A fun, free and educational family event returns to Hendricks County, Indiana, the first two Saturdays in March. McCloud Maple Syrup Days celebrates McCloud Nature Park's sugar maple trees and the delectable sweetness they produce. This year's Maple Syrup Days will take place March 1 & 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.
Located just outside North Salem, McCloud Nature Park provides a glorious outdoor experience year-round with 232 acres of hills, prairies,trails, Big Walnut Creek, wetlands, a historic truss bridge and much more. Inside McCloud, hundreds of sugar maple trees are tapped every year as Hendricks County Parks & Recreation celebrates Maple Syrup Days.
Learn at Maple Syrup Days
Maple Syrup Days are an excellent way to learn about how maple syrup has been made in the past and how it's made today. On either date, come out to McCloud Nature Park to learn how sugar maple trees are tapped to draw out their sweet sap that is the core component of maple syrup, and then try your hand at installing a tap!
Head out to the fire ring for some wonderful story-telling about how Native Americans made maple syrup before the advent of more modern methods. Then head over to the parks' pavilion, transformed into a Sugar Shack, where an evaporator is set up to demonstrate a current method of creating syrup from sap.
Have Fun at Maple Syrup Days
Not only will you learn new things at Maple Syrup Days, you'll also have fun! We'll have axe-throwing, a story walk, crafts and a special passport for the event where you collect a special stamp at every station around the park and then turn in your filled passport for a special treat!
And let's not forget those taste buds: Grindhead Coffee will be at McCloud both weekends to sell delicious hot drinks, including a special Hendricks County maple drink specifically for Maple Syrup Days!
Harris Sugar Bush will also be there on both weekends, providing an opportunity to purchase the locally-sourced maple syrup that you've learned about throughout the day!
Eat at Maple Syrup Days (March 8)
The 16th Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at McCloud Nature Park will take place on March 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Enjoy pancakes, sausage and fruit to fuel up for the day's events!
Freewill donations are accepted (minimum suggested donations are at least $10 per adult and $6 per child), and all proceeds go to Hendricks County Parks & Recreation for future developments of and improvements to McCloud Nature Park. Your support allows the department to create new spaces, programs and experiences for everyone in the community to enjoy!
(Insider tip: Wanna get a pancake breakfast for free? Sign up to volunteer at the Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser!)
