Thurman Maple Days will be held on weekends in March, starting the 11th and ending the 26th. Free open houses will be held at sugarhouses across the Town of Thurman. Tours and talks will be held at each sugarhouse, as well as freshly made maple treats.

The first day Maple Days will conclude with the annual Maple Sugar Party, held at Thurman Town Hall, serving 4 pm to 9 pm, with a buffet and dessert of traditional maple jackwax, also known as “sugar on snow.” Entertainment will be provided by the Warren County Ramblers.

Valley Road Maple Farm will hold a pancake breakfast with all the trimmings, Hidden Hollow will offer taste tests of their various dark syrups, and Adirondack Gold takes families to the sugarbush closest to the sugar house to tap they old fashioned way and listen for the first drop of sap to hit the bottom of the bucket.

Toad Hill Maple will hold hourly trebuchet firings and a wagon ride over the new traditional covered bridge to the vacuum shed and the sugar bush beyond. Other nearby farms will welcome guests as well. Peru Llama Farm welcomes families and invites kids to role play a llama in training, and to meet the real llamas. Kids ten and under may feed treats to the llamas.

Martin’s Lumber and Certified Tree Farm gives talks about sustainable forestry, offers sawing demos (weather permitting), and invites visitors to browse their wooden wares, Sterling chain maille, and paper bead jewelry. Nettle Meadow Farm will hold herd and sanctuary tours, and cheesy samples and sales. Sample tempting delicacies like Gold Medal Winning Kunik with Maple Infused Chutney, Habanero Peach Fromage Frais on a Tortilla Chip, cheesecake and truffles.

The Town of Thurman holds Warren County’s four largest maple producers. Maple season begins when the temperatures rise in spring, and continue as long as the days thaw and the nights freeze. It grinds to a stop for sustained cold and starts again with the next thaw.

For some in Thurman this winter, maple season began in January.

Photos from above: Maple Taps, and Maple Sugar Party, provided.