WEST SPRINGFIELD – With Sugaring Season in full swing, the Storrowton Village Museum plans to celebrate all things maple for this year’s Maple Harvest Day.

The free event will take place on March 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will highlight the history and tradition of maple sugaring in New England. A variety of maple-related stations will be running throughout the day. Visitors can take a trip to the historic Gilbert Farmhouse, which will turn into a sugarhouse for the event, to learn how the syrup is made – from tree tapping to sap boiling. They can also watch 19th century open-hearth cooking demonstrations of maple recipes. Docent-led tours and 19th century craft demos will be available inside the Farmhouse as well.

Maple-lovers can explore the Village’s maple-themed pop-up shop, which will feature the Museum’s very own Maple Harvest Sampler Cookbook.

“I think a lot of what is lost today is knowing where our food comes from, so doing an event like this helps people understand where our food – in this case, maple sugar – comes from and how you get it,” said Director of Storrowton Village Museum Jessica Fontaine.

The Massachusetts maple production season starts in mid-to-late February in the eastern and lower-western parts of the state. The season lasts four-to-six weeks, depending on the weather. Most producers are done boiling by mid-April, when the nighttime temperatures remain above freezing and the tree buds begin to swell.

The best sap flows come when nighttime temperatures are in the low 20s, and daytime temperatures are in the 40s. The longer it stays below freezing at night, the longer the sap will run during the warm day. The cold weather at night allows the tree to cool down and absorb moisture from the ground via its roots. When the tree warms up during the day, the tree’s internal pressure builds and the sap will run from a tap hole.

According to Fontaine, the annual Maple Harvest Day event helps the Museum further its mission statement.  

“All of our programs try to demonstrate New England history, and maple sugaring is a huge piece of New England history. Our goal is to make education fun for families, but, entertainment is also a piece of our mission statement – we call it ‘edutainment,’” she said. “We always make sure something is hands-on for kids and families to do, and that learning is infused in that.”

The Storrowton Village has long been apart of the Eastern States Expostion, but the buildings’ history dates back to 1927. The restored Early American village comprises seven New England buildings dating 1767 – 1850. They were dismantled, moved and reassembled at Storrowton. Among them are a mansion, farmhouse, smithy, schoolhouse, tavern and church.

The purpose of the programs at Storrowton, explained Fontaine, is to preserve New England history and show what the region’s heritage looked like in the 19th century before industrialization. The mission statement of the museum is to teach that history through educational experiences.

On top of the free Maple Harvest Day events that will take place at the Gilbert Farmhouse, the West Springfield Lions Club and Storrowton Tavern will each feature maple-focused dining experiences.

The Lions will flip pancakes, served with pure New England syrup, in the Village’s red Greenwich Barn from 10 a.m. to noon. The plates will be $5 per person, with a side choice of sausages and coffee or juice.

The Tavern’s Sunday brunch menu will include maple flavors. The brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be $17 for adults and $10 for children.

More information about the Museum’s Maple Harvest Day is available on their website at www.storrowtonvillage.com.