The Highland County Maple Festival, which dates back to 1959, is back this month, with two weekends of activity – March 14-15 and March 21-22.
Festival season means the population of Highland County is about to swell several times over, with thousands of people from across Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic coming to town to celebrate the “opening” of the trees and to observe the process of making delicious, pure maple syrup.
Traditional hours of the festival include Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Visitors can get a jumpstart to the day with maple doughnuts being served at 6 a.m. and pancake meals starting as early as 7 a.m.
Sugar camps
Free sugar camp tours provide an educational experience for the entire family to learn how maple syrup is made from tree to bottle, ranging from traditional to modern techniques.
Local sugar camps have even expanded to include syrups infused with fruits and spices or even aged in spirit barrels. Other tree syrups such as hickory can be found at the festival as well.
Ten local sugar camps will be open on Saturdays and eight on Sundays this year. Pleasant Brook Farms will be newly opened to the public in 2026 during all four days, showcasing wood-fired pans in their sugar house that has visible remnants of its decades-old original structure.
Arts and crafts
More than 100 juried artisans and crafters will set up in Monterey and McDowell, providing one-of-a-kind treasures, tasty food, and special gifts.
The festival’s only ticket fee is admission to access vendors in Monterey at the Highland County Public School Gyms and The Highland Center’s local Artisans’ Market that can be purchased onsite for just $5 (children 9 and under are free).
Entertainment
That $5 payment comes with a collectible maple leaf keychain that also provides access to 2 p.m. entertainment at The Highland Center.
- Saturday, March 14: enjoy the popular bluegrass band Southern Rail Express.
- Sunday, March 15: be entertained by the homegrown, award-winning Little Switzerland Cloggers.
- Saturday, March 21: square dance with local callers Ellen & Eugene Ratcliffe backed by the old-time music of Mudhole Control.
- Sunday, March 22: Appalachian folk band Mill Creek Cronies.
Details
Full details on all the festival happenings can be found at www.highlandcounty.org/maple-festival.
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Chris Graham
