Crowds roll into Elmira for annual Maple Syrup Festival
Posted Apr 1, 2017 06:25:24 AM.
Last Updated Apr 1, 2017 10:38:42 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s a good day in Waterloo Region if you’ve got a sweet tooth.
The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival is back for the 53rd year, and its organizers expect crowds from across the province and beyond.
The festival, known to locals as Sap Fest, is recognized by Guinness as the World’s Largest Single Day Maple Syrup Festival, drawing over 66,000 people in 2000. This year, with warm weather in the forecast, the festival’s chair is predicting they could be doubling down on that title.
“It’s usually based on the weather, and this year, we’re very lucky to have 10 degrees and sunny weather, so we’re expecting close to 70,000 people,” says Drew McGovern.
“Years ago, we actually did a survey. We had a bunch of students run around with clipboards, asking people to put in their information,” says McGovern. “We have people from the U.S. that like to come up this way. Someone wrote the North Pole — I’m not sure if that was genuine or not.”
The festival runs as a fundraiser, with all proceeds going towards local charities and not-for-profits, McGovern adds.
“We have a grant which is online,” says McGovern. “Any group can apply for a grant, and we actually sit down in May and go through the applications [for April].”
The events get underway at 7am with a pancake breakfast on Arthur Street. Things finally wrap up by 4pm.
GRT is operating a special shuttle service between Conestoga Mall and Elmira, starting at 6:30am.
