The Muskoka Maple Festival Returns April 29, 2023
Let your sweet tooth rejoice! Maple season is underway, and with it comes one of spring’s sweetest events.
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, the Muskoka Maple Festival celebrates the end of sugaring season and caps off the month-long Maple Trail. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Downtown Huntsville comes alive with all things maple for this family-friendly festival. And best of all, it’s free to attend!
Enjoy a variety of delicious maple-themed dishes from local restaurants, a pancake breakfast hosted by the Rotary Club of Huntsville Evening Satellite Club – always a crowd favourite! – and maple-inspired treats including SugarNuts mini donuts, the Muskoka Stuffed Cookie Company, Muskoka Granola, and the Muskoka Marshmallo Co.
Don’t forget to sample the specialty maple beer from Canvas Brewing Co. & Lake of Bays Brewing Co. at the Maple Festival beer garden, too – get it while it lasts!
Did you know that it takes 40 litres of sap to make just one litre of maple syrup? There’s a reason it’s called liquid gold! Chat up local maple producers to learn how they turn mildly sweet maple sap into everyone’s favourite pancake topping. You can even take some of this seasonal sweet treat home, but it’s not just for breakfast! Maple syrup is a versatile sweetener – try it in your coffee or tea, poured over ice cream, add it to dressings and marinades, or stir it into your favourite cocktail.
Local Maple Syrup producers including Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm, Hubbert’s Maple, and Barmont Maple Syrup will be vendors at the festival, so those in attendance can bring some maple goodness home with them.
And there’s a variety of family-friendly activities and entertainment on offer, too – what better way to spend a spring day?
Let the kiddos burn off some steam at the Kiwanis Sap Run, a fundraiser that supports children in need. Kids aged 3-7 head to the start line first for a 500m dash, followed by a 1km run for 8-13 year-olds. Registration includes a free pancake breakfast so that they can fuel back up.
New this year, the Great Canadian Lumberjack Show showcases traditional and current loggersports, including chainsaw carving, axe throwing, chainsaw races, and more! You can even get in on the action and indulge your inner lumberjack or lumberjill and try out axe throwing, too.
Visit the Muskoka GoatAway herd, play some interactive games, or find the beat in a communal drum circle. Then settle into a Muskoka chair and enjoy live music at the NyDock stage, or cheer on one of the festival’s buskers.
Take a stroll through the Maple Marketplace where you’ll find a variety of maple-inspired or locally produced goodies to take home, including candles, soaps, jewellery, honey and more!
And if you’re still craving more maple fun when the day is done, take in the inaugural Muskoka Crawl, featuring an evening tour of local pubs and restaurants from 5-11 p.m.
Can’t wait for all this maple goodness to arrive? Get a head start on the Muskoka Maple Trail! It features 28 locations across Muskoka who have taken maple to the next level in their culinary offerings, but only until April 28!
Get the full details about the Muskoka Maple Festival, the Maple Crawl, and the Muskoka Maple Trail at muskokamaple.ca.
Thanks to our sponsors for making this event possible!