Scenes of Vermont Forums

Good morning maple syrup lovers everywhere. Sadly, the 2020 Vermont Maple Open House Weekend has been cancelled to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. The Vermont Maple Festival in late April is also cancelled. I'm leaving the original post up as NH and NY and CT are still on board as of this time.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE support your local sugarmakers by either calling ahead to see if they are accepting visitors to their operations as stated in the website from which I have extrapolated below:

"Call your favorite sugar maker and see if they're open to guests. Support your Vermont sugar makers by purchasing their syrup and other maple products - some have robust online sites and you can find those on our website. Others might be willing to mail you just what you're looking for, so reach out and ask. There's no time like the present for Maple lovers to stock up on a gallon or two of syrup or some specialty products!"

"Beyond Maple Open House Weekend, we have plans in the works (in partnership with Vermont's Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets) to create a new fall Maple Celebration, just at the time when our state is showing off much of her natural beauty. We haven't worked out all of the specifics yet, but be ready to enjoy this year's Vermont Maple crop right into the fall!"

https://vermontmaple.org/mohw

https://www.themaplenews.com/story/seas ... open-/286/

I am quite disappointed (but the cancellation is understandable due to the seriousness of the virus) as I look forward to this event each year. We are still planning on calling ahead to see if the ones we chose in SW VT are still inviting guests. If not, I will order online to support them as the hard work involved in the production of their syrup is extensive. Please use the original post on sugaring season to navigate the other states who are still open as of this post.

Stay safe and healthy as we push through this difficult time in our lives. CT

UPDATE FROM MASS MAPLE:

Massachusetts Maple Producers Association

https://www.massmaple.org/

"Coordinated maple weekend events for March 21-22 have been canceled, due to guidance from state officials and an interest in protecting public health. Some Massachusetts sugarmakers may still be boiling and open to customers that weekend, particularly those with restaurants - please contact them directly to check. Thank you for supporting local maple sugar houses!"

UPDATE FROM NY STATE MAPLE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION:

https://mapleweekend.nysmaple.com/

Open house weekend is cancelled.

"Maple Weekend Announcement

Out of an abundance of caution, the New York State Maple Producers Association has decided to cancel the 2020 NYS Maple Weekend. This 25th anniversary festival was scheduled for March 21-22 and March 28-29 at 187 different locations across NYS. Individual sugarhouses will continue to produce, stock and market their excellent crop of Maple Products. Please contact them directly to order your favorite maple products. NYS Maple Producers Association is already preparing for an alternative series of open houses later in the year to showcase both producer and product. Consult MapleWeekend.com for future events."

If you have questions, contact us at mapleweekend@nysmaple.com

UPDATE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE MAPLE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION:

New Hampshire Maple Open House Weekend is cancelled:

https://www.facebook.com/nhmapleproducers

"The New Hampshire Maple Producers Association (NHMPA) Board of Directors has been closely watching the effect that COVID-19 (commonly known as coronavirus) is having on our local communities, the state of NH, and our neighboring states. It is with heavy hearts that the NHMPA Board of Directors has chosen to cancel NH Maple Weekend and the remainder of NH Maple Month.

NH sugar makers will still have maple syrup and maple products available as this maple sugaring season was off to a great start. Local sugar houses can be contacted directly to see if they’re open for guests. Additionally, NH sugar houses may offer off-hours pick-up, sell their products online, and be willing to mail their delicious maple products right to the customer’s door.

Find your local NH sugar house at www.nhmapleproducers.com

Each March, NH maple sugaring families look forward to welcoming folks to their sugar houses and showing off NH’s rich maple tradition. The NHMPA is in the early stages of planning a fall NH sugar house event. More information will be available shortly."

No one knows what will happen this fall, or how long this pandemic will go on, but the season will go ahead with or without visitors. At the moment the Canada/US border is closed for casual visitors and doubtless the restrictions will get tighter unless the panademic is controlled. It is hard to see how Vermont will be able to invite visitors when we are all supposed to be practicing social distancing. But no one knows what things might be like several months from now.