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Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Vol. 17, Issue 8
It’s maple time FREE in Essex County
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By Paul Forman Sap flowing from tapped maple trees, the sweet smell of emerging syrup from boiling pots and families dressed in distinctive shirt patterns of red and black could all be found at the first weekend of this year’s maple syrup festival at John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area. Local vendors and a special exhibit exploring Indigenous “This festival ways of making maple prodis about ucts could be found inside the tradition, homestead’s conservation cenbut we are tre, while lumberjack games, always looking a costume competition, and a beard and moustache compeat adding were all held on the outnew elements.” tition door grounds along the shore — Kris Ives of Lake Erie. Homestead curator Kris Ives shared her thoughts about this year’s festival. “This festival is about tradition, but we are always looking at adding new elements,” she said. “This year we have some new lumberjack games for the kids, such as drop in the bucket and our log roll. We have new vendors in our market and people attending can try the new maple taffy cones.” The festival is once again sponsored by St. Clair College and the St. Clair College Alumni Association and will feature a tasters’ weekend on March 21 and 22 with crowns being handed out for best maple tart and best backyard maple maker.
Kids were having a great time all over the grounds of the homestead on the first weekend of the Maple Syrup Festival. Two-year old twins, Noelle with dad Wesley Shuttleworth and Anna with mom Sarah, are pictured as they carefully balance themselves on a pair of stilts from long ago. Paul Forman photo
Care365JOIN Care365 OUR Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 MONTHLY GIVING Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365PROGRAM Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 Care365 The Most Boastworthy Beard and Moustache: Best Full Beard compeCare365 Care365 Care365 tition was featured on the first weekend of the Maple Syrup Festival at Care365 Care365 Care365 John R. Park Homestead. Looking for “un je ne sais quoi”, the judges deBECAUSE CARE Care365 Care365 Care365 cided that Gerry Demers best exemplified that quality. Pictured are, from HAPPENS EVERY DAY Care365 Care365 Care365 the left, judge Carmen Danner-Wharram, contest sponsor/judge Justin Costumed interpreter Kim Morrison (middle) provided a demonstraCare365 Care365 Care365 Mailloux of Essex’s Watson and Slade Barbershop, contest winner Gerry tion of how sap was put through an evaporation process while working WWW.ESHF.CA Demers and judge Jeff Hagan. Missing from the photo was the fourth towards a treasured bit of maple syrup. Enjoying the information sesCare365 Care365 Care365 judge, a gentleman with a great moustache himself, Leamington council- sion was the Djurdjevic family, from left, Alex, Megan, George, Angela lor Bill Dunn. Contest photo provided by Kris Ives and Sinisa. Paul Forman photo
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