YORK COUNTY — March brings the beginning of spring, and here in Maine, March also brings Maine Maple Sunday.
Maine Maple Sunday, now in it’s 36th year, is traditionally held on the fourth Sunday of March. It’s a celebration of the state’s official sweetener, maple syrup. Syrup producers from across the state open the doors of their steamy sugar shacks and invite the public in to see for themselves how maple syrup is made and to sample some of the sticky, delicious treat.
Over the years, some farms have expanded the Maine Maple Sunday celebration to include the whole weekend, hosting events on both Saturday and Sunday. In addition to sugar house tours, many farms also have other activities including farm tours and breakfast or lunch, and many have fudge, cotton candy, baked goods and other items made with maple syrup for sale.
Maple syrup may be delicious, but advocates say there are also health benefits to consuming this natural sweetener.
According to information compiled by the Maine Maple Producers Association, maple syrup contains numerous antioxidants. It also has a lower score on the glycemic index and is easier to digest than refined sugar. It also contains important vitamins and minerals such as zinc and manganese and may aid in the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Numerous sugar houses across the state are participating in Maine Maple Sunday. Below is a list of participating sugar houses in York County. For a more complete list, go to https://mainemapleproducers.com.
• Alfred: Gile’s Family Farm, 100 Shaker Hill Road, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• Buxton: Dunn Family Farm, 419 Chicopee Road, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Cornish: Pingree Maple Products, 90 High Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Dayton: Harris Farm, 280 Buzzell Road, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Eliot: Back Fields Farm, 34 Odiorne Lane, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
• Lebanon: Maple Moon Farm, 289 Chick Road, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Limerick: Alderwood Farms, Inc., 47 Elm St., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; Morin’s Sugar House, 45 Morin Drive, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m Sunday.
• Limington: Hidden Roots Maple Farm, Tufts Lane, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Lyman: Brookridge Broilers, 2144 Alfred Road, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday; Triple C Boilers, 1 Brock Road, 7 a.m to 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Newfield: Hilltop Boilers, 159 Elm St., 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Maple Hill Sugarhouse, 93 Hicks Road, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Saturday and Sunday; Thurston and Peters, 299 Bond Spring Road, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wells: Chase Farms, 1488 North Berwick Road, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Also this weekend, the Curran Homestead Village museum in Newfield is hosting a maple syrup event and Irish celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will be maple sap boiling, blacksmithing demonstrations, an Easter egg hunt and other activities.
Boy Scout Troop 371 is hosting a breakfast and will be selling maple syrup at the Saco Pathfinders Snow Mobile Club at 42 Heath Road, Saco fro, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday,
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