It will be a celebration of the art of maple sugaring.
This weekend, March 16 and March 17, the 32nd annual Hebron Maple Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will include all of the usual favorites, with the addition of some new attractions.
Hebron has held a Maple Festival since 1991, according to organizer Holly Habicht.
“The stories, the lore, the education, the history…all part of it!” said Habicht.
The organizing committee has branded 2024 as “Bringing it Home” because Hebron is and always will be a Maple Fest town, according to Habicht.
The festival started as a fundraiser for the town library, morphing through the years into a major fundraising event for most of the town nonprofits and ultimately, under the direction of the Windham Region Chamber of Commerce, a food truck and direct-sale festival, according to Habicht.
“The ‘bringing it home’ tagline stems from changing the festival’s direction back to our local non profits, back to the agricultural phenomenon known as ‘sugaring’ — back to its original intent as well as back to local organization,” she said, noting that March 16 and 17 is actually “maple weekend” in Connecticut.
“We couldn’t be prouder of the festival that we have compiled and are producing,” said Habicht. “The amount of community involvement is amazing, the support by our town entities huge, this is truly a year not to be missed!”
There is a display in the foyer of the Douglas Library, titled “Maple Fest through the Years,” that offers more information regarding the festival’s long history.
There will be a wealth of events included in this year’s Hebron Maple Festival, and most are free to the public.
Harkening back to the festival’s history as a fundraiser, this year’s festivities will kick off with the Moonlight Gala Fundraiser, held on Friday evening, March 15, hosted by The Town Center Project.
“The original idea for this event came from Matthew Troy, a young man who grew up in Hebron, went through our school systems, was a member of the National Honor Society, served with the Hebron Fire Department/EMS, produced a documentary on Cesar Peters and just completely loves Hebron as his hometown,” said Habicht.
Another new element this year will be a “Hebron’s Own” expo. Located in the Community Room of the Douglas Library, it will highlight Hebron artisans, local at-home businesses that provide much-needed services and products, and more.
Each sugar house has an array of events going on, in addition to offering demonstrations of syrup-making.
Wenzel’s Sugarhouse, at 522 East St., will have Maple Leaf Farm’s “employee of the month” and the Gilead Church Women’s Fellowship serving up their sought-after maple crème cake. Woodyacres Sugar House, 80 Cone Road, is host to the Outlaw Ridge Sled Dog Team on Saturday, and UConn’s TimberTeam on Sunday. Winding Brook Sugarhouse, 254 Skinner Lane, will also be open for demonstrations.
The Donifer Farms Donkey and Eeyore Museum, 162 Cannon Drive, will have an open house, offering donkey snuggles, local artisans and on-site fundraising that directly benefits the donkeys.
The Hebron Historical Society is hosting its quilt show as well as an early sugaring exhibit, and will be offering maple cookies.
Hebron Interfaith Human Services, along with offering the traditional “sugar on snow,” is producing a town-wide scavenger hunt as a fundraiser.
“This year our new food pantry at 26 Pendleton Drive will be having a Food Drive and Family Fun Event,” said HIHS Executive Director, Christa Goodwin-Babka. The food pantry will have an indoor agility course, crafts, games and many door prizes. Visitors will receive a door-prize ticket for each food item brought.
AHM will offer its traditional Birds of Prey show, as well as a reptile exhibit, a hands-on sugar experience, and more.
Hebron Parks and Recreation has partnered with the Town Center Project to organize a 5K.
The festival will feature a variety of food trucks, local restaurant offerings and popular burgers produced by the American Legion.
There will be a variety of artisans and crafters, all selected by the organizing committee.
“Our vendor selection is a big part of what keeps everyone coming back to our events – they are top-notch,” noted Habicht.
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Visit Maple Leaf Farms as part of the 2024 annual Hebron Maple Festival. (Photo courtesy of Hebron Maple Festival)
Sunday will include the well-known tractor parade, now in its 10th year; it’s expected to include more than 150 tractors. The tractors will be on display at the Village Shoppes/Ted’s Supermarket parking lot prior to the parade, which kicks off at 2 p.m.
“It’s going to be a great event, you don’t want to miss it,” said Hebron Town Manager Andrew Tierney. “Come to Hebron, enjoy the festivities.”