Tap into the historic sights, sounds, and tastes of the maple season!
Gather family and friends for an outdoor adventure throughout several unique areas of the Museum! Explore maple history, fresh pancakes and syrup, live music, handcrafted goods, hands-on activities, sweet and savory seasonal treats, storytelling, and more!
ASL interpreters are available Saturday, March 28 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for our Frequently Asked Questions!
Nature Center Activities
Our Nature Center is maple-central where the work of producing syrup from our sugarbush happens.
- Uncover each step of the sugaring process with our in-house producers and modern evaporator
- Get a sweet taste of sugar-on-snow
- Tour our historic Sugar Camp
- Try our DIY tree-tapping station
- See coopers in action crafting sap buckets and barrels
- Travel our Maple History Trail to discover the evolution of sugaring
- Fill your senses at our maple-themed sensory table
Come hungry!
Our festival this year offers several places to get the sweet taste of the season!
Please note that Breakfast Buffet tickets and Maple Sugar Festival tickets need to be purchased separately.
The Meeting Center Cafe is open on Fridays from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.! Grab a pancake plate special or soup or sandwich of the day to fuel your outdoor adventures.
Our Breakfast Buffet is available on Saturdays & Sundays in the Meeting Center Dining Room! Seatings are from 9 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Depot Restaurant and Freight House Pub are open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. (grill closes at 2)! Grab a bite and a beverage to fuel your Maple explorations.
The Hosmer Taproom is open Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Stop in for maple coffee, maple tea, hot chocolate, and maple pork hand pies available for purchase.
- Our popular Whistlestop Bread Sale is back on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-3 p.m. in the Freight House! Get there early and purchase a fresh baked good made right here at GCV&M. Hurry – the bread sale sells out FAST!
Historic Village Highlights
Visit historic homes bustling with costumed educators sharing stories about maple syrup and sugar in the 19th century.
- Enjoy seasonal storytelling with Hodinöhsö:ni’ partners Perry Ground, Veronica Reitter, and Allie Hargrave
- Discover ice harvesting and 19th-century refrigeration
- Try a historical two-person saw! Slice a tree cookie to take home as a unique keepsake
- See a traditional maple sled and learn how sap moved from sugar bush to kettle
- Indulge in historical maple receipts (recipes)
- Investigate one of the earliest boycotts – white sugar
- Delve into 19th-century winter wear
- Join the Flint Hill Dance Troupe in a lively romp
Under the Festival Tent
Where maple, music, and handmade treasures meet! (Saturdays and Sundays)
Enjoy the spirited folk sounds of Dennis & Lainie, a dynamic musical duo rooted in Western New York traditions. They bring lively, history-infused tunes—some inspired by local stories and old-time dance music—to life for all ages.
Vendors:
- Bellhurst Farm Creamery
- Confection Connection
- Cookwood
- Cosimano e Ferrari
- Edgemere Coffee
- Feral Craft Studio
- Hey Bird Art
- KB Creations
- Lazy Acres Alpacas
- Oggs Metal & Forge
- Peter’s Pickled Peppers & Pickles
- Renewed Coffee Co.
- Rook’s Bags
- Sage Studios
- Sleeping Satyr Costume
- These Old Bones
- The Spice Project
- Spirit & Abundance
- TeaLicious Trendz
- Yakisoba’s
Ticket Information
Buy online before Thursday at 5 p.m. and save $1 per ticket!
Museum Members:
Age 13+: $13 online | $14 at the gate and online after 5 p.m. Thursday
Youth 4-12: $10 online | $11 at the gate and online after 5 p.m. Thursday
Age 3 & under: FREE
General Public:
Age 13+: $16 online | $17 at the gate and online after 5 p.m. Thursday
Age 4-12: $13 online | $14 at the gate and online after 5 p.m. Thursday
Age 3 & under: FREE
Interested in becoming a Museum Member to enjoy this discounted festival admission? Click here to learn more!
Notice something new? We have a new ticketing system! We hope you’ll find this easy to navigate and appreciate your patience as we roll it out. If you are having issues or have questions, please email info@gcv.org. Museum Members will need to login to received discounted Member pricing and more information on how to do that is available here. Thank you, as always, for your support of the Museum!
FAQs
Yes!
Purchase of a Festival Ticket includes access to the Museum for the day (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.), all programming being offered in the Historic Village, Nature Center, and access to the Festival Tent.
Breakfast Buffet will have cafeteria-style seating. We will not be able to reserve tables for large parties.
Specialty Pancake Plates will be available each day of the Festival. Please specify when ordering that you are ordering a Specialty Pancake Plate.
You will pay for your specialty plate inside the Meeting Center Lounge, and pick up your plate inside the Meeting Center Dining Room.
Parking is free and plentiful! Park in any of the main lots at the front of the Museum. Please leave the first two bays available for handicapped parking.
Please have your ticket(s) either printed out OR pulled up on your phone screen and ready for scanning for quick and easy check-in. Pro-tip: take a screenshot of each of your tickets to have ready and pulled up on your phone screen! Please note: Wifi can sometimes be spotty at the front of the Museum.
Yes! This event is rain or shine. The Museum will only cancel in case of a severe weather emergency.
Please dress accordingly for the predicted weather conditions.
We recommend bundling up – much of the Maple Sugar Festival takes place outdoors, and it is often cold and snowy in March!
The Maple History Trail is approximately 1/2 mile long and trail conditions may vary. We recommend wearing a good pair of walking shoes, and noting in advance that it may be difficult to push strollers along the Maple History Trail.
Events happening as part of our Maple Sugar Festival take place all over the Museum grounds – from our Nature Center and surrounding Nature Trails, to the Historic Village! Visitors planning to join us for the Maple Sugar Festival should plan for some walking from the Nature Center to the Historic Village – approximately 1/4 of a mile. Plus, the hike along the Maple History Trail is approximately 1/2 of a mile.
Yes! Leashed, certified service animals are welcome with proper identification.
We’re sorry to hear that you can’t join us! Tickets for Maple Sugar Festival are refundable only up to 7 days prior to the event date and are strictly non-transferable by date, entry time, or program. No exceptions will be made.
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