Phelps will be celebrating it’s 7th Annual Maple Syrup Fest this Saturday, April 7th. This free family event is headquartered at the Phelps School and runs from 8 am to 4 pm.
Take a tour of four local sugar bushes and see where syrup comes from and how it is made. Check out the tree-tapping demonstrations to learn how to tap a maple tree. Visit the Maple Café for breakfast, lunch, and treats featuring this delicious natural sweetener.
Browse over 70 vendors throughout the school to find things like homemade mustards, custom laser engraved items, goat milk lotion, handmade fishing lures, wine jellies, photography and more. And don’t forget to stop by the Maple Syrup table to pick up local syrups and honeys, as well as maple cream and maple suckers.
Bring the kids for a unique face painting and be sure to catch the fun educational activities at 2 pm. And all ages will love the chance to make and taste Maple Taffy on the Snow. Pick up some raffle tickets for a chance to win your own syrup pan, a gas grill, a $400 package for Sunrise Lodge, a 2 night stay at The Wilderness Reserve, and any number of other basket raffles.
Interested in making your own syrup or honey? Sign up for the Maple Syrup 101 or Beekeepers 101 classes for only $10, taking place at 9 am and 1 pm. Want to learn how to cook with these healthy natural sweeteners? Take the Maple Syrup & Honey Cooking Class for a small $15 fee with instructor Dottie Reeder to learn how to make items like Maple Syrup Ice Cream and Maple & Honey Roasted Peanut Butter.
If you already make your own pure maple syrup, enter it in the Maple Syrup Judging Contest to find out how it measures up. Syrups will be judged on color, clarity, sugar content, and taste. Celebrity tasting judges include Geoff Weller from WJFW Channel 12, Bob Black from WIKB, and Alice in Dairyland. Be sure to be at the Phelps School at 12 pm for Alice in Dairyland’s presentation, as well. Entries must be to the school by 9 am on Saturday.
Phelps Maple Syrup Fest celebrates the longtime Wisconsin heritage of pure maple syrup with a whole day of fun for the whole family. Visit Phelps on Saturday, April 7th from 8 am to 4 pm to enjoy all of the festivities. For more information or to register for a class, please call the Phelps Chamber at 715-545-3800.