Heldeberg Workshop plans inaugural Community Maple Sugaring Festival

Monday, May 6, 2024 - 18:44

— Photo by Christopher Albright

The Sugar Shack will live up to its name next spring as maple sap is transformed into syrup there.

NEW SCOTLAND — Syrup may flow next spring at the Heldeberg Workshop’s Sugar Shack thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Voorheesville Community and School Foundation.

Built between 2020 and 2023 using traditional construction methods, the timber-frame Sugar Shack is next to a stand of 86 sugar maple trees, and is accessible by car and wheelchair.

“Once work is completed, the Sugar Shack will allow Maple sap to be concentrated into syrup, offering a historically accurate view of how food was obtained by those living in the region in past generations,” according to a release from the workshop.

Beginning in 2025, the Heldeberg Workshop will hold an annual Community Maple Sugaring Festival, welcoming visitors to watch how maple sap was traditionally harvested and concentrated.

Festival attendees will also have opportunities to learn how to collect sap and make maple syrup at home, go on guided hikes, and enjoy music and food. Field trips for schools, homeschool groups, and after-school clubs, and other community programs are under consideration.

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