Maple in the County festival not on tap for third consecutive year

Maple in the County weekend has been cancelled for the third consecutive year, but local producers will be open throughout the spring for sales of maple syrup and products. – File photo

The annual Maple in the County Festival, the sweet reminder that spring is on tap, has been cancelled for the third consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event’s planning committee has announced cancellation of the event scheduled for March 26-27. Traditionally, the festival draws thousands of visitors to the County over the weekend.

Ron Hubbs, chairperson for the Maple in the County maple syrup producers, said the “committee felt that at this time we needed to stay strong, based on the current and evolving COVID situation. Our frontline healthcare personnel have been doing an amazing job for our community. We did not feel it would be proper to possibly tax them further unnecessarily at this time.”

He added most of the maple syrup festivals across the province have already respectfully been cancelled for this spring.

Members of Maple in the County Maple Syrup Producers will be open throughout the spring for sales of maple syrup and products – including Sweetwater Cabin/Hubbs, Fosterholm Farms, Vaders Maple, Roblin’s Maple, LOHA Farms, Nyman Farms, Justin’s Maple Syrup, and Sugarbush Vineyards.

In 2021, the 19th annual festival was also cancelled ahead of the event. In 2020, soon after a February media launch, the event was cancelled for the first time as the pandemic was declared in March.