The Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, in conjunction with 42North Brewing Company, has announced the return of Maple Fest to the Bureau of Forestry in East Concord on Saturday, March 23 from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the Forestry Bureau’s Sugar Shack.  The fun family event will include live music, BBQ food, baked goods, and tours of the sugar bush, sawmill and Sugar Shack. Erie County-produced maple syrup will be available for purchase. The Erie County Bureau of Forestry produces approximately 300 gallons of maple syrup annually.  

Maple Fest kicks off the 2024 Pints in the Park event series, offered in collaboration with local breweries such as 42North. 42North will be bringing their innovative mobile taproom, the Tap Trekker, and will be producing maple porter with Erie County maple syrup for eventgoers to purchase. The full 2024 Pints in the Park schedule will be released soon.

“Maple Fest is another great way for families to enjoy some outdoor fun in our Erie County Parks and it puts the spotlight on one of our less-known natural spaces, the Bureau of Forestry,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “Many people are surprised to see the operation of our sawmill and how maple syrup is produced at the Sugar Shack, so this is a good opportunity to do that and enjoy food, music and tours while you’re there. Our Parks department and their partners work hard to make events like this possible and I thank them for their efforts.”   

History:

The Erie County Bureau of Forestry was established in 1927 in response to the acquisition of several thousand acres of forest and non-forest lands. Much of this area was abandoned farmland and is located in various areas of the County, mostly in Concord and Holland. The non-forested areas were planted with coniferous species of trees (Red, White and Scotch Pine, Norway Spruce, and Larch) by the Civilian Conservation Corps (“CCC”) in the 1930's.

The purpose of the Bureau is to manage and protect these properties for multiple use activities including forest management, recreation, water quality, wildlife habitat, wood products and maple syrup production. Forests are one of the only renewable resources we have. They provide many benefits including: soil stabilization, improved air quality, homes for several species of reptiles, birds and mammals and providing raw materials for lumber.

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, visit

https://www3.erie.gov/parks/parks/

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