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 2 and 9 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, trees, trails, Big Walnut Creek, wetlands, a historic truss bridge, open green space, wildlife and much more. Inside McCloud, hundreds of sugar maple trees are tapped every year as Hendricks County Parks & Recreation celebrates Maple Syrup Days.
Since I work for Hendricks County Parks & Recreation, I'm a pretty good source for insider information about this popular event, including a new format for 2024.
Maple Sap Run
Runners and walkers, just like the maple sap awakening, have the perfect opportunity to get back on the trails. Make plans to participate in the second annual McCloud Maple Sap Run on March 2 at 8:30 a.m. for a competitive race or a fun run/walk and start the spring off on the right foot.
Hosted by RaceMaker Productions, the McCloud Maple Sap Run offers 5K and 10K courses along the trails of McCloud Nature Park, taking participants through the sugar bush, where many of the maple trees in the park are tapped. All proceeds benefit the parks operated by Hendricks County Parks & Recreation!
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
- Location
- March 2 and 9, 2024 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day
- Make reservations
The 15th Annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser at McCloud Nature Park will take place on March 2 and 9 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily. Enjoy pancakes, sausage and fruit to fuel up for the day's events!
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Maple Syrup Days - NEW Format!
- First two Saturdays in March (March 2 and 9 this year)
- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day
- FREE to attend!
- Location
- Website
Traditionally, Maple Syrup Days has offered the same activities and events on both days, but this year, we're shaking things up! We have a new format to tell you about.
March 2, 2024
On Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Maple Syrup Days will focus on the history of maple syrup dating back to the Native Americans and colonial Americans. There will be a history station, a Dutch-oven demonstration, a leaf-rubbing craft and an axe-throwing station.
Learn how to identify a maple tree without its leaves, and try your hand at tapping a tree! There will also be a scavenger hunt and some tree hikes, along with Harris Sugar Bush on-site with locally-made maple products for sale.
March 9, 2024
On Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the focus is on modern mapling, where you'll learn how maple sap becomes maple syrup in current times. We'll have our Sugar Shack up with a working modern evaporator, a demonstration making maple popcorn over the campfire and a maple train!
Axe-throwing returns for the second Saturday, as do the scavenger hunt, tree hikes and Harris Sugar Bush. Bring the whole group out for some family fun on both Saturdays of Maple Syrup Days and have a different experience each time!