WHEATON, MD—Brookside Nature Center will host the exceptionally popular Maple Sugar Festival on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm both days at the nature center, 1400 Glenallan Avenue in Wheaton.
The annual Maple Sugar Festival at Brookside Nature Center began in the 1970s. Since then, the festival has become a long-standing and popular tradition. Last year, more than 1,400 visitors watched and tasted as the sap from Maple trees underwent the full process of being boiled into homemade maple syrup.
“In the nature center on the festival days, we will briefly explain the science of what’s occurring with the Maple trees and why February offers such a small window of time to harvest the sap,” said Betsy Taylor, Brookside Nature Center park naturalist coordinating the festival.
Participants begin their Maple Sugar Festival experience with a short introduction and movie in the nature center auditorium. Festival stations allow visitors to see and taste the sap dripping from trees, to test the sap as it’s boiling down, and to compare the homemade maple syrup against commercial brands on silver-dollar-sized pancakes served in an authentic log cabin. At each station, participants can learn more about the maple sugaring process. Participants can expect to spend about an hour for the complete festival experience.
The Maple Sugar Festival is FREE and open to all ages. No reservations are required. The event will be held rain or shine. For more information, call Brookside Nature Center at 301-962-1480 or visit www.BrooksideNature.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866