Maple Syrup Festival returns with indigenous history emphasis

The Maple Syrup Festival in Dayton returns on Saturday after being on hiatus for four years.

From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Eastman Nature Center of Three Rivers Park District, festivalgoers can taste fresh-made maple syrup, learn how to make maple syrup and enjoy syrup sundaes.

This year, the festival will show a video made in partnership with Porky’s Sugar Bush that incorporates the past and present process of Native syrup tapping. Porky’s Sugar Bush is a local, Native-run sugarbush that was started in 1976 by Porky White.

A sugarbush is a group of sugar maple trees growing in the same area that is tapped to get the sap, which turns into maple syrup, said a spokesperson for the event from the Eastman Nature Center. Sap becomes syrup by warming up a hot cauldron and steaming the sap.

Visit their Facebook page for more information on the Maple Syrup Festival and upcoming events at Porky’s Sugarbush.