The Best Maple Syrup Festivals and Events in Canada For 2024

For those in the know, Canada actually has five seasons: summer, fall, winter, spring and maple syrup season!

When the snow begins to melt, and the first signs of life appear on the trees, syrup starts to flow from Maple trees across the country.

From Quebec's renowned cabane à sucre gatherings to pancake feasts in Ontario's sugar bushes, maple syrup festivals offer a chance to experience every stage of the sugaring process while indulging in an array of sweet maple treats.

These annual celebrations not only showcase the hard work of Canada's maple syrup producers but also highlight the rich history and cultural significance of this quintessential Canadian harvest.

Here, Ask Genie reveals the best Maple syrup events and festivals Canada has to offer. Have you packed your sweet tooth? Because you’ll need it as we dive into a river of liquid gold!

Muskoka Maple Festival (Huntsville, Ontario)

Highlights: Maple syrup maker demos, sugar bush tours, pancake house, maple candy/fudge
Getting There: 2.5-hour drive north of Toronto
Dates: Late March/early April annually
Try/Buy: Sample maple beer, stock up on maple syrup and artisanal maple products
Tickets: $8 per adult, kids 12 and under free
History: This long-running festival began in the 1970s to promote Muskoka's maple industry

This festival celebrates the rich maple syrup heritage of Ontario's Muskoka region.

Hosted at different maple farms and sugar bushes, the Muskoka Maple Festival allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the maple experience. You can tour real working sugar bushes and watch producers tap the trees and collect the sap before seeing the sap boiled down into thick, amber-colored syrup over crackling wood-fired evaporators.

The festival also features a pancake house serving up stacks drizzled with fresh local syrup. Browse vendor booths selling an array of maple confections like candies, fudge, maple beer, and more. With its scenic Muskoka backdrop, this festival is a sweet taste of spring in cottage country.

Planning on visiting Ontario in the winter? Check out our expert guide on the best winter getaways in Ontario!

Festival of the Maples (La Pêche, Quebec)

Highlights: Guided sugar bush tours, "Sugar Camp" with historical reenactors, fresh maple taffy
Getting There: 30-minute drive northwest of Ottawa
Dates: Two weekends in late April annually
Try/Buy: Maple ham, baked beans, Indigenous maple candies and soups
Tickets: $15 per adult, $5 for kids 6-17
History: This festival began in the 1970s on a local maple farm and is now a beloved Quebec tradition for locals and visitors alike

As one of Quebec's premier maple events, Festival of the Maples highlights the province's role as a global leader in maple production.

It takes place at the picturesque Fulton's Maple Batches and Roots & Shoots farm in the Gatineau Hills. Guided tours bring visitors into the active sugar bush, introducing the meticulous process of tapping trees and collecting sap.

An extra highlight is the recreated 19th-century "Sugar Camp" with costumed actors demonstrating traditional syrup-making methods over open fires. Of course, no visit is complete without sampling fresh maple taffy frozen on beds of snow. The festival also features Indigenous maple foods and products, celebrating the region’s rich heritage.

Beauceron Maple Festival (Beauce Region, Quebec)

Highlights: Maple sugaring-off party, culinary contest, live music, sugar house tours
Getting There: 1-hour drive south of Quebec City
Dates: Late April annually
Try/Buy: Regionally-made maple wines, maple butter, and to-die-for maple cookie spreads
Tickets: Free admission
History: This over-40-year-old festival celebrates Beauce's maple heritage

Beauceron Maple Festival pays tribute to the maple traditions of Quebec's Beauce region, known for its particularly flavourful syrup.

One of the top draws is the sugaring-off party, where families gather for an authentic cabane à sucre experience of dining on classic Quebec maple cuisine like oreilles de crisse (maple smoked bacon), pea soup, baked beans, and more–all drenched in rich maple syrup.

Browse locally-made maple products, snap photos at tree-tapping demos, and watch live musical performances celebrating maple sugar harvesting folklore. A professional maple culinary competition showcases the versatility of this beloved ingredient.

Sugar Shack TO (Toronto, Ontario)

Highlights: Maple taffy pulling, pancake breakfast, and working sugar bush tours
Getting There: Held at Drom Woodbine Park in east Toronto
Dates: One weekend in late March/early April
Try/Buy: Stock up on maple cotton candy, maple fudge, and maple hot sauce (we recommend trying it on a slice of pepperoni pizza - the sweet, salty and spicy combo is to die for!)
Tickets: $7 per adult, kids $4
History: Started in 2015 to bring a taste of maple sugaring to the city

While most maple festivals have a rural setting, the annual Sugar Shack TO event brings the sugaring experience right into Toronto.

Held at the city's Drom Woodbine Park, it features all the quintessential sights, smells, and flavours of the maple harvest. A small but genuine working sugar bush offers tours where visitors can see trees being tapped and sap turned into syrup.

The festival's centerpiece is the sugar shack, which serves up piping hot stacks of pancakes and maple baked goods. Other highlights include maple taffy pulling, maple beer sampling, and plenty of maple candies and other sweets for sale.

It's a can't-miss for anyone visiting the Toronto area or craving a taste of rural maple magic.

Read our guide on the best hidden gems in Toronto for more inspiration!

Maple Syrup Festival at Kortright (Vaughan, Ontario)

Highlights: Tree tapping demos, sap collecting, maple syrup making over wood fires
Getting There: 40-minute drive north of downtown Toronto
Dates: Three weekends in March/April
Try/Buy: Maple lattes, maple bacon sandwiches, and maple popcorn
Tickets: $12 per adult, $8 per child
History: Hosted at a conservation area, educating visitors about maple syrup traditions

The Maple Syrup Festival inside the Kortright Centre for Conservation offers a full exploration into Ontario's maple syrup production.

Visitors can take part in hands-on tree-tapping demos and learn how to collect sap themselves. The real showstopper is watching maple syrup being made the old-fashioned way, boiled down over roaring wood-fired evaporators.

Be sure to sample unique maple-infused treats like maple lattes, popcorn, and bacon sandwiches. The festival's many maple-themed games and activities engage kids in the sweet science behind this delicious process.

Visiting or moving to the Toronto area? Explore our guide on the best neighbourhoods in Toronto to uncover expert insights.

Maple Syrup Festival at Bronte Creek (Oakville, Ontario)

Highlights: Maple treats in the 19th-century village, blacksmithing demos, and sugar bush tours
Getting There: 30-minute drive west of Toronto
Dates: Three weekends in late March/early April
Try/Buy: Maple fudge, maple kettle corn, and historic maple candy reproductions - get ready to take your tastebuds back in time!
Tickets: $10 for adults, $7 for kids 5-14, under-5s go free
History: This festival is set in a reconstructed 1800s village, showcasing traditional sugaring methods

Step back in time at this Maple Syrup Festival situated inside Bronte Creek Provincial Park's recreated 19th-century village.

Costumed performers depict the traditional maple sugaring methods of the 1800s, including tapping trees with wooden spiles and boiling sap in big iron kettles over open fires. Visitors can watch these living history demonstrations and tour the working sugar bush.

The village's bakery offers an array of fresh maple baked goods and historical candy reproductions to purchase. With its old-fashioned charm and hands-on activities, this festival provides a glimpse into Ontario's rich maple heritage.

Plan the best Ontario trip by checking out our guides on the best resorts in Ontario, the best staycations in Ontario, and the best spa getaways in Ontario!

Maple Days at the Village (Sunshine Village, Ontario)

Highlights: Costumed interpreters reenacting 1800s sugaring and open-fire syrup boiling
Getting There: 1.5-hour drive southwest of Toronto
Dates: Two weekends in April
Try/Buy: Pancakes drizzled with fresh maple syrup and a wide range of gourmet jarred maple products
Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students/seniors, $6 for kids 3-15
History: This living museum village immerses visitors in 19th-century maple harvesting

Maple Days at the Village is a two-weekend festival that brings the sights, smells, and tastes of maple season to Sunshine Village, a living history museum depicting Canadian life from 1860-1910.

Costumed interpreters reenact maple sugaring procedures from the 19th century, allowing visitors to experience the centuries-old practice firsthand. Watch in awe as they tap trees, collect sap into buckets and boil it down over crackling wood fires into thick, sweet maple syrup using traditional tools and methods.

Sample fresh syrup drizzled over pancakes or transform it into maple sugar candies. With its immersive historical setting, the event connects visitors to maple syrup’s deep-rooted role in Canada's past.

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