The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority is inviting the public to attend the annual A.W. Campbell Maple Syrup Festival later this month in Alvinston.
The festival will take place March 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the A.W. Campbell Conservation Area, with parking and ticket sales located at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre Complex on Walnut Street. A complimentary shuttle will transport visitors between the parking area and the conservation area throughout the event.
Interpretive staff will provide demonstrations of traditional maple syrup production and explain the role maple syrup played in the lives of First Nations and early European settlers. Organizers say favourable weather conditions could also allow visitors to taste fresh sap directly from the tree.
Admission is $5 per person, cash only, with children five and under admitted free. The last shuttle to the conservation area will depart at 2 p.m., while return shuttles will continue running back to the community centre until 3 p.m.
Festival activities are expected to include horse-drawn wagon rides, demonstrations of historical maple syrup production methods by conservation authority education staff, information booths, local vendors and family-friendly activities. Organizers advise visitors to dress for the weather and prepare for potentially muddy conditions.
The festival is supported by Bluewater Power, the St. Clair Region Conservation Foundation and the Optimists Club of Alvinston Districts.
During the same weekend, the Alvinston Firefighters Association will host its annual pancake breakfast at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre Complex from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both March 21 and March 22. Organizers say the breakfast will feature different meal options, maple syrup sales and local vendors.
Proceeds from the firefighters association’s events support charitable causes and help fund equipment and training for Brooke Fire Rescue.
More information about the maple syrup festival is available on the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority website or through the organization’s Facebook event page.
