Maple Leaf Competition Winners
The ballots have been tallied and I know everyone is on the edge of their seat and excited to know who the “People’s Choice” winners are from the Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival Maple Leaf Competition so we are pleased to announce and congratulate the following …..
Trillium Leaf Artist, Marg Munro who won 1st Prize with the most votes.
The Beaded Leaf by Debby Bell and the Birch String Art Leaf with Cardinals by Alison O’Connell both tied for 2nd Place.
The Winter Isolation Leaf painted by Thomas Rivers took the 3rd place finish.
The quality of the Art on all the leaves submitted for the Maple Leaf Competition that made this the success it was also made it a very difficult choice, they were all so beautiful and so artistically done, so our thanks and congratulations go out to all who participated in this 2025 inaugural Maple Leaf Challenge. Photos of the Artists with their work, will be shared in a second post so you can see who created the Art that resonated most with you.
Thanks also go out to all who took the time to vote and to the artists and businesses who donated to the gift baskets each winning Artist gets to take home.
Hopefully we will be able to bring this event to you again next year!
Welcome to the 2025 Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival! Now in its 28th year, this well-loved event attracts visitors from Toronto, Durham Region and the rest of the Greater Toronto Area – and even beyond! The festival offers a great opportunity to discover the many things that make Sunderland special, while celebrating the time-honoured Canadian tradition of making maple syrup.
Our maple syrup farmers are proud to carry on producing the “liquid gold” that has been enjoyed since the 17th and 18th centuries. Back then, sap from maple trees was boiled down in iron and copper kettles. What a difference a century or two makes! Nowadays, modern processing makes the job much more efficient. You can find out just how much processing has changed by taking a tour of Harlaine Maple Products.
So Close You Can Taste It
Making Maple Candy at Harlaine
Maple syrup season is in full swing here at Harlaine Farms. Here is the process of how we make maple candy. Starting with bowling down the syrup, then running it through a machine to create the candy texture. The moulds are filled, cooled and then ready for snacking. All of this is done hands on at our family farm in Sunderland.
Katie Harder
2025 Booklet
Hop on a bus and travel to their sugar shack, where you will see a native and pioneer display, as well as the current production methods Paul Harder and his family use for their sweet creations. Oh, and those buses can also take visitors to the Salem Alpacas farm. Bus tickets will be available at Sunderland Public School.
By the arena see a Petting Zoo & Pony Rides, Draft Horse display, Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue and Fallen Willow Forge demonstrations.
Live stage entertainment including Lexy the Rap Dad.
On Saturday, you can attend a Stoker Biomass Heating demonstration at Northern Metalworks, just up the road from the school. Did you know that the new furnaces allow the use of grains, corn, pellets and other wood products for heating? Find out how. Also on Saturday, the festival offers bathtub races.
On Sunday, the 4-H Ontario’s lawn tractor pull demonstration will take place. If you have never seen one of these tractor pulls, you’re in for a real treat! On both Saturday and Sunday, the Legion will be the site of pancake breakfasts from morning to early afternoon.
And shoppers, take note! On both days, River and Church Streets, Townhall, Arena and the Sunderland Public School will also be lined with vendors selling everything from syrup to toys, hand-crafted items, clothing and other great finds. Plus, Sunderland’s local shops are taking part in sponsoring many of the events.
So, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendar to bring the kids, the grandparents, and even the dog! The people of Sunderland are excited to greet you and create sweet new memories.
2023 Festival: April 1-2, 2023
April 2-4 2025 KX96 Radio Ads
April 2-6 2025 105.5 Radio Ads
