There's still time to enjoy Virginia’s sweetest event of the year

Monique Calello, Staunton News Leader
Updated ·3 min read

MONTEREY — There's still time to enjoy Virginia’s sweetest event of the year. Now, in its 64th year, the Highland County Maple Festival is happening this weekend on March 16-17.

Highland County is Virginia’s least populous county but has been drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the community since 1959 to celebrate the “opening” of the trees and to observe the process of making pure maple syrup.

Local sugar camps are open Saturdays and Sundays. Free sugar camp tours provide a fun and educational experience to learn how the golden delicacy is made from tree to bottle, ranging from traditional to modern techniques.

Owner Jay Eagle looks on as Eric Smith (not pictured) explains how they grade the Syrup at Eagle's Sugar Camp during the 61st annual Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Doe Hill, Virginia.
Owner Jay Eagle looks on as Eric Smith (not pictured) explains how they grade the Syrup at Eagle's Sugar Camp during the 61st annual Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019 in Doe Hill, Virginia.

Local civic clubs and organizations bring their food offerings, including fresh maple doughnuts, pancake and buckwheat cake meals and just about anything maple-flavored. Arts and crafts vendors are set up so you can leave with something Virginia-made.

More: Love maple syrup? Here's 5 reasons to love it even more.

Maple sugar facts

  • Pure maple syrup contains no preservatives, capsule artificial flavoring or color.

  • Pure maple syrup is fat free.

  • Maple syrup is 33.5% water and 66.5% sugar.

  • Pure maple syrup is sold by shades of “amber.”

  • Light amber has a fine, delicate flavor.

  • Medium amber has a richer flavor and is most frequently used as table syrup.

  • Dark amber is used for cooking, or as a table syrup by those who prefer a strong maple flavor.

  • A good tree will produce 20 quarts of “sugar water” in 12 hours.

  • It takes approximately 40 quarts of sugar water to make one quart of maple syrup.

  • Sugar water collected from maple trees is made up of approximately 98% water and 2% sugar.

  • Maple syrup contains iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. It also has a higher calcium content than milk. It also contains small amounts of amino acids, proteins, and vitamins B2, B5 and niacin.

  • Correct tapping methods cause no permanent damage to the maple sugar tree.

  • Freezing nights and warm, sunny days make ideal weather conditions for harvesting sugar water.

Kathy Beverage, Harry Sponaugle and Ronnie Hodge make pancakes at Stonewall Ruritan Club's all-you-can-eat buckwheat pancake breakfast at the McDowell Community Center during the 61st annual Virginia Highland Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
Kathy Beverage, Harry Sponaugle and Ronnie Hodge make pancakes at Stonewall Ruritan Club's all-you-can-eat buckwheat pancake breakfast at the McDowell Community Center during the 61st annual Virginia Highland Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019.

Highland County Maple Festival details

Hours: Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can get a jumpstart to the day with Mill Gap Ruritan Club maple doughnuts served at 6 a.m. and pancake meals starting at 7 a.m.

Breakfast: The buckwheat pancakes are worth the trip alone. Once you try them, it'll become a must-do part of your annual trip to the festival.

Items for sale at McDowell Community Center during the 61st annual Virginia Highland Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019.
Items for sale at McDowell Community Center during the 61st annual Virginia Highland Maple Festival on Sunday, March 17, 2019.

Fees: Almost everything at the festival is free. There is a $5 admission charge for entrance to the arts & crafts in the school gyms at The Highland Center (12 years old and younger are free).

GPS addresses: The festival is a county-wide event, with each rural town having something unique to explore.  Three main areas of interest are “165 W. Main Street, Monterey," "161 Mansion House, McDowell," and "2558 Blue Grass Valley Road, Blue Grass."

Festival happenings can be found at www.highlandcounty.org/maple-festival. PDF of 2024 brochure below.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Highland County Maple Festival: Virginia’s sweetest event of the year