News

Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival 2023 Festival

April 1-2, 2023

Get a Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival Tote for only $5. A nice way to carry around all of the goodies you buy from the over 100 vendors.

Key Attractions

Most Vendors support other methods of payment
BUT the bus tours, pancake breakfasts
and other food vendors only take cash.
T
here are four ATMs in town but often run out early

Fallen Willow Iron Forge Demonstrations.
John Walker will be demonstrating forging. John will be located by the Arena.

This year for the kids featuring Lexy the Rap Dad

Tiger Paw Exotics Petting Zoo and Pony Rides

Soper Creek Wildlife Rescue
Durham Region’s ONLY Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital

First Nation Cultural Tours

Schedule 2023

Saturday April 1, 2023

9:00 am – 4:00 pm


9:00 am – 2:00 pm Northern Stoker Biomass Heating demo at Northern Metalworks, 4 Thompson Road

Stage

Sunderland Public School

  • Book Sale – 10:00 am – 3:00 pm – Library at Sunderland Public School
  • Bus Tours – Harlaine Maple Products and Historical Bus Tour – tickets at the school (10:00 am – 3:00 pm) under 6 free, 6-12 – $2, Everyone else $5
    Historical Bus Tour departs school at 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm

River Street/Albert Street

  • 12:30 Bathtub Races (River St and Albert St) by Junior Farmers’ Durham Region

ALL DAY Saturday Ongoing Events

  • Outdoor Vendors Market on Main St/River St & Church St
  • 🥞 Pancake Breakfast at the Sunderland Legion with indoor and outdoor tables 8:00 am – 3:30 pm. Adult $8 and children $5
  • 🥪 Peameal on a Bun – Sunderland Lions by Home Hardware
  • 🍔 🌭 BBQ Burgers & Hotdogs – Sunderland Firefighters – River St west of Church St

Arena

Sunday April 2, 2023

9:00 am – 3:00 pm


Stage

Sunderland Public School

  • Book Sale – 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Library at Sunderland Public School
  • Bus Tours – Harlaine Maple Products and Historical Bus Tour – tickets at the school (10:00 am – 2:00 pm) under 6 free, 6-12 – $2, everyone else $5
    Historical Bus Tour departs school at 10 am, 11:30 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm

River Street/Albert Street

ALL DAY Sunday Ongoing Events

  • Outdoor Vendors Market on Main St/River St & Church St
  • 🥞 Pancake Breakfast at the Sunderland Legion with indoor and outdoor tables 8:00 am – 2:30 pm. Adult $8 and children $5
  • 🥪 Peameal on a Bun – Sunderland Lions by Home Hardware
  • 🍔 🌭 BBQ Burgers & Hotdogs – Sunderland Firefighters – River St west of Church St

Arena

All times are approximate. Events are subject to change without notice.

Please email updates to Rich Helms rich@richhelms.ca

About – Press Release

Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival – A Sweet Tradition 2023

As produced in partnership with Metroland Media

Welcome to the 2023 Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival! Now in its 26th 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.

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 on a Historic Bus Tour. 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, First Nation Cultural Tours 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 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.


Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival April 2-3, 2022