The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
SWEET WEEKENDS FILL FARMPARK
First of two Maple Sugaring Weekends a hit in Kirtland
Residents of Kirtland and the surrounding communities awoke March 7-8 to celebrate a long-standing annual event — Maple Sugaring Weekends, presented by Ganley Subaru East at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark.
Richards Maple Products sponsored the Maple Sugaring Weekend.
Those in attendance were met with some pleasant weather and sunny skies for the March 8 affair.
John Brady, a staff member for Lake Metroparks Farmpark, talked about seeing the reactions from residents, and why he continues to support the annual event.
“It’s nice to see such a big turn out,” he said.
He went on to talk about how this annual event brings the community together, and he enjoys seeing the kids learning something new.
The event marks the beginning of maple season for the area where maple trees are tapped for their sap, which is, in turn, rendered into maple syrup.
Not only is maple syrup a hallmark for Ohio, but the event also serves as a precursor for spring, which officially arrives on March 20.
Andy McGovern, event manager at Lake
“It’s a popular weekend, and we have a lot of people here, about 1,000 right now, just coming in to enjoy stuff and nature."
— Andy McGovern, event manager at Lake Metroparks Farmpark
Metroparks Farmpark, spoke about the importance and history of the event.
“We live in Northeast Ohio, one of the big things in Northeast Ohio is that we have maple syrup,” he said. “So you can’t do this in Florida, but you can do it up here. It’s very unique.
“Lake County and Geauga County are maple syrup headquarters for Ohio.”
Children and families got to try their hand at tapping a tree. The tours allowed the visitors to learn about the history and technology of maple syrup and learn how to make maple syrup at home. Also, visitors got to see how the water-like substance is collected using a vacuum tubing system.
McGovern went on to note the emphasis Lake Metroparks Farmpark had on educating the public.
“The Farmpark, in the sense of education, we wanted to teach how you do maple sugar, and that’s’ what it started as a program about 25 years ago. It’s about teaching and educating the public,” McGovern said.
“It’s turned into one of our most popular weekends.”
Visitors even got the opportunity to roam around the grounds on a wagon ride to the Woodland Center to witness the maple production process as the sap was collected from the network of tubing and 1,000 taps. After collection, they watched as the sap was boiled and turned into maple syrup and candy. During this tour, families got to see first hand how trees are tapped and see the tubing that connects the taps.
They even got the chance to sample maple syrup and candy, make a maple craft, help gather sap and learn how to make maple syrup for home.
Farmpark’s very own maple syrup and maple candy were available for sale in both the Woodland Center and gift shop. Still, the fun didn’t end there. Visitors brought the process full circle from tap to table and enjoy a pancake breakfast with fresh maple syrup produced at Farmpark inside the J & J Cafe.
When McGovern was asked about the future of Maple Sugaring Weekends at Lake Metroparks Farmpark, he was positive and excited about what the future holds.
“It’s a popular weekend, and we have a lot of people here, about 1,000 right now, just coming in to enjoy stuff, and nature.”
“This is one of Farmparks’ staples, and I don’t think this event will ever go away.”
The event continues on March 14-15 from 9 am to 5 p.m. Farmpark is located at 8800 Euclid Chardon Road in Kirtland.
For more information about Maple Sugaring Weekends, visit https:// goto.lakemetroparks.com/ maplesugaring