Maple Festival

Deep in the mountains of Virginia every year during the first 2 weekends of March the normally sleepy hollows come alive with the smell of maple donuts, pancakes, and whoopee pies.

Highland county is the southern most part of the U.S. where sugar maples the trees that produce sugar water which is used to make maple syrup occurs naturally. Normally home to only 5 thousand people for the first 2 weekends the area gets almost 30,000 visitors from all over the world. Vendors drive from all over to show off their crafts, the local high school and Ruritan clubs make thousands of pancakes for the hungry visitors and the line for maple donuts can wrap around the block.

This festival holds a special place in my heart, my family has been in the county and those mountains for generations and attending the Maple festival since it began, the strength and kindness of the community is unmatched.

Monterey

This is the main town for the maple festival, the high school has two gyms full of vendors with different crafts, student volunteers chef up pancakes, sausage, bacon, and milkshakes. In the downtown area shops have their doors wide open, take a peep into antique shops there are always gems on display. From Monterey be sure to drive out to Eagles sugar camp, or Pufenbargers camp to see first hand how maple syrup is made, I loved putting my finger under the dripping sugar water and licking the sweet liquid.

McDowell

McDowell does not have as much to do as Monterey but it is still an area you must pass through. The Ruritans at the elementary school make the best buckwheat pancakes IMO! You can’t miss the cake size donuts and Brunswick stew sold at the sugar tree country store either!