Several St. Lawrence County maple syrup producers will host open houses, tours and demonstrations during the statewide Maple Weekend events slated for March 23 and 24, and March 30 and 31.

Sponsored by the NYS Maple Producers' Association, Maple Weekend provides an opportunity for visitors to visit local “sugar houses” to experience firsthand how maple syrup and other related products are made.

In St. Lawrence County, the following producers plan to host open houses, serve breakfast and give out free samples of their products during the two-weekend event.

Southville Maples

Southville Maples run by Bruce and Kim Thompson, at 56 W. Stockholm/Southville Rd., Potsdam, has a total 7,400 taps and will be demonstrating its CDL oil fired evaporator in operation.

The Thompsons will have samples of their maple products and each visitor will have a chance at a basket raffle.

Cornell Coop Extension

Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, 2043B State Highway 68, Canton, will be boiling sap no matter the weather over Maple Weekend.

Samples of maple syrup, cream and sugar will be available, and there will be a demonstration of making maple sugar and maple cream.

Tours of sugar house, sugar bush, barn with animals and other fun activities for children will be available.

Pancake breakfast will be served all four weekend dates from 9 a.m.-noon, and will include sausage, juice, coffee, hot chocolate, milk and tea.

Meals for children 5 years old and younger are free, students pay $5 and adults $8.

Finen Maple Products

Finen Maple Products, 529 Austin Ridge Rd., Norwood, run by James and Margaret Finen, will feature maple syrup products and walks through the woods weather permitting.

FMP offers maple syrup, maple granulated sugar, maple sugar shapes, maple cream and pure tree water.

The Finens are serving breakfast March 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, and April 6 and 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The menu will include waffles, French toast, pancakes and sausage and a beverage. They will also have maple hot dogs, sundaes, donuts, milk shakes and other maple treats to choose from.

The Finens will have several of their new flavored maple syrups to sample, including butter rum, cinnamon and vanilla bean.

Breakfast will cost $8 and $5 for children; children 3 years old and younger eat for free.

Info: 315-353-2015.

Sweeter Creations

Visitors to Sweeter Creations Sugar House, operated by Michael and Debra Kenny, 3345 State Highway 345, Waddington, will help gather sap, watch the owners make maple cream, maple granulated sugar and molded maple sugar.

There will be sleigh and wagon rides through the sugarbush and breakfast will be served from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both weekends.

The menu includes pancakes, sausage, maple syrup, milk, water and maple coffee.

The meal will cost $8 and is all you can eat.

Children younger than 5 years old eat for free.

Info: 315-322-5535.

Orebed Sugar Shack

Jeff & Lori Jenness and family, owners of the Orebed Sugar Shack, 503 OreBed Rd., DeKalb Junction, will feature tours of their heated sugarhouse and sugar operation, demonstrations of sap harvest and processing, granulated maple sugar maing and other demonstrations.

Orebed Sugar Shack makes syrup, granulated sugar, maple sugar shapes and cream, along with maple soap, chapstick and lotion.

The Jenness Family will have an old-fashioned backyard flat pan set up and running and will have free samples of maple syrup, maple cream and maple candy.

There will be free face painting, horse-drawn wagon rides, chainsaw carving and alpacas.

Orebed Sugar Shack is family oriented and senior-friendly.

There will be a free raffle for adults and a coloring contest for kids.

Info: 315-528-2450.

Woody’s Maple

Woody’s Maple at 418 Underwood Dr., Hermon, will offer visitors sap boiling demonstrations on a new oil-fired CDL Master evaporator and demonstrations of its sap monitoring system.

Owners James Woodrow and Josh Whitford will show how sap is boiled down and made into other products.

Visitors will have an opportunity to sample maple syrup, maple granulated sugar, maple sugar shapes and maple cream. Woody’s will also have samples of its signature bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

Woody’s Maple is handicapped accessible.

Info: 315-347-2395.

Trout Lake Maple

Trout Lake Maple, just south of Edwards at 672 Chub Lake Road offers maple syrup, maple sugar shapes and maple cream.

The family-run operation will be offering demonstrations and a detailed look at the growth and expansion of quality maple products.

Info: Richard Hamilton, 315-562-8288.

Spilman’s Sugar Shack

Blake and Marty Spilman of Spilman’s Sugar Shack, 2485 County Route 11, just south of Gouverneur near Hailesboro, will demonstrate modern maple production off the grid.

Visitors will have the opportunity to see a new 4-by-12-foot wood fired CDL Intensofire evaporator and a 1,200 gallon per hour CDL reverse osmosis machine in operation.

Walks and ATV rides in the woods will be available to see how all the sap flows to tanks and is pumped over 3,000 feet directly to the sugarhouse.

There will be free samples of syrup, candy and maple cream all day.

Info: 315-276-6904.

To learn more about maple syrup production in St. Lawrence County and to find contact information for a local producer near you, visit the St. Lawrence County Maple Producers Association website at www.slcmaple.com.