The weather couldn’t be better for maple syrup.
So Sharon Nethercott of the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is expecting a fairly good crowd March 21 and 22 for the Annual Maple Syrup Festival at the A.W. Campbell Maple Syrup Festival.
Nethercott says the harsh winter weather has delayed the season this year, but this week’s warmth is coming at just the right time.
“The maple syrup season is totally dependent on Mother Nature,” says Nethercott. “Sometimes it’s two weeks in February and sometimes it’s eight weeks.”
Nethercott says producers began to see the sap run just a week ago when the cold frosty nights and the days filled with sunshine began.
The conservation authority chooses a date each year and hopes for the best but sometimes the weather just doesn’t cooperate. “Once the temperatures don’t go below zero a couple of days in a row, the sap is diminished.”
Nethercott says as many as 1,000 people can come out for the event and hear about how maple syrup production has progressed. “And if the weather is warm enough, we should see the sap coming from the tree, which is always exciting.”
The Maple Syrup Festival events at the conservation area are from 9 am and 4 pm and admission is $2 per car.
The Alvinston Fire Department will also be serving up their world-famous pancakes at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre during the festival.
