Maplefest in Buckhorn seeing big crowds despite maple syrup shortage

It’s one of the sweetest festivals in the Kawarthas and for the past 25 years, Maplefest in Buckhorn has been drawing large crowds to the sugar bush at McLean Berry Farm.

But this year with cold nights and cooler days they are seeing less sap flowing from its more than 1,000 taps plugged into the trunks of the maple trees that stand tall on the property

But that hasn’t affected the crowds; they’ve shown up in droves again this year.

“It’s a bit chilly, we’d like it to be a bit warmer  but everyone is bundled up and enjoying themselves,” said Erin McLean, lead organizer of Maplefest.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's a bit chilly, we'd like it to be a bit warmer  but everyone is bundled up and enjoying themselves," said Erin McLean, lead organizer of Maplefest.

McLean says the maple syrup season started out strong with some unseasonably milder weather but with colder weather returning, it’s meant they’ve only reached 30 percent of their targeted yield for the season.

“We’re hoping that the weather fluctuations start to change a little bit, so we have those colder nights and warmer days,” said McLean, who suggests at this point in the maple syrup season, they’ve usually drawn 80 percent of its projected yield already.

That’s a significant drop in production compared to this time last year,  but the maple syrup harvesters remain optimistic they’ll see things turn around.

“A couple of years ago we were sitting in a position like this and we thought it was going to be a really poor year,” said McLean. “Then all of a sudden in two days we were up to 80 percent (of their target yield) and so as long as we can get some decent sap flow things can change quickly.”

Despite the low yields so far, there was maple syrup to be shared for the throngs of visitors and families that gathered to take in the maple fest activities which includes everything from horse and carriage rides, to a petting zoo, live musical entertainment and of course a chance to taste the freshly boiled maple syrup by rolling it in the snow on a stick.

Attendance numbers this year have been strong for its 25th anniversary says McLean, as for the maple syrup season this year, she still has hope mother nature will cooperate and help deliver some more syrup.

“We generally have four to six weeks to make syrup during maple syrup season but we’re usually only making maple syrup between 10 to 14 of those days.”

Maplefest wrapped up on Sunday.