CANTON – TAUNY is throwing a party Sunday, March 11, from 1 to 3 p.m., when children and families are invited to celebrate maple sugaring season as French-Canadian families would have done a century ago.

The event will take place at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3½ East Main Street.

Participants will enjoy a reading of the children's book The Sugaring Off Party by Jonathan London, which describes a French-Canadian family's traditional sugaring-off celebration, including dancing, feasting, and syrup on snow.

Everyone will then have a chance to step into the book with a recreation of a house party by fiddlers Gretchen Koehler and Joel Foisy. They will teach traditional French folk dances and songs and share the secret to playing the spoons.

The music and dancing will be followed by a chance to sample sugar-on-snow prepared by local maple producer Art Hurlbut.

Children under 6 will learn some basic dance steps and then have the chance to make a craft.

RSVP to help us plan (386-4289; info@tauny.org).

The party is free and open to the public.