Michigan has a long history of maple syrup production. The state’s sugar maple trees produce sap that is perfect for making delicious maple syrup. Many Michigan towns and cities host annual maple syrup festivals to celebrate this sweet local tradition. These fun community events feature maple syrup tastings, demonstrations, competitions, tours, pancake breakfasts, and more. If you’re looking to experience an authentic Michigan maple syrup festival, here are some of the top options across the state.
Top Maple Syrup Festivals in Michigan
Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival
One of the most popular maple syrup festivals in Michigan takes place in the small town of Vermontville. Held annually in late April, the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival draws thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond. The festival spans two days and includes events like a pancake breakfast, parade, craft show, sugar bush tours, logging demonstrations, kids activities, and plenty of pure Michigan maple syrup. You can watch local producers demonstrate how to tap trees, collect sap, and boil it down into sweet maple syrup. There are also competitions for the best maple syrup, candy, and cream. With free admission and parking, the Vermontville festival makes for an affordable and delicious springtime trip.
Location: Vermontville, MI
Dates: Late April
Algonac Maple Syrup Festival
Taking place along the St. Clair River, the Algonac Maple Syrup Festival is another popular choice. Going strong for over 50 years, this annual event packs a full schedule of family-friendly fun into two days in early April. Highlights include syrup demonstrations, samples, a pancake breakfast, 5K run, carnival rides, craft show, lumberjack shows, chainsaw carving demos, kids activities, live music, food trucks, and more. You can watch sap boiling in the sugar shack and learn how to identify and tap maple trees. The Algonac festival offers free admission and parking, so it’s easy to bring the whole family.
Location: Algonac, MI
Dates: Early April
Sloan Maple Syrup Festival
Near the Michigan-Ohio border, Sloan hosts its Maple Syrup Festival every March. Held at the Metroparks Farm, this is one of the earliest maple syrup celebrations in Michigan each year. Highlights include guided wagon rides and walking tours through the sugarbush, demonstrations of tapping and collecting sap, antique tool displays, kids crafts, maple syrup tasting, a pancake breakfast, and tractor-drawn hayrides. You can even meet the draft horses who haul the sap-filled buckets through the forest. There are also craft vendors, food trucks, live music, chainsaw carving, and other entertainment.
Location: Sloan, MI
Dates: Early March
Romeo Maple Syrup Festival
The village of Romeo puts its own spin on maple syrup festivities each March with family-friendly events including wagon rides, demonstrations, pancake breakfasts, a fun run, craft show, and concession stands. You can watch as they tap maple trees in the Romeo Community Park, then follow the process through to the final syrup. Other highlights include a maple syrup competition, live music, chainsaw carving, kids craft corner, historical displays, food vendors, a beer tent, and more.
Location: Romeo, MI
Dates: Early March
Mesick Mushroom & Maple Syrup Festival
For a unique twist, check out Mesick’s Mushroom and Maple Syrup Festival. Held every May, this free event celebrates two of Michigan’s beloved forest resources. In addition to maple syrup cooking demos, tastings, craft vendors and pancake breakfasts, you can learn about cultivating mushrooms and identify wild varieties. Kids can enjoy panning for “gems”, hands-on crafts, games, puppet shows and contests. There’s also a classic car display, 5K run/walk, live music and entertainment.
Location: Mesick, MI
Dates: Early May
Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival
Shepherd’s Maple Syrup Festival provides a full schedule of family fun over two days in late April. Highlights include guided woodland tours, sap collection demos, horse-drawn wagon rides, chainsaw carving exhibits, pancake breakfasts, a lumberjack show, food vendors, live music, a craft bazaar and more. You can learn how to identify and tap sugar maple trees, then see sap turned into sweet syrup before your eyes. Kids can enjoy a petting farm, inflatables and maple candy making.
Location: Shepherd, MI
Dates: Late April
Sand Lake Maple Syrup Festival
Sand Lake puts its own unique spin on maple festivities with live music as the star attraction. Their annual Maple Syrup Festival takes place in late April, featuring two full days of free concerts along with classic maple-themed activities. In addition to syrup exhibits, cooking demos, pancake breakfasts and wagon rides, you can enjoy shows from tribute bands and popular Michigan-based performers. Vendors sell crafts, antiques, home decor and of course plenty of maple syrup.
Location: Sand Lake, MI
Dates: Late April
West Michigan Maple Syrup Festivals
West Michigan has some of the highest concentrations of sugar maple trees in the state, making it a hot spot for maple syrup festivals. Here are some of the top maple celebrations in West Michigan:
McCormick’s Maple Syrup Festival
Held at McCormick’s Maple Ranch just south of Grand Rapids, this annual festival offers a sweet family outing. In late March you can enjoy hay rides, demonstrations, tasting, lace making, crafts, music and food. Watch sap boiling over a wood fire and try delicious maple syrup on pancakes, donuts or ice cream. Kids will love activities like candle dipping and farm animals.
Location: Lawton, MI
Dates: Late March
Knapp’s Sugar Shack Maple Syrup Festival
Knapp’s Sugar Shack in the Manistee National Forest invites visitors to their farm each March for demonstrations, horse-drawn wagon rides, pancake meals, and maple treats. You can tour the sugar bush to see tapping and collection. There are also craft vendors, music, food, a raffle and activities for kids like puppet shows.
Location: Luther, MI
Dates: Early March
Alden Maple Syrup Festival
The Alden Depot hosts this annual maple event offering fun for all ages. Highlights include tours of the sugarbush, sap collection demos, pioneer reenactments, pancake breakfasts, wagon rides, a maple history exhibit, children’s activities, live music, a marketplace and crafters.
Location: Alden, MI
Dates: Late April
Muskegon Maple Syrup Festival
Downtown Muskegon celebrates Michigan’s maple heritage with street performances, craft vendors, demonstrations, food trucks, and activities. Highlights include tours of the Lakeshore Museum Center’s sap evaporator, pancake breakfasts, and opportunities to taste pure Michigan maple syrup.
Location: Muskegon, MI
Dates: Early March
Maple Syrup Festivals in Northern Michigan
The northern half of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula boasts abundant maple forests and many festivals to match. These beloved celebrations offer family fun while highlighting the local maple sugaring tradition.
Evart Maple Syrup Festival
Evart proclaims itself the “Maple Syrup Capital” and celebrates with a huge festival each April. Events are spread throughout town and include pancake breakfasts, classic car show, carnival rides, lumberjack shows, parade, craft fair, sugar bush tours, logging demos, kids activities and plenty of food vendors. You can watch sap boiling, learn tree tapping, sample syrups and enjoy live entertainment.
Location: Evart, MI
Dates: Late April
Mio Maple Syrup Festival
Mio’s annual Maple Syrup Festival draws crowds with delicious pancake breakfasts served all-you-can-eat style. The event also includes craft vendors, demonstrations, entertainment, a classic car show, carnival midway, lumberjack competition and of course maple syrup exhibits. Kids can enjoy puppet shows, games, face painting and more.
Location: Mio, MI
Dates: Early May
Marquette Maple Syruping Festival
Hosted at Marquette’s Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, this festival offers family fun with a strong educational focus. Highlights include guided hikes through the sugarbush, demonstrations of tapping techniques, hands-on history exhibits, and crafts. Stop by the evaporator for a sample of freshly made syrup. There are also kids crafts, games, hayrides and pancakes.
Location: Marquette, MI
Dates: Mid-April
St. Ignace Maple Syrup Festival
St. Ignace celebrates the spring maple sugaring season with craft vendors, activities, pancake breakfasts and plenty of syrup. Cooking demos, evaporator tours, and opportunities to tap a tree and taste the syrup provide hands-on learning experiences. Music, concessions and a magic show round out the family fun.
Location: St. Ignace, MI
Dates: Early April
Maple Syrup Festivals in Southeast Michigan
The southern half of Michigan’s lower peninsula has scattered maple forests, producing some sweet local syrup. Here are a few of the top maple festivals in southeast Michigan:
Lapeer Maple Syrup Festival
Lapeer hosts this free maple event downtown, with activities centered around Migel Park. Highlights include craft vendors, concessions, demonstrations, live music, a classic car show on Saturday, and of course maple syrup exhibits. You can also enjoy kids games, a petting zoo, chainsaw carving demos, pie eating contest and pancake breakfasts.
Location: Lapeer, MI
Dates: Early March
Brighton Maple Syrup Festival
Each March the Brighton area celebrates maple sugaring season with family activities and entertainment. Downtown Brighton closes its streets to host this free event with live music, arts & crafts, concessions, a car show and pancake breakfasts. Other highlights include the panicking pig races, petting zoo, magician, wagon rides and maple sugaring demonstrations.
Location: Brighton, MI
Dates: Early March
Milford Maple Syrup Festival
Historic Main Street in Milford makes a perfect setting for an old-fashioned maple celebration. For one day each March, you’ll find live music, entertainment, arts & crafts exhibitors, classic car display, pancake breakfast, concessions, wagon rides, and the popular maple sugaring demos. Activities for kids include face painting, crafts projects and inflatables.
Location: Milford, MI
Date: Mid-March
Maybury Farm Maple Syrup Festival
This family farm in Northville opens its sugarbush for maple fun in late winter. Enjoy highlights like horse-drawn wagon rides, demonstrations of tapping, collecting sap and boiling, plus plenty of samples. Pancake breakfasts, craft vendors, concessions and children’s activities round out the festival.
Location: Northville, MI
Dates: February – March
Maple Syrup Festivals in the Upper Peninsula
Thanks to its cold winters and abundance of sugar maples, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is an ideal location for maple sugaring. These are some of the most popular U.P. maple celebrations:
Annual Maple Syrup Festival at Iroquois Point
Hosted at Bay de Noc Community College near Escanaba, this family event includes hay rides into the maple forest, tapping demos, Native American dancing, pancakes and sausages. Kids can make maple candies while adults learn tree identification tips. Tour the sugar shack and sample the sweet finished syrup.
Location: Escanaba, MI
Dates: Late April
Les Cheneaux Islands Maple Syrup Festival
Held on Michigan’s remote Les Cheneaux Islands, this festival celebrates both maple syrup and the welcoming of spring. Highlights include tours of sugar bushes, demos, sugaring exhibits, sales, and of course samplings. Hearty pancake breakfasts fortify you for enjoying the islands’ natural beauty and waterfront activities.
Location: Cedarville, MI
Dates: Late April
Iron River Maple Syrup Festival
Iron River’s annual maple celebration includes pancake breakfasts, logging camp reenactments, kids games, wagon rides, craft vendors, demos, and live music. Sample treats like maple cotton candy or sap on snow. Join a guided walk to learn tree tapping techniques hands-on. In the evening, enjoy family-friendly movies, magician shows and concerts.
Location: Iron River, MI
Dates: Mid-April
Sweetwater Local Foods Maple Syrup Festival
Taking place at Sweetwater Local Foods in Marquette, this maple festival offers something for all ages. Tour the sugarbush and sample syrup while learning about tapping and processing. Kids can make maple candies and taffy in the sugar shack. Other highlights include live music, food vendors, crafts, maple beer tasting and fun contests.
Location: Marquette, MI
Dates: Early April
Conclusion
Michigan has no shortage of opportunities to celebrate maple sugaring season. From the cozy Upper Peninsula to the farm towns of southern Michigan, each region hosts beloved festivals that embrace maple syrup making heritage. These lively community gatherings offer delicious maple treats, hands-on learning experiences, family entertainment and fun for all ages. So if you’re looking for the top maple syrup festivals in Michigan, this guide provides the full sweet itinerary. Now head out to find a maple celebration near you and taste the state’s sweetest tradition!
