Sap flowing from tapped maple trees, the sweet smell of emerging syrup from boiling pots and families dressed in distinctive shirt patterns of red and black could all be found at the first weekend of this year’s maple syrup festival at John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area.
Local vendors and a special exhibit exploring Indigenous ways of making maple products could be found inside the homestead’s conservation centre, while lumberjack games, a costume competition, and a beard and moustache competition were all held on the outdoor grounds along the shore of Lake Erie.
Homestead curator Kris Ives shared her thoughts about this year’s festival.
“This festival is about tradition, but we are always looking at adding new elements,” she said. “This year we have some new lumberjack games for the kids, such as drop in the bucket and our log roll. We have new vendors in our market and people attending can try the new maple taffy cones.”
The festival is once again sponsored by St. Clair College and the St. Clair College Alumni Association and will feature a tasters’ weekend on March 21 and 22 with crowns being handed out for best maple tart and best backyard maple maker.
Costumed interpreter Kim Morrison (middle) provided a demonstration of how sap was put through an evaporation process while working towards a treasured bit of maple syrup. Enjoying the information session was the Djurdjevic family, from left, Alex, Megan, George, Angela and Sinisa.
The Most Boastworthy Beard and Moustache: Best Full Beard competition was featured on the
first weekend of the Maple Syrup Festival at John R. Park Homestead. Looking for “un je ne sais quoi”, the
judges decided that Gerry Demers best exemplified that quality. Pictured are, from the left, judge Carmen
Danner-Wharram, contest sponsor/judge Justin Mailloux of Essex’s Watson and Slade Barbershop, contest winner Gerry Demers and judge Jeff Hagan. Missing from the photo was the fourth judge, a gentleman with a great moustache himself, Leamington councillor Bill Dunn.
Contest photo provided by Kris Ives
