On March 25th, from 9:45 am to 4:00 pm, the Wood Memorial Library, on 783 Main Street hosted the first Maple Sugar festival they’ve had in years. To commemorate this momentous occasion, they poured maple sugar into cups for participants of the event to enjoy. With the all-natural maple syrup, corn cake samples were also distributed to add another complexity of flavor to the popular food item behind the library in Nowashe Village. As well as the maple sugar being the star of the show, families gathered around the craft table to create their own bracelets and necklaces out of multicolored beads and maple leaf pendants. 

In the taxidermy showcase of native species, there was a presentation on animals in their natural habitats such as the native black bear. The exhibition also went into detail on the games and other essential tools that Native Americans used on a daily basis. Families from all over Connecticut came together to get an educational experience, some even traveling as far as Simsbury to attend the festival. 

Volunteers from Interact Club at South Windsor High School, were present to perform various tasks such as tending to the fire in the hut, QR code distribution, and arts and crafts. 

One of the speakers for the presentation on creating maple was heard saying, “Maple syrup on pancakes is good but maple syrup on snow is just as good if not better”.

Families gathered around the fireplace to see the process taking place. From cutting the tree to boiling the sap at the right temperature, families were motivated to try creating their own maple syrup at home. Participants also were informed of the various health benefits such as riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, even more so than honey. 

“The festival was well planned out and felt educational and fun at the same time,” said  sophomore and Interact volunteer, Vaibhav Tirunagari.

As well as having multiple presentations on Native American life, participants were able to enjoy family time by the fireplace outdoors and bond over the nature Nowashe Village had to offer. Moreover, families were able to take a plushie of native animals home or a bottle of their own naturally made maple syrup. If that wasn’t their cup of tea, there was a display of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings for them to purchase that were all related to the event itself. 

Overall, the Maple Sugar Fest hosted a family fun event that brought people together over a common interest. With every detail planned, the Maple Sugar Fest was able to pull off yet another victory in hosting a multitude of events such as Indigenous People’s day and their own version of the Winter Market. Now, Wood Memorial Library hopes that even more people will attend their next event in the coming spring. With so much to offer, Wood Memorial library has something for everyone to enjoy.