The 2nd annual Maple Mania event happened on Saturday, March 9th and Sunday, March 10th. Our local maple producers and businesses displayed increased interest, resulting in active participation and involvement.
The event saw a total of 1,195 participants attending nine events at seven sugar bushes across Huron County. Each participating sugar bush offered a unique insight into the art of maple syrup making. The involved sugar bushes this year were Amalgamation Acres/Legacy Maple, Bayfield Maple, Blyth Creek Maple, Coastal Coffee, Freedom Syrup, Robinson's Maple Products, and Schilbe Family Maple Syrup.
With our partners in Cultural Services, the event also featured four engaging and family-friendly programs across the County, including Balloon Magic at the Huron County Museum, two Birds of Prey demonstrations, one at the Alice Munro Public Library and one at the Seaforth Library, and four Cookie Decorating sessions two at the Blyth Library and two at the Clinton Library. Back again this year, two Pancake Breakfasts took place on Sunday. One was hosted by the Auburn & District Lions Club at the Auburn Community Hall and the other was at Bad Apple Brewing Company in partnership with Bayfield Maple.
Thirteen Huron County restaurants participated in the Maple Mania Dining Program. They presented distinct and inventive maple-infused dishes from March 7 to 17, serving an impressive 730 feature menu dishes, reflecting a 52% increase from 2023. Participating locations included 1851 Bayfield Landing, Bayfield Brewing Co., Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro, Cowbell Brewing Co., Dark Horse Estate Winery - Danu Cellars, Eddington’s of Exeter, Hessenland Inn & Schatz Winery, Oakwood Resort, Part II Bistro, The Blyth Inn, The Little Inn of Bayfield, West Street Willy’s Eatery, and White Squirrel Golf Club & Restaurant.
Additionally, ten local cafes and bakeries provided tasty maple treats during the event, and the Great Maple Mania Bake Off witnessed the eager participation of five businesses presenting their maple offerings to an excited live audience.
Marketing and promotion for, Maple Mania included posters, editorial coverage in both the Blyth Citizen and Bayfield Breeze. Promotional radio ads were aired on two different radio stations, complemented by interviews to create excitement for the event. Social media engagement was impressive, with a Facebook reach of 84,401, an Instagram reach of 6,359, and 2044 link clicks. Furthermore, the event's website attracted a total of 3,255 visits, with the top five visitor locations being Toronto, Goderich, Clinton, Bayfield, and Exeter.
In 2022, Community Futures Huron had one-time Federal funding to support the event and hire a coordinator. In 2023, we produced the event on a more modest budget from Economic Development’s approved 2024 budget and department staff time.
This event could not have been possible without the participation and strong collaboration with our Huron County Maple Syrup Producers. They put their own time and resources into the event programming at their sugar bushes as well as supporting with the overall marketing and promotion.
Maple Mania continues to be a success shoulder season event for Huron County, attracting visitors, engaging residents, and building collaborative partnerships with our agricultural sector.