Virginia’s sweetest event of the year returns. Nestled in the peaceful, rural mountains on the western border of the Commonwealth, travelers can take a step back in time for a cultural and culinary adventure at the county-wide Highland County Maple Festival during the second and third weekends of March. This year marks the 66th event, set for March 14-15 and 21-22.
Highland County is Virginia’s least populous county but has been drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the community since 1959 to celebrate the “opening” of the trees and to observe the process of making delicious, pure maple syrup. Free “sugar camp” tours provide a unique and educational experience for the entire family to learn how the golden delicacy is made from tree to bottle, ranging from traditional to modern techniques. Local sugar camps have even expanded to include syrups infused with fruits and spices or even aged in spirit barrels. Other tree syrups, such as hickory, can be found at the festival. Ten local sugar camps will be open on Saturdays and eight on Sundays this year.
Pleasant Brook Farms will be newly opened to the public during all four days, located in the southwest corner of the county and showcasing wood-fired pans in their sugar house that has visible remnants of its decades-old original structure.
Local civic clubs and organizations will be bringing back their delicious food offerings.
Each day of the festival will feature a live performance of Appalachian culture at 2 p.m. at The Highland Center in Monterey, Virginia. On March 14, enjoy the popular bluegrass band Southern Rail Express. On March 15, a person can be entertained by the homegrown, award-winning Little Switzerland Cloggers. On March 21, put on one’s dancing shoes for a square dance with local callers Ellen and Eugene Ratcliffe backed by the old-time music of Mudhole Control. Finish the festival on March 22 with the Appalachian folk band Mill Creek Cronies. Starting at noon on Saturdays, visitors can listen to bluegrass music at Southernmost Maple in Bolar, Virginia.
Visitors should note that there will be a bridge construction project north of Monterey, Virginia, at the intersection of Rt. 220 (Potomac River Road) and Rt. 629 (Strait Creek Road), which may cause short delays with temporary stop lights installed.
Traditional hours of the festival include from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Full details on all the festival happenings can be found at www.highlandcounty.org/maple-festival, with posts highlighting the festival available at www.facebook.com/HighlandCounty and www.instagram.com/highland_county_va.
