‘Banner year’: Powassan packed during maple syrup festival

Organizers say pancakes sold out and parking filled early as ideal weather fuels one of the busiest festivals in years

A “sea of people” filled the streets of Powassan this past weekend, as warm weather and strong turnout made for what organizers are calling a standout year for the Maple Syrup Festival.

Pancake breakfasts sold out at the two locations, parking lots and streets filled early, and nearly 200 vendors saw steady traffic throughout the day.

The festival, which spans downtown and nearby sites, is a major early-season draw for the region, bringing thousands of visitors into the small community each year. This time, ideal weather helped push attendance beyond expectations.

“There were 16 years of bad weather, and this was a banner year,” said event co-ordinator Kathie Hogan to BayToday.

“Nobody was prepared because this is not the norm.”

Hogan says attendance is hard to measure due to multiple access points into town, but the scale of the crowd was unmistakable. Despite the volume, the event ran smoothly without major issues.

“We’re very, very thankful,” she said.

The mood matched the weather, with visitors filling the streets, vendor booths, and event spaces throughout the day.

For vendors and producers, the turnout capped off a maple season shaped by unpredictable conditions.

Shelley Straughan of Sugarstone Farm in the Trout Creek area says the season started late and shifted quickly.

“It was a weird year this year,” she explained to BayToday at the Sugarstone booth along Main Street.

“We did our first boil on March 10th. And our second boil was March 30th because of that cold spell. And then Easter weekend was the biggest boil or sap collection … as soon as it is too warm, the buds are swollen, and we’re done.”

Her operation, which she runs with her husband Andy, produced just under 400 gallons of syrup—about average for their farm.

“We have about 1400 taps on vacuum,” she said. “So our average is about 1.5 litres per tap.”

The family’s connection to the festival runs deep. While Straughan worked the booth, her husband took part in the lumberjack shows.

“He’s been coming back every year doing the lumberjack shows,” she said.

For Straughan, the event is also about community.

“We enjoy coming every year,” she said, noting they also take part in the Sap Run the following day, where syrup is handed out to runners at the finish line.

Back on the organizing side, Hogan says the success of this year’s event also highlighted areas for improvement.

“We’re already talking about what we’re going to do differently next year,” she said. “It’s always a work in progress.”

Even so, she says the sense of connection stood out.

“The part that I liked best was meeting with all the people that you did or didn’t know,” Hogan said.

By William Konken. BayToday.ca