Ontario is home to one of Canada’s most beloved traditions: maple syrup season. Every spring sugar bushes, sugar shacks, and maple syrup festivals welcome visitors to enjoy in the sweet taste of freshly tapped maple syrup and experience the magic of this time-honoured tradition.
Whether you’re a local resident or visiting Ontario, there’s no better way to embrace the season this February, March, or April than by discovering these iconic Canadian destinations with your family.
Tips for Your Maple Adventure
- Bring Your Appetite: From pancakes and waffles to maple candies and taffy, you won’t want to miss the delicious treats available.
- Dress for the Weather: Spring in Ontario can be unpredictable, so wear layers and waterproof footwear to stay comfortable.
- Take Breaks to Warm Up: Bodies can get cold quickly, especially little ones even with warm clothes. Make sure to head into the local buildings or your car to warm up occasionally.
- Support Local Canadian Producers: Many sugar bushes and maple syrup festivals sell locally produced maple syrup, so stock up on this liquid gold to enjoy year-round.
Exploring Ontario’s Sweetest Spots: Sugar bushes, Sugar Shacks, and Maple Syrup Festivals
Celebrate at Maple Syrup Festivals
Ontario comes alive in the spring with a variety of maple festivals that celebrate all things sweet and syrupy. These family-friendly events feature live entertainment, artisan markets, sugar bush experiences and an array of maple treats.
Maple Weekend
Excitement for sharing what they do runs deep for maple syrup producers, and Maple Weekend is an opportunity they take to share it with you. Each location has a variety of activities to offer, from guided hikes, to hay rides, to musical performances, and of course maple syrup! You can check out each maple syrup festival online and see which your family would love to try the most.
Where: Sugar bushes, maple producers and pancake houses across Ontario
When: The first weekend of April
Bruce’s Mill and Kortright
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority hosts it’s annual Maple Syrup Festival at Bruce’s Mill and Kortright Conservation Area.
Where: Bruce’s Mill and Kortright Conservation Area
When: Throughout March until the first week of April, with special activities during March Break.
Elmira Maple Syrup Festival
Elmira goes all out for their maple syrup festival, with vendors, a collectible show, pony rides, pancakes (of course!) and buses to local sugar bushes for tours.
Where: Downtown Elmira, ON
When: April 5, 2025
Powassan Maple Syrup Festival
The Maple Syrup Festival in Powassan is full of events, entertainment and vendors for everyone to check out.
Where: Powassan, ON
When: April 26, 2025
Maple Days at The Village at Black Creek
Storytelling abounds at this sugar shack party.
Where: Toronto, ON
When: March 10 to 14, 2025, 11am to 4pm
Festival of the Maples, Perth
Vendors, music and more at this street festival in quaint and picturesque Perth, ON.
Where: Perth, ON
When: April 26, 2025
Discover Ontario’s Sugarbushes & Sugar Shacks
A sugarbush is a forest dominated by sugar maple trees, the source of the iconic Canadian maple syrup. Ontario boasts many sugarbushes where you can see the syrup-making process firsthand. Stroll through the towering maples, watch sap being collected, and learn about the history of maple syrup production.
Sugar shacks are the heart of the maple syrup experience. These rustic, cozy buildings are where sap is boiled down into golden syrup. Many sugar shacks in Ontario offer tours, tastings, and even hearty meals featuring maple-inspired dishes. Many locations offer both experiences, but some only offer one.
Wheeler’s Maple
With a beautiful and rustic pancake house and sugar camp, Maple Museum, hiking trails and playground for the kids, Wheeler’s family owned and operated farm is sure to be a great family outing.
Where: 1001 Highland Line, McDonalds Corners (Lanark Highlands), Ontario, Canada, K0G 1M0
When: Tuesday through Sundays in March until mid April, with a reservation
Trillium Ridge Sugarworks
A long time staple of the area, between Kingston and Bellville north of the 401. Trillium Ridge Sugarworks is a warm and friendly, mixed-indigenous owned farm that has been making maple syurp for over 40 years.
Where: 254 Maple Sugar Rd, North Tyendinaga, Ontario, K0K 3A0
When: From March 5th to April 6th, 2025. Drop-ins welcome for small tours and the store from 9am to 4pm. Call to book a reservation for brunch from 9am to 2pm daily. Call to book school or group tours.
Elliot Tree Farm & Maple Syrup Museum of Ontario
Get the full maple experience at Elliot Tree Farm, with a maple museum, horse canteen, and the chance to taste maple from sap to syrup to toffee – and on all-you-can-eat pancakes!
Where: 9467 Erin East Garafraxa Townline, Hillsburgh, ON N0B 1Z0
When: Weekends from Family Day to the first weekend of April, plus extra days for March Break. Purchase tickets online. Free for kids under 5.
Kinsmen Fanshawe Sugarbush and Pancake House
Volunteer run, all the proceeds from this sugar bush and pancake house go to a variety of charitable organizations. When you book a tour, it includes a pancake breakfast (or lunch), wagon rides and sugarbush tour.
Where: 21201C, Lakeside Dr, Thorndale, ON N0M 2P0
When: Open weekends from Family day to March 16, as well as March Break. Book ahead of time.
Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm
Home of the Maple Creemee, it’s definitely a sweet treat you’ll want to grab! Maple tours and presentations are available in the off season.
Where: 2389 Muskoka Rd. #10, Huntsville, ON P1H 2J3
When: Mid March, until Maple Weekend at the beginning of April. Maple presentations are available June through October on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 12pm, with a reservation.
Long’s Maple Syrup
This sugarbush offers tours during the sugaring season, with education about the area, it’s wildlife and the boiling-down process. End it off with maple taffy!
Where: 218 Neely Rd, Laurier Township, Ontario
When: March through mid April.
Pefferlaw Creek Farms
There are full tours available for this family owned and run sugarbush, including school and corporate tours. On weekends in March and April, they host a Maple Syrup Festival, including musical entertainment, tours, maple taffy, locally made sausage and pancakes, with all you can eat maple syrup!
Where: 12300 Concession Rd 6, Uxbridge, ON L9P 1R2
When: Check the booking calendar to see what days are available for tours.
White Meadows Farms
A maple farm that has been in the family for 4 generations, starting in 1937. When you do a tour, you get to experience all the history this farm has to offer. And of course sample the wares, with some snow taffy.
Where: 2519 Effingham St, Pelham, ON L2R 6P7
When: Book tickets for the Sugar Bush Trek, starting March 1st until mid April. Book tickets for the Discover Maple tour May through October.
Hogan’s Homestead
Visit the shop and go hiking on the trails around the farm. You can book full sugar shack experiences for up to 6 people, and go visit on Maple weekend for fun for the whole family!
Where: 1157 Thielman Road, Goulais River, Ontario
When: Visit during the maple season, March through April. Book tickets for the Maple Maker Adventure full sugar shack experience.
Fortune Farms
Six generations of the Fortune Family have been making maple syrup on this farm. With great trails and pioneer maple making experiences near Almonte, this is a great sugarbush to try.
Where: 2442 Wolf Grove Rd, Almonte, ON K0A 1A0
When: Best times are Saturdays, 10am to 2pm during the maple season to have the Fortune Farms Experience.
Maple Town at Mountsberg & Crawford Lake’s Sweet Water Season
Conservation Halton has sugaring activities and more at two sites, Maple Town at Mountsberg, and at the Algonquin Village at Crawford Lake. If you love animals, check out their raptor encounter and horse drawn wagon rides.
Where: Maple Town at Mountsberg: 2259 Milburough Line, Campbellville, ON, L0P 1B0
Crawford Lake’s Sweet water season: 3115 Conservation Road, Milton, ON, L9T 2X3
When: Weekends through March until the first weekend of April, and March break, 9:30am to 4:30pm, purchase tickets online
The Log Farm
Visit with farmyard animals in, getting a guided pioneer house tour and use children’s play areas addition to your sugar bush experience when you book a sugarbush tour at Log Farm.
Where: 670 Cedarview Rd., Ottawa, Ontario K2R 1E5
When: Book your Sugarbush on the Farm tour from the beginning of March to the first weekend of April.
Agape Valley Sugar Bush
Agape is a non-profit, volunteer-run, Christian summer camp that uses it’s sugarbush to help fund activities for children. They have free hayride tours, a pancake house, and a $2 taffy.
Where: 392 Kilman Road, Pelham, ON L0S 1M0
When: Book your FREE parking pass to the pancake house and sugarbush tours(required for admission).
The Tiffin Centre
Run by the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, The Tiffin Centre offers sugarbush experiences in March and April, including during it’s March Break Camp for kids. Enjoy the Spring Tonic Festival the first weekend of April.
Where: 8195 8th Line, Utopia, ON L0M 1T0, Canada
When: Tours available throughout March, including March Break. Spring Tonic Festival the first weekend of April.
Enjoy Your Sweet First Taste of Spring at Maple Syrup Festivals
Sugarbushes, sugar shacks, and maple syrup festivals offer a unique opportunity to embrace the season and connect if you are looking for things to do in Ontario. Whether you’re tapping trees, sipping on maple-infused coffee, or simply taking in the natural beauty of the maple forests, these Canadian experiences are sure to leave your family with sweet memories. So, grab your boots and your sweet tooth, and make your way to one of Ontario’s maple syrup destinations this season!
