Welcome to Elmira and to the 48th Annual Maple Syrup Festival. We didn’t become the World’s Largest One Day Maple Syrup Festival without the support of many people.
At the helm, a committee of 25 meets throughout the year to conduct the business and prepare for the great event. As the day draws nearer, the Festival’s many partners start to emerge. The local Maple Syrup Producers tap their trees and with the help of Mother Nature, 180 gallons of pure maple syrup is poured onto thousands of pancakes. The service clubs, church groups and local organizations buy their supplies and recruit their volunteers to prepare for the festivities. The Elmira BIA and local businesses support the Festival in many ways: they market their town and donate monetarily or through in-kind donations. The Township staff members prepare the town for the influx of upwards of 70,000 people. Then the people of the community come alive and volunteers, young and old, contribute in any way they can. All of these efforts combine to raise funds to give back to non-profit organizations in the community.
Finally, all of you come and taste, smell and touch all that makes the Maple Syrup Festival a tradition, a community event, a fundraiser and most importantly, an important and proud part of our heritage.
So enjoy your day, whether it be traipsing through a sugar bush, eating your way up and down the mall or enjoying many of our indoor events. Come Taste the Tradition on March 31, 2012.
Cheryl Peterson