Go on a family adventure in maple syruping. Learn how to harvest maple sap and turn it into syrup in your own backyard.
With an abundance of nature centers around the Twin Cities, we have ample opportunities to learn about and participate in the maple syruping. This is the process of taking the liquid sap of a maple tree and turning it into the maple syrup we find in grocery stores. Look for one or more of the following activities and/or demonstrations at these events: tapping the maple trees, collecting the sap, boiling it into syrup, and the best part — according to my kids, anyway — a sample of the finished product.
March is usually maple tapping month in Minnesota. Early spring when the sap flows is the best time to tap maple trees. Although, depending on conditions, it could start as early as January or as late as May. The weather is ideal for maple sap when we reach that freeze/thaw period of the winter – where there are warmer daytime temperatures (near the 40s), but then below freezing temps overnight. Once the early buds start popping on the trees in April, the season is over.
Check back often through March of 2026, because we’ll keep adding events as they are announced.
Maple syrup events in the Twin Cities Central Metro
Maple Syruping In Your Backyard
Fort Snelling State Park, 101 Snelling Lake Road, Saint Paul, MN , 55111
FORT SNELLING STATE PARK has a long annual tradition of offering maple syrup programs to Twin Cities-area folk and making them kid-friendly. Our family enjoys spending time in this, one of several urban-area Minnesota State Parks, mostly hiking and biking the trails along the Minnesota River. There’s exciting HISTORIC FORT SNELLING atop the bluff to explore, too (separate fees apply.)
If you can’t make one of the events, you can learn more on the DNR’s Syruping Page: Did you know, that it takes approximately 30 to 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to produce just one gallon of syrup? And sugar maples are the most productive. Other maples will make less. That, and the short season, explains why a bottle can be so expensive. Pre-registration required; see link for schedule and link. Program cost is free; $7 vehicle permit required to enter the park.
Maple syrup events in the Twin Cities Northwest Metro
Baker Maple Syruping
Baker Outdoor Learning Center, 4001 County Road 24, Maple Plain, MN, 55359
It’s worth a trip out to BAKER OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER northwest of Minneapolis-St Paul to take in a spring maple syrup program. Learn about maple tree tapping and boiling sap into syrup. Then, taste test to see if you can tell grocery store syrup from the real stuff. Outdoor program. Registration is required by two days prior. Cost is $6/pp and offered Sundays in March – see link for schedule.
Maple Syruping at the Farm
Historic Eidem Farm, 4345 101st Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN, 55443
Shadow farm staff as they collect and process maple syrup at Eidem Farm’s Maple Syruping at the Farm event. A tasty maple treat around a bonfire is included. Registration required. Cost is $10/pp.
Journey Into the Sugarbush
Eastman Nature Center, 13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN, 55369
Join a naturalist-led exploration of the sugarbush at Eastman Nature Center, learn the process of tapping maples trees and turning sap into syrup. Registration required. Sessions from 1-2:30pm & 3-4:30pm. Cost is $6/pp.
Eastman Maple Syrup Festival
Eastman Nature Center, 13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN, 55369
Eastman Nature Center is operated by Three Rivers Parks – a collection of park locations that traditionally offer an abundance of inexpensive, family-friendly opportunities to learn about maple syrup. Eastman usually overflows with maple syruping programs including workshops on how to make your own, naturalist programs for families and full moon programs at night.
At Eastman’s Maple Syrup Festival you’ll visit the park’s sugarbush, collect sap, watch it cook and enjoy syrup sundaes. Cost is $6 per person, registration required.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MAPLE SYRUP: On their maple syruping page, THREE RIVERS PARK SYSTEM explains the SCIENCE OF SYRUPING. For instance, the part of the tree that we tap into, is called the xylem layer. It works a bit like our own blood vessels, carrying water from the tree’s roots to its leaves. Keep reading for more upcoming maple syrup events at Three Rivers Parks.
Maple Syrup events in the Twin Cities Northeast Metro
Tamarack Sap to Syrup
Tamarack Nature Center, 5287 Otter Lake Rd, White Bear Township, MN , 55110
Tamarack’s annual maple event is Sap to Syrup: learn all about the process of tapping maple trees for syrup during a 45-minute guided tour plus other self-guided activities including maple crafts and treats. Registration required for staggered start times. March 14 & 21, 12-4pm. Cost is $9 per person.
It's Tapping Time! (FREE)
Harriet Alexander Nature Center, 2520 Dale Street N, Roseville, MN, 55113
It’s Tapping Time! is a free annual event at Harriet Alexander Nature Center, with tours and stations for identifying maple trees, tree tapping, sap cooking, and sampling maple flavor. Craft kits to take home. Families can purchase their own syrup for waffles and pancakes at home. Event runs March 28 & 29. Sat 10am-2pm & Sun 12-4pm.
Maple Syrup Festival (FREE)
Wargo Nature Center, 7701 Main Street, Lino Lakes, MN, 55038
At Wargo’s Maple Syrup Festival, learn about the tradition of gathering maple sap and cooking it down to make the sap turn into maple syrup and sugar. Make maple crafts and go on a scavenger hunt. Pre-registration required. Search keyword: “maple”. FREE with vehicle permit.Â
Maple syrup events in the Twin Cities Southeast Metro
Dodge Nature Center Pancake Breakfast (FREE)
Garlough Environmental Magnet School, 1740 Charlton Street, West St Paul, MN , 55118
Enjoy a free pancake breakfast with real maple syrup hosted by Dodge Nature Center. After breakfast, take a naturalist-led hike around the property to learn about the springtime tradition of harvest sap for syrup. Please note, the pancakes will be served at Garlough Elementary School. Donations are appreciated to help support programming at Dodge Nature Center. Drop in between 8-10:30am.
Carpenter Maple Syrup Program
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, MN, 55033
Two upcoming maple syrup programs are offered at the Minnesota campus of the Carpenter Nature Center (there’s a branch across the border in Hudson, Wisconsin, as well.) Families will learn about trees as they hike to the sugarbush. Then tap maple trees and learn the process of turning sap into syrup, with a sample at the end. Dress for snow and mud. Registration is required – Call 651-437-4359. Held March 14 & March 28. Cost is $8 per person.
Carpenter Wisconsin Preschool Storytime (FREE)
Hein Visitor Center - Carpenter Wisconsin Campus, 279 South Cove Road, Hudson, WI, 54016
Preschool Storytime is presented monthly at Carpenter-St Croix Valley Nature Center and features new nature themes and activities. These are designed for kids ages 2-5 w/ a caregiver. If you can’t make storytime, the nature center is always free to visit, whether checking out the indoor displays or exploring the topography of the valley along the river. Cost of this program is FREE through August 2026.
Carpenter Preschool Storytime: Tree Tappin' Time (FREE)
Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, MN, 55033
Preschool Storytime is presented monthly at Carpenter-St Croix Valley Nature Center and features new nature themes and activities. These are designed for kids ages 2-5 w/ a caregiver. If you can’t make storytime, the nature center is always free to visit, whether checking out the indoor displays or exploring the topography of the valley along the river.Â
FREE STORYTIMES! The monthly Preschool Storytime programs at Carpenter Nature Center are FREE through August 2026 – thanks to the generosity of 3M. (Regular price is $6 per child.)
 Maple syrup events in the Twin Cities Southwest Metro
Lowry Free Fun: Syrup & Sample
Lowry Nature Center, 7025 Victoria Drive, Victoria, MN , 55386
Lowry Nature Center, located within Carver Park Reserve, frequently offers free nature programming appropriate for families to do with kids of all ages. Activities may be indoors and out and a naturalist is typically available to answer questions and provide some guidance.
March 1 – Syrup & Sample event lets you get a peek at the sap-to-syrup process for free and even gives you a taste of the sweet stuff. 1:30-3pm.
Westwood Friday Puppet Storytime: Maple Syrup
Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 W. Franklin Ave, St Louis Park, MN , 55416
The puppets of Westwood Nature Center host a humorous themed storytime. Open play, exploration and naturalist-led activities accompany the story and teach about the natural world in a fun and age-appropriate setting. This program typically (but not always) takes place one Monday and Friday of each month. Best for preschoolers, both child and caregiver need to pre-register and pay for the program. Cost is $6/participant.
Maple Syrup Making
Eden Prairie Outdoor Center, 13765 Staring Lake Parkway, Eden Prairie, MN, 55347
Families will learn the history of maple syruping and participating in making a makuk container at Eden Prairie Outdoor Center. Registration required. Please see link for individual times. $12/family.
Lowry Maple Syrup Fest
Lowry Nature Center, 7025 Victoria Drive, Victoria, MN , 55386
At Lowry Nature Center’s Maple Syrup Fest, you get to help make maple sugar and syrup, watch a tree being tapped and learn about this tradition. Finally, stop by the Sugar Shack to taste the finished product. Register at the link for a slot between 1-4pm. Cost is $6 per person.Â
Maplefest at the Arb
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, MN , 55318
At the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, there’s so much for families with kids to explore! Maplefest is one of those extra special times to visit: reserve your space for the pancake breakfast, take a scavenger hunt around the grounds and plan to spend time visiting the Maple Sugar House for demonstrations. Breakfast price includes Arboretum admission.
Maple Syrup Festival & Brunch
Baylor Regional Park, 10775 County Rd 33, Norwood Young America, MN, 55397
In early spring, Baylor Regional Park, west of the Minneapolis-St Paul metro, presents a special Maple Syrup Festival. Learn about the maple syrup process from tapping to boiling, followed by a pancake brunch. Tickets: $15/advance, $20/day of.
15 books to read during maple tapping season
Read aloud picture books
- M Is for Maple Syrup: A Vermont Alphabet by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds
- Maple Moon by Connie Brummel Crook
- Maple Syrup from the Sugarhouse by Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
- Miss Maples Seeds by Eliza Wheeler
- Sugarbush Spring by Marsha Wilson Chall
- Sugaring by Jessie Haas
- The Sugaring-Off Party by Jonathan London
- Sugar Snow by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Early readers
- Curious George Makes Maple Syrup by H.A. Rey
- From Maple Tree to Syrup by Melanie Mitchell
- How is Maple Syrup Made? by Grace Hansen
- Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle
Middle grade school readers
- Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky
*This is an affiliate link to Bookshop.org, an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. Family Fun Twin Cities receives a small commission on books ordered through our link. If you want to find a specific local bookstore to support, find them on this map and they’ll receive the full profit off your order. Otherwise, your order will contribute to an earnings pool that will be evenly distributed among independent bookstores (even those that don’t use Bookshop). Learn more here.
More maple sugaring fun ideas for families
Here are some of our favorite local resources for family fun of the educational kind.
- Print a full-color booklet: Minnesota DNR Young Naturalists – Sugar From Trees. Make it home-school fun and print the Teacher’s Guide with multi-disciplinary activities to cover a variety of subjects for 3rd grade through middle school.
- Learn the history of Maple Sugaring and the Ojibwe at MNopedia.
- Make some maple syrup snow candy with Minnesota’s own Kitchen Pantry Scientist.
- Make your own DIY pancake kit for kids with local blog Non-Toy Gifts and cook up a pancake meal at home – my kids love mini pancakes.
- Tap your backyard maples with instructions from the Minnesota DNR. This handy printout tells homeowners what is needed for maple sugaring in their own backyards.
Hello
I am the Program Coordinator at Gale Woods Farm. The listing for our Maple Syrup Festival at is incorrect. The event runs from 10am-2pm NOT 1-4. If it’s possible to post a correction, we would appreciate it!
The correction has been made. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention, Andi!
Here’s an event you missed:
Sugar Bush Photo Hike
Saturday, March 9, from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.,
Lowry Nature Center, in Carver Park Reserve, Victoria.
Explore Lowry’s sugar bush through the lens of a camera. Go on a photo hike through a maple-basswood
forest with a naturalist and photographer during the exciting season of maple sugaring. Learn about the
process of making maple syrup, tap a tree together and sample some of Lowry’s award-winning maple
syrup. Cost is $6 and reservations are required. Call 763-559-6700 to make a reservation. There is a 20
percent discount for groups of four or more. This program is open to all ages and children 11 years and
younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Thanks, Hellen. We did miss that one. I’ll add it now.
What happens if we tap a tree this weekend with it being upper 30’s and below 30 at night, but then later in the week it doesn’t get above freezing or it barely does. Are we done for the season or ?
That is an excellent question and one I can’t answer, but the experts at these events probably can. I was wondering myself if we would have a short season this year.
is Name Kailee did you did Today Mariah
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Thank you Anne. Very nice.