Maple Sugarin’ at the Prairie

The sugar shack is a great place to warm up this time of year at Shawnee Prairie.

The sap is flowing and the fire is roaring in the Sugar Shack; that means it’s time to enjoy nature’s sweet treat. Saturday, March 5th from 8:00am-4:00pm is Maple Sugarin’ at the Prairie! This festival at Shawnee Prairie (4267 St. Rt. 502 West) offers guided tours through history and science to learn the process of turning sap into syrup. After the tour through the woods, visit the sugar shack and warm up in the steam-filled evaporator room as the sap spends countless hours on a boil to reduce it down to syrup. Then head out to the log house and blacksmith shop to visit with the 200-year-old pioneers and historical maple sugar uses. Finally, complete the day at the nature center where the gift shop will be full of maple goodies for anyone’s sweet tooth!

The Friends of the Parks will once again be serving up a hearty breakfast of waffles, sausage, juice, coffee, and of course pure Ohio maple syrup! Breakfast will be Saturday, March 5th, from 8:00am-12:00pm. There will also be a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are available for only $6 at the door on the day of the breakfast or presale is available at the nature center from 9am-5pm Monday through Saturday.

If you have any questions about this or any other program offered by the Darke County Parks, please call the Nature Center at (937) 548-0165 or visit the website at www.darkecountyparks.org.