How Sweet It Is: 5 Musn’t Miss Maple Experiences
Every year, small outbuildings across Southeastern Ontario farms show telltale signs of maple syrup season: plumes of steam chugging from their chimneys. Inside these sugar shacks, producers watch over their evaporators 24/7 as the watery sap is transformed into sweet liquid gold. Here are five ways you can tap into that maple magic!
HAVE FUN AT A FESTIVAL
Sweet tooths unite at festivals across the region. These gatherings celebrate the history and culture of sugaring off and showcase everything maple: trees, sap, syrup, food and drink, candy, taffy, butter, and more!
Find the 2026 info:
Maple Madness Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area - every weekend in March and daily during March Break (March 16–20, 2026).
Each March, Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area comes alive with Maple Madness, a 43-year tradition hosted by the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. Welcoming up to 14,000 visitors annually, the event blends outdoor adventure, education, and plenty of fresh maple syrup.
Running every weekend in March and daily during March Break from March 16 to 20, 2026, the experience begins with a wagon ride into the sugar bush. An interpretive trail shares the story of maple syrup, from Indigenous traditions to modern production, before guests are treated to fresh pancakes topped with hot syrup. Nearly 19,000 pancakes are served each year.
Local maple products, family-friendly activities, and conservation programming round out the day. Just minutes from downtown Kingston, it is a sweet and simple way to welcome spring outdoors.
PEC March Maple Madness Starts February 28 every weekend in March - accross Prince Edward County,
As winter gives way to spring, Prince Edward County welcomes visitors to March Maple Madness, a celebration of the season’s sweetest tradition. Guests can tour local sugar bushes to see how maple syrup is made, snowshoe through vineyard trails, visit wineries and restaurants, and enjoy maple-inspired treats along the way. From petting alpacas to sampling fresh syrup, there is something for everyone to explore. Make it a weekend with a cozy County stay and wake up to pancakes topped with local maple syrup before heading out for another day of adventure.
Hastings County Maple March - March 1 to 31, 2026.
March signals the start of maple season in Hastings County. The trees are tapped, the sap is running, and sugar bushes are buzzing as winter gives way to spring. Maple March is a month-long celebration of that sweet transition, inviting visitors to taste their way through the season.
Across 12 participating locations in Bancroft, Stirling, Tweed, and Deseronto, local chefs, bakers, and beverage makers showcase creative maple-inspired features. Expect everything from classic pancakes and maple-baked goods to maple-glazed sandwiches, brussels sprouts, fish and chips with maple tartar sauce, and an inspired lineup of maple cocktails, mocktails, and wines. Menus highlight local syrup producers, thanks to a partnership with Harvest Hastings.
Beyond the restaurants, visitors can explore a curated list of maple syrup producers throughout the County. Experiences range from traditional pancake breakfasts and sugarbush visits to farm stands stocked with fresh syrup. Maple-themed events pop up throughout the month, and a mid-month giveaway encourages guests to share their favourite finds.
An interactive map makes planning easy, though checking ahead with individual producers and businesses is recommended. Maple March is a chance to wander a muddy sugarbush, meet the makers, and savour the unmistakable taste of spring in Hastings County.
Maple Weekend April 4 & 5, 2026 - producers across Southeastern Ontario
Ontario Maple Syrup Producers' Association presents Maple Weekend, a province-wide celebration of one of Ontario’s sweetest traditions. Across Sweet Ontario, local maple producers open their sugar bushes to show visitors how some of the world’s finest maple syrup is made. Guests can enjoy free samples of fresh syrup and maple confections, along with pancake breakfasts, sugarbush trails, syrup-making demonstrations, taffy on snow, and even horse-drawn sleigh rides. It's a chance to experience the time-honoured craft of maple sugaring and discover why pure Ontario maple syrup remains a favourite springtime treat. A trip-planning map is available at the link to help visitors make the most of Maple Weekend.
Delta Maple Syrup Festival Delta, April 18 & 19, 2026, Delta
On April 18 and 19, 2026, visitors can make their way to the Delta Fairgrounds for a true taste of spring at the 59th annual Delta Maple Syrup Festival, hosted by the Delta Agricultural Society.
Start the morning with a stack of all-you-can-eat pancakes topped with fresh local maple syrup. The first plate even comes with sausages, making it the perfect fuel for a full day of exploring. After breakfast, wander through maple syrup and craft vendors, browse the giant book sale at the Old Town Hall, and let the kids take part in family-friendly activities happening throughout the grounds.
You can cheer on a ball hockey game at DARS, then step back in time with a tour of the Old Stone Mill National Historic Site or explore local history at the Delta Fire Hall Museum. As the day winds down, you can even lace up your dancing shoes for the evening dance at the Legion Hall.
Spring Into Maple at Salmon River Sugar Bush March 21 and 22, 2026, Tamworth
Spring arrives sweetly in Lennox and Addington County with Spring Into Maple at Salmon River Sugar Bush. As the sap begins to flow, the sugar bush comes alive with the familiar scent of boiling syrup and the promise of warmer days ahead.
A pancake breakfast served with fresh maple syrup sets the tone, followed by classic snow taffy rolled in the fresh air. Horse-drawn wagon rides wind through the trees, live music fills the sugar shack, and a walk through the bush offers a closer look at how maple syrup is made.
It is an easy, family-friendly way to step outside, soak in the season, and taste the sweetness of spring in full swing.
ENJOY BRUNCH IN A SUGAR SHACK
In this part of the world, piling your plate with a stack of pancakes, bacon, eggs, toasts, and beans—and drizzling maple syrup over everything is a rite of passage. Enjoying the experience with friends, family, and traditional fiddle music? Priceless!
Where to go: Walt’s Sugar Shack (Consecon); Waupoos Estates Winery (Picton); Justin's Maple Syrup (Picton), Fosterholm Farms (Picton); Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (Glenburnie); Ferme Drouin (Casselman); On the Bend Sugar Shack (Kemptville); Sand Road Sugar Shack (Moose Creek), Campbells Orchards (Carrying Place) - check links for hours as some locations are weekends only.
STROLL THE SUGARBUSH
Get some fresh air, build up your appetite, and enjoy a lovely walk through maple-sugar stands. This is the perfect opportunity to get a first-hand view of how sap is collected from tapped trees with old-school buckets or new-school droplines that snake through the forest.
Where to walk: Walt’s Sugar Shack (Consecon); Trillium Ridge Sugarworks/MahKwan Kadeek (North Tyendinaga); Murray’s Sugarbush (Carrying Place); Fosterholm Farms (Picton); Justin’s Maple Syrup (Picton); Sugarbush Vineyards (Halliwell); Golden Moment Farm (Athens); On the Bend Sugar Shack (Chesterville and Kemptville); Barkleyvale Farms (Chesterville); Sand Road Sugar Shack (Moose Creek); Wightman Sugar Bush (Lancaster)
SEE HOW IT’S MADE
Maple syrup production is a fascinating process that has been perfected over centuries; Indigenous people were the first to make maple syrup and when they arrived, settlers mimicked their techniques to make their own. Learn everything it takes for the sap to go from tapped tree to table.
Where to watch: Walt’s Sugar Shack (Consecon); Trillium Ridge Sugarworks/MahKwan Kadeek (North Tyendinaga); Fosterholm Farms (Picton); Justin’s Maple Syrup (Picton); Waupoos Estates Winery (Picton); Vader’s Maple Syrup (Cherry Valley); Golden Moment Farm (Athens); Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area (Glenburnie); Ferme Drouin (Casselman); Ferme St. Malo (Wendover); Sand Road Sugar Shack (Moose Creek); On the Bend Sugar Shack (Chesterville and Kemptville); Barkleyvale Farms (Chesterville); Érablière Souligny (Dunvegan); Wightman Sugar Bush (Lancaster); Cabane à sucre St-Pierre et famille (Lancaster); Érablière Souligny (Dunvegan).
TWIRL THAT TAFFY!
What do you get when you put maple syrup on a cold medium like snow or ice? A winter treat, of course. The whole family will love the challenge of rolling the sticky stuff on a stick and being rewarded with a mouthful of happiness!
Where to taste: Walt’s Sugar Shack (Consecon); Waupoos Estates Winery (Picton); Golden Moment Farm (Athens); Ferme Drouin (Casselman); On the Bend Sugar Shack (Kemptville); Ferme St. Malo (Wendover); Sand Road Sugar Shack (Moose Creek); Wightman Sugar Bush (Lancaster); Cabane à sucre St-Pierre et famille (Lancaster);
Because sap runs for a mere few months, our much-anticipated maple season is incredibly short and yet satisfyingly sweet. So visit as many maple producers in South Eastern Ontario as you can. Your taste buds—and your family—will thank you!
A word to the wise: Many maple syrup producers open their doors to the public on set days, by chance and/or by appointment. Be sure to contact them before you set out to avoid disappointment.
