37th Annual IL Maple Syrup Festival

What better way to kick off spring than by attending the 37th Annual Indian Lake Maple Syrup Festival & Pancake Breakfast this weekend? Nothing says spring like maple syrup.

The festival is an annual event hosted by the Indian Lake Development Corporation (ILDC) to help raise funds for various community projects around Indian Lake.  The ILDC is a non-profit organization, full of volunteers, that was established in 1983 to help improve the Indian Lake State Park, in conjunction with the state park manager.

This year the event has expanded, and if you can’t make it out on Saturday, they are open on Sunday too. You can shop over 20 local craft & food vendors, listen to live music throughout each day, take a wagon ride through the sugar bush, the kids can bounce in the bounce houses and castles and have their faces painted, and don’t forget about the fantastic breakfast.

 

Breakfast is $8 for adults and $4 for children 8 and under & includes homemade pancakes, sausage, and your choice of orange juice, coffee, or water. And of course real maple syrup.

Event organizer David Goff explains why this isn’t an event you want to miss:

5 comments
  1. Dick stewart
    Dick stewart
    March 18, 2023 at 8:39 pm

    Great job and a big thank you for all the volunteers

    Reply
    • bernie
      bernie
      March 22, 2023 at 9:09 am

      I felt sorry for all the vendors…. it was just way too cold to walk around there. But the Pancakes were excellent! Also I learned a lot from the Maple Syrup display. Will definately go again next year…. hopefully the weather will be better.

      Reply
  2. Jay
    Jay
    March 20, 2023 at 11:43 am

    I usually don’t comment on this stuff, but since I went to this “festival” because of this article I figured I would.
    The “Maple Syrup Festival” used store bought corn syrup for the pancakes. Went Sunday at around 10:30. No music. I think 4 vendors. Total dud.
    First and probably last time I’ll attend.

    Reply
    • David Goff
      David Goff
      March 21, 2023 at 1:56 pm

      Jay, please consider both the weather, and that professional entertainment cost money. The schedules for both the Saturday and Sunday were made public and published in an exhausting list of radio stations, public event calendars, public bulletin boards, and on dozens of Social Media Sites/Pages. On Saturday we had both professional entertainment and free entertainment provided by local school choirs and bands. On Sunday we had the Gospel Puppet Show for kids and families. We had twenty-five vendor sites scheduled to be filled. While a couple of the vendors decided not attend due to the snow, cold, and strong winds; the great plurality of vendors came and attempted setup and opened-up. The cold winds, and heavy snow, sent many of them home early. Some Stayed on Saturday, and even more came back on Sunday. Your participation and attendance are appreciated and welcomed. However, it is important to know all the facts. We invited several additional schools to come in and perform on Sunday, but for various scheduling conflicts, they could not attend this year. Often when you begin the process of building and growing a charitable event, there is a lack of start-up money, etc. I personally would ask that you keep all of the above in mind, and please kindly consider attending the Maple Syrup Festival in 2024. Thank you Sir!

      Reply
    • Ed
      Ed
      March 22, 2023 at 12:48 pm

      Perhaps you should apply for a refund of the admission charge.

      Reply

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