerals here give a unique terroir to the area that is especially good for crafty hit-the-spot maple syrup.
From joining in on the Festival of the Maples and the Maple Run Tour which invites visitors to shop artisan crafts and pieces as well as indulge in some syrup, there are plenty of ways to join in on the revelry.
With over 200 maple syrup producers in the area, there are plenty of ways to indulge in the sappy goodness this spring! Read more about Lanark County’s tie to maple syrup.
Of course, Lanark County isn’t the only part of Ontario’s Highlands that celebrates maple season! In fact, the folks at Ontario Highlands’ tourism have put together some great ideas to take it all in. Whether you want to spring into maple with this 5-day, 4-night maple themed itinerary near Ottawa, find the best pancake breakfast in the region or do some sugarbush hopping close to Toronto- there’s trip for you! With so many ideas for sweet escapes and new ways to enjoy maple (in bourbon, at the spa or on bacon, anyone?)- the possibilities are basically endless.
Maple Weekend – April 6 & 7, 2024
On April 6-7 this year, maple syrup producers allllllll across the province are opening their doors and getting extra sweet. Run by the Maple Syrup Producers Association, this event invites people to experience the joy of maple season close to home (or far away…basically wherever they can in the province).
Maple syrup producers across the province open their doors this weekend to offer sugar bush tours, maple taffy on snow, samples and so much more. Find a maple syrup producer near (or far from) you and get planning!
Get Mapley in Essex County!
In Essex County, Essex Region Conservation Authority is hosting a Maple Festival over the course of three weekends! It will take place at two sites and a Maple Trail connects the two of them. How wonderfully delicious is that?
These include a Lumber Jack Weekend (March 9th and 10th), a Tasters’ Weekend (March 16 and 17) where you can eat your way through all kinds of mapley goodness like maple butter tarts, syrups, maple sugar and more!
The fun doesn’t stop there so be sure to check out their website for all the sticky details!
Indulge in Sweet Maple Goodness in Waterloo Region
There are multiple ways to take in maple season in Waterloo Region.
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One of our favourite options? Join the folks at Langdon Hall, a Feast On® certified Relais and Chateaux property for their maple harvest experience! You’ll be joined by their head gardener, Jeremy Gehl, who will walk you to Langdon’s fire pit to take you through the sap collection and evaporation process to explain how syrup is made. You’ll get the chance to taste sap and ask any questions you may have.
Afterwards, head to Langdon’s demonstration kitchen for a cooking demo using maple syrup and top it all off with a three-course lunch prepared by the Langdon team in the main dining room. Not a morning person? Flip that order on its head and join an afternoon maple experience.
Another option? Check out the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market Maple Trail on market days in March! You’ll discover artisan producers creating delicious maple treats across the markets and meet some pretty cool people along the way.
Elmira rolls out the sticky-sweet carpet this time of year as well. This year, celebrate the town’s 60th anniversary (!!) of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival on April 6th. You can take in syrup demos, indulge in pancakes topped with syrup and loads of family fun activities.
Keep the party going that day by heading over to Elmira’s Rural Roots Brewing for Shticky Fest 2024! There will be live music starting at nine and they’ll be releasing their highly anticipated Shticky Ale using Elmira Maple Syrup. How delish!
Really want to check out a sugar bush? We get it. Check out the tours that Elmira Wagon Rides are offering during the maple season.
Tap into Maple Season in Orillia & Lake Country
The sweetest route in Orillia & Lake Country kicks off as Tap into Maple returns from March 1 to April 7, 2024! Maple season is well underway and it’s the perfect time to get out and experience all things maple!
Visit over 18 locations featuring maple syrup producers, restaurants, and shops to see how Canada’s sweetest treat is made, from tapping to boiling to serving. See attached media release and photos and visit TapIntoMaple.com for more information.
Maple Magic in Mississauga
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The annual maple syrup festival in Mississauga is a celebration packed with maple-inspired activities suitable for every age group. Discover the Indigenous roots of maple harvesting, delve into the syrup-making process, savor pancakes topped with authentic maple syrup, and partake in an assortment of crafts, games, and guided site tours. Who said you can’t enjoy maple in the city?
Get Mapley in Durham Region
Maple Syrup Festivals abound in Durham Region! Those wishing to visit a maple farm and see the trees being tapped can visit Pefferlaw Creek Farms for hiking, taffy, live music (select dates), pancakes and of course a visit to the sugar bush, Purple Woods for all day breakfast, horse-drawn wagon rides and on April 5th, to explore the sugar bush by candle light with a sweet mapley treat OR they can visit Brooks Farms evaporator demos, guided tours, animal visits and more.
More into the community festival vibe? Durham has that too! On April 6-7, join the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival for 27 years of maple history with a local sugar shack tour, a historical bus tour, live entertainment, air bounce adventures, bathtub races, and some tasty pancakes topped with (you guessed it), local maple syrup.
Close off the maple season with a bang on May 4th in Bowmanville. Held along four city blocks, you can enjoy all kinds of maple treats including doughnuts, cheese, candy, nuts, fudge and more!
Bronte Creek Maple Goodness
Get ready to kick up your heels for a solid couple of hours of pure festival frolic in Oakville at the Bronte Creek Maple Festival! Meander down Maple Lane on a whimsical guided escapade, ogle at the sticky spectacle of maple candy and taffy getting all gooey, and snoop around a house that’s seen more than 120 springs!
Pet the critters, hop on a hayride – they’re the bee’s knees and a surefire hit with the gang. Sashay into our emporium of maple delights or snag yourself a jug (or why stop at one?) of the sweet elixir from our Maple Express stand. And don’t you dare skip the Pancake House – the flippin’ amazing crew will be dishing out pancakes and the snappiest sausages that’ll have you coming back for more, every darn weekend in March plus the rollicking March Break!
Maple Syrup Season in Halton Hills
Head over to Terra Cotta Conservation Area in Halton Hills from March 14 to 17 and 23 to 24 for a delightful Maple Syrup Festival. Prepare for a day filled with sweet adventures and family fun that celebrates the essence of spring.
A Sweet Salute to Spring
As winter takes its leave and spring begins to bloom, discover the magic of maple syrup season. The festival, hosted by Credit Valley Conservation, is a nod to the cherished tradition of maple syrup production, offering a perfect blend of education, entertainment, and the irresistible taste of maple.
Journey Through Maple’s Making
Open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the festival provides a glimpse into the history and current techniques of maple syrup production. Educational stations offer insights into everything from Indigenous methods to the modern impact of climate change on syrup making.
Connect with Indigenous Heritage
This year, the festival includes “Sacred Fire Chats,” an opportunity to learn about Indigenous culture through storytelling and song, accompanied by cedar tea. It’s a meaningful way to connect with the wisdom of the land’s original stewards.
Maple Treats and More
No festival visit would be complete without indulging in some maple delights. The Pancake House serves up pancakes with real maple syrup, among other maple-themed treats. Be sure not to miss the warm maple taffy for a quintessential spring experience.
Exploring the Outdoors
Take a walk along the Sap Bucket Trail through the forest to the sugarbush. It’s an informative hike that reveals the tools and techniques of syrup production and explores the role of climate change.
Extra Activities
Enjoy a blacksmith demonstration, join in a scavenger hunt, and take a leisurely stroll along the Wetland Trail with a maple-themed storybook. The Park Store offers maple products and local artisan crafts, plus a chance to win a prize with a completed scavenger hunt card.
Plan Your Visit
Tickets are available for adults, youth, and seniors, with complimentary entry for children and Credit Valley Parks Passholders. Free parking is provided, and for a smoother experience, consider visiting before 11 a.m. or after 2 p.m.
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A Very Sweet Spring
No matter where you are, we hope you have a delightful spring topped with only the best – Ontario maple syrup!
