Area maple sugar producers celebrated the first Maple Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, showing visitors how maple sugaring works and treating them to their sweet products.
Taking place March 22-23 and 29-30 this year, Maple Weekends are organized and sponsored by the New York State Maple Producers’ Association and funded by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Maple farms open their doors to the public to provide a chance to taste pure maple syrup, right from the source, and experience the unique family tradition of making maple syrup in New York state. Producers offer tours and pancake breakfasts, sell maple products and demonstrate the syrup-making process, which includes the traditional system of hanging buckets on trees or more modern methods of production using vacuum systems to increase the yield of sap per tree.
Visitors brave the chilly air Saturday to take a wagon ride up to the old-fashioned sugar shack during Maple Weekend at Sprague’s Maple Farms.
Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation Sunday declaring March 22-23 and 29-30 as New York State’s 2025 Maple Weekends. The governor also highlighted that New York State continues to rank second in the nation in maple production — behind only Vermont — and in 2024 maple production increased to 846,000 gallons, up nearly 100,000 gallons of maple syrup from the 2023 season.
Hochul participated Sunday in Maple Weekend by visiting Twin Leaf Farms in Greenfield Center in Saratoga County.
“New York state’s maple industry is not just a tradition — it’s a thriving community of dedicated producers creating world-class maple products,” the governor said. “As we celebrate Maple Month, I encourage every New Yorker to experience the rich flavors and support the hardworking individuals behind this beloved crop.”
Visitors were able to see maple sap collecting equipment at Sprague's Maple Farms in Portville during Maple Weekend.
Recognizing the importance of the maple industry to New York’s agricultural economy, Hochul proposed additional funding in her fiscal year 2026 executive budget to further grow the industry and help New York become the leading maple innovator. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets supports the maple industry through the New York State Budget — which includes funding for promotion and educational programs — as well as through investments in research projects, such as Cornell University’s Maple Program’s Arnot Teaching Forest and through its NYS Grown & Certified and Taste NY marketing programs.
Agri-tourism events like Maple Weekends and Maple Month are an important part of tourism in the state, Hochul said. The state welcomed a record 291.5 million visitors in 2022, the largest number of visitors in its history, according to the governor’s office, generating more than $78.6 billion in direct spending and $123 billion in total economic impact.
Sprague's Maple Farms is celebrating Maple Weekends with special activities including wagon Rides, sugar on snow treats and tree-tapping demonstrations.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said maple syrup is not only the state’s “sweetest crop,” but it’s also the first crop of the new year.
“New York’s maple producers continue to do an outstanding job keeping our state at the forefront of the industry, and Maple Weekends give all of us an opportunity to visit a farm and see how they turn tree sap into syrup, candy, and so much more.”
Next Saturday and Sudnday, nearly a dozen maple producers in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties will take part in the second Maple Weekend.
Cattaraugus County
- Durow Farms Maple Products, 11350 Archer Hill Road, Randolph. Participating both weekends. Hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. all days. There will be sugar house and sap building tours. A hay ride will run to the sap building — weather permitting. Pancake breakfast Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon.
- Moore’s Maple Shack & Pancake House, 10444 Galen Hill Road, Freedom. Participating both weekends. All you can eat pancake breakfast. Tour of maple processing.
- Sprague’s Maple Farms, 1048 Portville-Obi Road, Portville. Participating both weekends. Weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be live tree tapping demonstrations, wagon rides and sugarhouse tours. Sugar on Snow and fresh made maple cake donuts will be available. Learn how maple sugaring was done by our Native American ancestors. View the state-of-the-art evaporator and bottling center.
- Ulinger’s Maple Farms, 8835 Crumb Hill Road, East Otto. Participating both weekends. Come watch staff boil some pure maple syrup. Available will be tours of the sugarhouse and sugarbush. There will also be samples a lot of maple products, incluing maple candy, maple cream, maple caramel popcorn and maple fluff to name a few. How about some hot maple syrup over vanilla ice cream or a maple milkshake?
- Wright Farms, 9166 Laidlaw Road, Franklinville. Participating both weekends. Come join the family as you see how they continue the 185-year tradition of making maple syrup on the farm. There are 8,000 trees tapped, a 6x16 wood-fired evaporator, steam-away and reverse osmosis. See the process from tree to finished maple syrup. While you are there, get a taste of maple as they will be serving jack wax (sugar on snow) throughout the day.
Allegany County
- Belle Hollow Farms, 10312 Route 15B, Canaseraga. Participating both weekends; serving pancake breakfast
- Campbell Maple, 8904 Jackson Hill Road, Friendship. Participating both weekends. A Campbell family tradition since 1822, Campbells boil sap to syrup, bottle syrup, make maple cream, maple candy and maple granulated sugar. Weather permitting, they will offer jack wax (syrup on snow). They also offer maple popcorn. Three generations of Campbells will be demonstrating production of the various maple products and offering samples of products. You may have a tour of the sugar house with descriptions of the ongoing processes involved in production.
- Cartwright’s Maple Tree Inn, LLC, 4321 Route 15A, Angelica. Participating both weekends. Will be serving their original all you can eat buckwheat pancakes with pure maple syrup both Saturday’s from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.; and both Sundays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. You can also add, sausage, ham, eggs or a combination. Children’s prices available. Weather permitting, they will be processing maple syrup in the basement of the restaurant. Pancake Mix, Maple Syrup, Maple Sugar, Maple Cream, Maple Coffe and Maple Tea are available at the gift shop.
- Hint’s Red Roof Maple, 3545 Route 275, Friendship. Participating both weekends. There will be tours of the sugar house. See the vacuum system, reverse osmosis, wood-fired evaporator and automatic draw-off in operation. Free samples will be available of most products, including syrup, cream, sugar pieces, popcorn, ice cream, coffee, etc. There will also be a self-guided tour in the sugar bush with a scavenger hunt for kids. Meals on site for purchase all four days with limited indoor seating and some outdoor under-cover seating.
- Mountain Maple Syrup, 6621 New Mexico Road, Cuba. Participating both weekends. Come visit Mountain Maple from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for facility tours, demonstrations on the process of making maple syrup, free maple syrup samples, and more. There will be maple syrup, maple sugar, maple candy and other merchandise for sale.
A full listing of participating producers across New York, including a map of their locations, can be found at the official Maple Weekend website, www.mapleweekend.com.
