SIU Maple Syrup Festival returns in March

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - Homemade maple syrup is again king at a popular festival held at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center.

This year’s Maple Syrup Festival is for March 25-26 at the Camp 2 location.

The family friendly event is two days filled with maple syrup demonstrations, pancake breakfast, nature hikes, lumberjack demonstrations, children’s activities, vendors and artisans and much more.

The event is free, except for the pancake breakfast.

Tickets are $8 for children ages 8 to 13 and $12 for ages 14 and up. Children ages 5 and under are free. For advanced tickets, which include and early bird special price, click here for more information.

Making maple syrup

Before the Maple Syrup Festival, you can learn how the sticky, sweet stuff is made.

SIU’s Touch of Nature Environmental Center is holding two hands-on maple syrup production demonstrations.

These will be held on Saturday, January 21 and Saturday, February 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The sessions will cover a variety of topics, including step-by-step lessons on the process of making maple syrup.

The workshops even show you how to identify and pick the correct sugar maple trees and how to tap them.

If you plan to attend, registration is required.

Organizers suggest signing up early.

Registration for the first workshop is due Jan. 12. Click here to sign up.

Feb. 9 is the registration deadline for the second workshop. Click here to to register.

The cost of the demonstrations is $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 14 and younger. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Those attending are urged to dress for the weather.

Much of the program will take place outdoors at the camp, which is located approximately eight mils south of Carbondale off of Giant City Road.

For mor information about the program, contact Sydney Pogue at 618-453-3950 or by email.