Every March, as winter gives way to the warmer days and still-crisp nights that increase sap flow, over 150 maple sugar shacks all over New York open their doors to the public as part of the state’s annual Maple Weekend. Taking place on two consecutive weekends, March 16-17 and March 23-24, the event offers the opportunity to visit farms and learn about the centuries’ old maple sugaring process, watch demonstrations, and enjoy maple syrup right from the source.
With 10 participating Maple Weekend producers located in Delaware County alone, the Great Western Catskills offers a look at maple producers of all sizes who are creating products that capture the essence of the region and help make New York the second largest maple producing state in the US. From pancake breakfasts to tree tapping demonstrations, farm tours, and samples galore, there’s something for everyone from foodies to families to love.
Delaware County Sugar Makers Participating in Maple Weekend
Brookside Maple
Matthew & Micah Scobie
2544 County Highway 2
Delancey, NY 13752
(607) 746-6618
Brookside Maple & Farm is a fourth-generation beef farm and a third-generation maple farm with 3,000 taps and counting! Visit them for demonstrations, tours, and maple samples.
Catskill Mountain Maple/Kaufman Farm
Tom & Jo Ann Kaufman
65 Charlie Wood Road
Delancey, NY 13752
(607) 746-6215
Learn the process of making maple syrup, and sample fresh-spun maple cotton fluff and maple popcorn and peanuts. From 9am to 1pm, enjoy a country breakfast of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and pure maple syrup for a suggested donation.
Dar-View Maple
Brad Darling & Charlie Darling
2818 Fall Clove Road
Delancey, NY 13752
(607) 435-1657
Experience Dar-View Maple’s Tradition of six generations of maple syrup production. Taste free samples of maple products, enjoy free farm tours, and swing by ongoing demonstrations of how pure maple syrup is made, starting from the maple tree all the way to the table. Visitors can walk among the maple trees and watch the sap dripping in the sap buckets and tour the working dairy farm and even pet the farm animals.
Kenneth Burger Farm
Kenneth Burger
3437 Millbrook Road
Margaretville, NY 12455
(845) 586-4784
This is the farm’s 50th year of making maple syrup! Enjoy tours of the maple house, including some of the equipment from when the farm first started until now. Watch demonstrations including the making of maple syrup, maple cream, and maple candies, and take a tour of the tank house that is used for sap collection.
Maplewood Farm & Orchard
Duane & Karen LaFever
596 Miller Avenue
Bovina Center, NY 13740
(607) 832-4726
The farm will be operating the evaporator and demonstrating the process of syrup making. There will also be on-site maple sugar candy-making—and visitors can even stir their own! Enjoy coffee, tea, and lemonade as well as maple product samples.
Off Road Maple
The Jordan Family
195 Pomeroy Road
Franklin, NY 13775
(607) 829-2424
Enjoy a pancake breakfast from 8am to 1pm, followed by a walk through the sap house for an educational tour from 10am to 3pm with photo opportunities, maple samples, and a maple gift shop.
Reed’s Maple Products
1071 Reed Road
Hamden, NY 13782
(607) 363-2738
Visit this family farm and witness tree tapping and equipment demonstrations, enjoy hayrides, and try samples of their maple products, which range from pure maple syrup to maple cotton candy to maple hot sauce.
Roxbury Mountain Maple
Dave and Linda Holscher
50 Roxbury Mountain Road
Hobart, NY 13788
(607) 538-1500
Tour the sugar house with its blend of old and new as the farm expands to 28,000 taps and hundreds of miles of pipeline. Enjoy free hot drinks, pastries, maple chili, and more. Watch demonstrations and try warm maple syrup right out of the evaporator. Enjoy samples of their products such as maple candies, maple popcorn, maple soda, maple granulated sugar, and more.
Shaver-Hill Maple Farm
David, Dwayne & Damian Hill and families
450 Shaver Road
Harpersfield, NY 13786
(607) 652-6792
Enjoy a pancake breakfast from 9am to 3pm. Tour the farm and enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride, try samples of several of their maple products, and visit the equipment showroom that is stocked with everything you need to make your own syrup.
Tree Juice Maple Syrup
Ryan, Jake & Rae
59 Rider Hollow Road
Arkville, NY 12406
(845) 204-8870
Visit the open house at the Tree Juice Maple Syrup Sap House at 251 Rider Hollow Road, with products offered for sample and sale. Visit the Barn at 59 Rider Hollow Road in Arkville to shop for more maple products. Their many inventive syrup flavors include everything from bourbon barrel to lemon and blueberry.
Make a day of it! For more inspiration on where to go and what to do in Delaware County, visit Greatwesterncatskills.com.
