Without maple syrup, March in Vermont would be mud season. Thank God, the gray days and muddy roads of early spring go hand in hand with one of Mother Nature's most wonderful inventions!
Drive down a Vermont back road in February and March, and you'll no doubt find metal buckets dangling from roadside maples and plastic pipes running from the sugar bush to the sugar shack, where the clear maple sap is magically transformed into pure maple syrup.
Vermont's 600-plus sugar manufacturers produced 2.5 million gallons of maple syrup in 2022, leading the nation's production.
Even more exciting is that many Vermont sugar shacks are opening their doors to the public so the rest of us can learn how maple syrup goes from tree to tap to table each spring.
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2023 Vermont Maple Open House Weekends
Vermont's Sweetest Weekends celebrate the 2023 maple syrup harvest. Guests will sample breakfast pancakes, taste sugar in the snow, enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, and learn about the maple sugar process. onboard tours of the sugar house.
This is an ideal weekend to visit Vermont, celebrate a time-honored tradition, and stock up on maple syrup and maple goods for the year ahead.
This year's two Maple Open House weekends will take place on March 25th & 26th and April 1st & 2nd, 2023. The Vermont Sugar Shacks listed below are all participating in the celebrations, and you can find even more attendees atVermont Maple Sugar Makers.
Additionally, many of these Vermont Sugar Houses are open to the public during maple sugar season (outside of Maple Open House Weekend).
Are you ready to enjoy Vermont's sweetest season? Put these 12 Vermont Sugar Shacks on your must-visit list!
Vermont Sugar Shacks-Karte
There are sugar shacks in Vermont that can be visited throughout the state, but those listed below are generally open to the public for tours and farm visits. Check out the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend!
The Sugar Shack in Arlington, Vermont
You can't just be there in person at Maple SugaringThe Sugar Shackin Arlington, but you can also indulge in delicious maple creemes (or maple waffle sundaes!), shop for real maple syrup and other goodies, and visit the on-site Norman Rockwell exhibit.
The Hawley family has over 90 years of experience making premium maple syrup, which they sell in four different grades. Samples are available every day, and you can also buy Vermont produce and souvenirs, cheddar cheese, jams, jellies, and fudge. Freshly baked delights are prepared daily, including cider bagels, cakes and maple-glazed cookies.
During the Maple Open House weekend (March 25th and 26th), The Sugar Shack will be offering free tours and tastings from 10am to 2pm, as well as free silver dollar pancakes. There will be syrup giveaways and lots of maple goods for sale.
Currently, the Sugar Shack is open Thursday through Monday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (5:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays). Visitors are invited to stop by the Sugar House to observe the maple sugar process first hand.
Green Mountain Zuckerhaus em Ludlow, Vermont
well locatedVermont-Route 100em North Ludlow, Vermont,Green Mountain Sugar Houseit is open all year round. The red-roofed sugar house perches on the edge of Lake Pauline, and there's nowhere better to relax with a maple cream.
In addition to pure maple syrup, Green Mountain Sugarhouse makes other maple specialties including maple cream, maple jam and maple nut brittle.
Green Mountain Sugarhouse will be present at the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend March 25-26, 2023. They will serve maple creamed sugar and maple creamed donuts from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Outside of the Ahorn weekend, the sugar house is open daily from 9am to 6pm.
Merck Forest & Farmland Center em Rupert, Vermont
a visit toMerck Forest & Farmland Centerit is an experience that cannot be duplicated. Located in Rupert, Vermont, this non-profit farm and forest covers 150 acres of farmland that is managed using ecological methods.
Visitors to the farm can say hello to the animals and buy farm produce including blueberries (in summer), free range pork, free range lamb, wool products and of course real maple syrup.
Merck Forest encompasses over 3,100 acres surrounding the farm, with 30 miles of trails in the Taconic Mountains. The terrain is perfect for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.
This forest also provides an abundance of maple syrup. Merck Forest harvests approximately 2,900 trees and invites the public to learn more about the process.
The Merck Forest & Farmland Center will host the Maple Open House on Saturday, March 25 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Visitors are treated to tap dancing and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, children's activities, farm animals and much more. A suggested donation of $5 per person is appreciated.
Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks em Montpelier, Vermont
Maple Sugar Factory Morse Farm, Vermont's oldest sugar mill, is an 8th generation Montpelier farm that loves visitors.
They offer free sugar house tours and tastings throughout the season, as well as multimedia exhibits, a nature trail, a village store and an open-air Vermont Farm Life Museum.
Morse Farm is open daily throughout the year. Visitors can hike the Maple Trail, which winds through the sugar plantation, and visit Rex and James, the goats at Morse Farm. Folk art and antique farming implements can be found throughout the property.
Be sure to try one of Morse Farm's famous maple creams, available year-round.
Sugarbush-Farm em Woodstock, Vermont
Zuckerbusch-Fazendais located on 550 acres outside of Woodstock, Vermont. In addition to producing wonderfully rich maple syrup, the Luce family also specializes in award-winning cheeses, including extra strong cheddar and smoked maple cheese.
Sugarbush Farm is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. During sugar season, you can visit the Sugar House and learn about the art of making maple syrup. At other times of the year, you can walk through the sugar bush and watch a short video of how maple syrup is made.
You'll likely find delicious cheese samples to try and farm animals to visit. The views are beautiful no matter what time of year you decide to visit.
During Maple Open House weekend, Sugarbush Farm offers tours and rehearsals.
Keep Reading: Planning a Fall Weekend in Woodstock, Vermont
Bragg Farm Sugar House and Gift Shop in East Montpelier, Vermont
With over 2,200 traditional juice buckets and a wood-fired steamer,Bragg Farm Sugar House and Gift Shopin East Montpelier, it has been making syrup the old-fashioned way for eight generations.
The Bragg Farm Sugarhouse is open year-round, not to mention the attractive Maple Ice Cream Parlor and Gift Shop, which offers a wide selection of Vermont crafts, gifts and specialties.
During Maple Open House weekend, Bragg Farm is open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Indulge in a maple creemee or milkshake, maple-glazed donuts or snow sugar sundae before visiting the farm's goats.
Take a free tour of the Sugar House and sample Vermont's finest maple syrup before taking home a bottle for your pancake breakfast and maple latte.
Baird-Farm em North Chittenden, Vermont
founded in 1918,Baird farmcovers 560 acres of woodland and fields in North Chittenden. The farm is known for its certified organic maple syrup, as well as maple syrup infused with mint or fir tips (great for cocktails).
Baird Farm is participating in the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend on March 25th and 26th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm with free tours of the sugar house and sugar bushes, maple tastings, free rosemary waffles, activities and outdoor giveaways free with maple and tree-slamming demonstrations at 1pm
Mount Holly Beer Co. serves maple beer and the farm shop is open for purchases.
Outside of Maple Open House Weekend, Baird Farm is open Wednesday through Monday, 9am to 5pm year round. Free tours must be booked in advance.
Loaf View Farm em Cornwall, Vermont
Brotlaib farmmaintains a 30-acre sugar plantation in Cornwall, Vermont, just three miles from Middlebury College. Kenn Hastings, the leading sugar manufacturer, manages the Sugar Bush and produces rich flavored maple syrup and maple products for all to enjoy.
Bread Loaf Farm's mission is to combine time-honored maple sugar methods with state-of-the-art technology to create the richest, most delicious syrup imaginable.
Throughout the year, Bread Loaf View Farm hosts numerous community-wide gatherings including pancake breakfasts, group outings and special events.
Mahar Maple Farm em Middletown Springs, Vermont
Welcome toMahar-Ahornfarm,where the Durfee and Mahar families together established a small maple sugar farm in the beautiful and picturesque mountains of Middletown Springs. Mahar Maple Farm combines traditional sugaring techniques with modern technology to create Vermont's flavorful, award-winning maple syrup.
The Sugarhouse will be open for the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend. Visitors are welcome to see the state-of-the-art wood-fired evaporator installed in a spacious sugar house. There will be free samples, in-flight snacks and special in-flight merchandise for sale.
You are welcome to visit Mahar Maple Farm outside of Maple Weekend, but cooking times and days are weather dependent.
Judds Wayeees Farms in Morgan, Vermont
Formerly the Wayeees Boys Camp, which operated from 1923 until World War II,Judds Wayeees Farmat Morgan is a fourth-generation sugar operation specializing in pure maple syrup and maple sugar.
You can always visit the farm and buy syrup from the on-site cannery, or don snowshoes for the half-mile walk to the Sugarhouse. To find out if they are cooking in the spring, call (802) 895-4418.
Would you like to spend more time in the region? During the summer months, rent the nearby cottage on Seymour Lake for $125 a night.
Shelburne Sugar Mill em Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne Sugar Factoryit's a third-generation operation that began during World War II when Marjorie Palmer started making maple syrup when traditional cane sugar was rationed.
From those humble beginnings, the Palmer family expanded the sugar house, incorporating new technologies including a natural gas evaporator, expanded hose and vacuum systems, and a reverse osmosis system for more efficient processing.
Shelburne Sugarworks will open the doors of its post-and-beam sugar factory every weekend, March 11-April 2, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
During Vermont Maple Open House Weekend they offer free samples, maple cotton candy, maple ice cream and tours. Don your snow boots (or snowshoes) for a walk in the sugar bush.
The 170 acres of forest trails surrounding Shelburne Sugarworks are open year-round for hiking and mountain biking.
Trapp Family Lodge Zuckerhaus em Stowe, Vermont
In the early 1940s, the von Trapp family toured the United States as the Trapp Family Singers before finally settling in Stowe, Vermont. Today, visitors can stay at its Austrian-style inn on 2,600 hectares. Hiking trails crisscross the property, and there are several restaurants and a brewery on site.
Every March, when the days are getting longer and warmer, maple harvesting begins.Trapp-Familien-Lodge, where 800 gallons of maple syrup is made the old-fashioned way, using buckets of juice and a wood-burning steamer.
Visitors can book a Maple Sugar tour during their visit. It's a casual 0.3 mile walk around the property where you'll learn about maple sugar before enjoying a tasty treat. While there, you can visit the lambs and cows, walk or bike, or dine at one of the fantastic restaurants or the Von Trapp Brewery.
Read more: Easy and moderate hikes near Stowe, Vermont
More events in Vermont Maple in 2023
The Vermont Maple Open House Weekend may be the most anticipated onboard event of the year, but it's not the only one! Here are a few more ways to take advantage of Vermont's liquid gold and learn more about it!
- March 19, 2023 -Lamb and Maple Sugaring at Shelburne Farms: Shelburne Farms invites you to its spring event! Visit Casa do Açúcar and taste this year's syrup, then visit the young lambs. From 6 years old. $4-$6.
- March 19, 2023 -Annual Maple Festival in Middletown Springs:For over 30 years, the Middletown Springs Historical Society has hosted this popular family-friendly community event. The 2023 Maple Festival features a maple sugar demonstration, shipboard vendors, maple sugar history exhibits, music and, of course, homemade shipboard lunches and desserts.
- March 25, 2023–16th Lüneburg Maple Festival: Enjoy a pancake breakfast, student sugar-making demonstration, sweepstakes, door prizes, maple cotton candy, tours of six sugar houses, and cakes!
- March 25, 2023 -Ahornfest in Poultney:Celebrations take place throughout the city - pancake breakfast, official tree harvesting, maple stories, barrel and food fair, exhibitions, free horse-drawn carriage rides, sugar house tours and maple pie sales .
- April 22, 2023 -Kingdom Maple Festival em St. Johnsbury: Celebrate the history of St. Johnsbury as the 'Maple Center of the World'. The festival showcases maple history and local producers, as well as delicious treats and fun activities for the whole family.
- 28.-30. April 2023 –56th Annual Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans: This grand maple-centric celebration includes live entertainment, tours of Vermont's sugar shacks, an annual sap race, shipboard parade, shipboard photography and cooking contests, and a Fiddler variety show.
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Tara Schatz is a freelance writer and founder and editor-in-chief ofvermont explored EBackroad-Wanderer, an American road travel blog. She is also co-author of the 3rd edition ofAMC's Best Day Hikes in Vermont(Pre-order your copy for a May 2023 release date.)