Family Fun on Tap

Bring the whole family to watch maple syrup being made before your eyes. You'll see high-tech evaporators with reverse osmosis and SteamAways, as well as traditional wood-fired evaporators. Wonderful maple treats will tempt your palate, and special activities will fill your day with fun. Sugarhouses will open their doors for touring and tasting from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. each day, and Valley Road Maple Farm invites you to come early (9 a.m.) and enjoy a pancake breakfast dripping with...what else?...pure Thurman maple syrup!

Special Happenings:

• Saturday, March 22, 2008: The New York State Maple Queen, Lacy Pitman, will be making the rounds of the sugarhouses, starting at the Valley Road Maple Farm pancake breakfast and continuing till 4 p.m. Meet her and have your photo taken with her.
• Saturday, March 22, Join Joe Pezzulo and Paul Joseph of WFFG (Froggy 107.1), who will broadcast from Adirondack Gold Maple Farm from 11 a.m. till 1 p.m.
• Saturday, March 29, 4 p.m. till all are served: The annual Thurman Maple Sugar Party to benefit the American Cancer Society at Thurman Town Hall. Feast at the all-you-can-eat buffet, but save room for the to-die-for dessert: traditional Adirondack jackwax! $10 adults, $5 for kids 6-11. Under 5 free. Info. 518-623-2909.
• Saturday, March 29, after the jackwax party: A FREE FIREWORKS DISPLAY.

On Saturday evening, March 29th, make sure to plan on attending the annual Maple Sugar Party to benefit the American Cancer Society. It's a delectable all-you-can-eat buffet topped off with old-fashioned jackwax, accompanied by local musicians. Held at town hall, 311 Athol Road, Athol, NY, it begins at 4 and lasts till all are served. Prices: $10 adults, $5 for kids 6-11. Under 5 free.

After the supper enjoy a spectacular fireworks display. See Thurman Events Calendar for details.

Here's a little thumbnail description of each of the sugarhouses you can visit, and a map to help you find them. If you can't print a good copy, email ThurmanInfo@aol.com to have the map emailed to you, or pick one up at any of the sugarhouses when you arrive in Thurman.

COME SEE US

Adirondack Gold Maple Farm
74 Bear Pond Road
Here third generation maple producers operate an old fashioned sugarhouse. They have 700 taps (600 with tubing and 100 in buckets) and a 2' x 6' wood-fired stainless steel evaporator. Family activities are planned for both days of each weekend. Come meet the Maple Queen and browse the Kenyons' full line of maple products.

Valley Road Maple Farm
190 Valley Road
Sugarmakers Mike Hill and Ralph Senecal boil in a new state-of-the-art sugarhouse. They have 1,500 taps on vacuum with reverse osmosis. Their products include syrup, cream, candy, sugar, cotton candy, and they will open early with a pancake breakfast.

Toad Hill Maple Farm
151 Charles Olds Road
www.toadhillmaple.com
The Galusha family has produced pure Adirondack Maple Porducts at Toad Hill for more than 30 years. Toad Hill is the largest maple producer in Warren County, with more than 4,000 vacuum-assisted taps spread across three sugar bushes.

Wallaces' Sugarhouse
312 Dippikill Road
This will be the first year for the the Wallaces' new sugarhouse, with all new equipment, which includes a Leader 3' x 12' wood-fired evaporator with a SteamAway. This 2,000-tap operation carries a full line of maple products.

Sap, Tap 'n' Lid Maple
311 Mountain Road
Sugarmakers Doug and Darrin Needham and Van Baker have been making pure maple syrup for over nine years. They have well over 600 taps on the southeast side of Kenyontown Mountain, all connected to a gravity-fed main line that runs directly into a 500-gallon stainless steel tank. They boil in a 3' x 10' wood-fired evaporator.

Sorry! Floyd Baker will not be open this year.

Nettle Meadow Goat Farm
484 South Johnsburg Road
www.nettlemeadow.com
At Nettle Meadow you can visit an assortment of critters--a calf, a horse, a rooster, a turkey, llamas...and goats, of course. Watch gourmet cheese being made, and decide which kind will grace your own table. We recomment their maple walnut chevre!