March Maple Days & Year Round Farm Fun

Held each year during NYS Maple Weekends, Thurman Maple Days is the sticky-sweet stuff of legendary vacations. Adirondack Gold, Valley Road, Hidden Hollow and Toad Hill are all farms in the business of producing sweet maple treats, but each farm has its own unique history and story to be told. Fuel the day of fun with a country Pancake Breakfast at Valley Road Maple Farm, complete with fluffy pancakes drizzled with pure maple syrup and delicious maple sausages from Oscar's Adirondack Smokehouse. After breakfast, tour the area's distinctly different sugar shacks to learn how maple syrup, maple sugar, maple cream, and candy is produced and take part in special activities like tree-tapping and wagon rides. Sample the flavors of each farm's unique products and be sure to visit their gift shops for your favorite flavor to bring home.

You will definitely want to take the time to discover local, hidden gems along the country roads along the way. Stop into Nettle Meadow Farm for a sampling of award-winning goat and sheep cheeses. Buy products, meet the sanctuary animals and marvel at the historic and beautifully restored gambrel-roofed barn as you tour the farm. Don't miss Martin's Tree Farm, just down the road. Learn the principals of sustainable forestry and see selectively cut maple that bears the indications of maple tapping from years past. Kids can make a bead or a paper box while Mom browses the gift shop for unique, hand-made items. Wrap up the afternoon with a visit to Peru Llama Farm. Capture a photo with a sweet, wooly llama, learn about farm life and see an exhibit on llama behavior.

Can't make March Maple Days?

There are lots of maple goodies and "sweet" for everyone at the annual Maple in April Festival along Rockwell Street, Hadley. The festival begins late April with a French Toast Breakfast and the Lil' Sugar Dust-off Car, Truck & Cycle Show offering great music, food, and interactive fun. Maple sugaring demonstrations, craft and food vendors, kids activities, pony and wagon rides, birds of prey and dog agility demonstrations.