The county-wide Highland County Maple Festival is set for March 14-15 and 21-22.
Highland County is Virginia’s least populous county but has been drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the community since 1959 to celebrate the “opening” of the trees and to observe the process of making pure maple syrup. This year’s county-wide Highland County Maple Festival is set for March 14-15 and 21-22.
Free “sugar camp” tours provide an educational experience for the entire family to learn how the syrup is made from tree to bottle, ranging from traditional to modern techniques. Local sugar camps have even expanded to include syrups infused with fruits and spices or even aged in spirit barrels. Other tree syrups such as hickory can be found at the festival as well.
Ten sugar camps will be open on Saturdays and eight on Sundays. Pleasant Brook Farms, located in the southwest corner of the county, will showcase wood-fired pans in the sugar house that has visible remnants of its decades-old original structure.
Local civic clubs and organizations will offer fresh maple doughnuts, pancake and buckwheat cake meals with country side dishes, trout, pork rinds, and just about anything maple-flavored. Local restaurants will offer special menus of savory and sweet treats, and food vendors on North Water Street in Monterey will offer additional meal options.
Over 100 juried artisans and crafters will be available in Monterey and McDowell, providing one-of-a-kind treasures, tasty food, and special gifts. Vendors will offer a variety of handcrafted items, from old-time trades to exclusive artwork to jewelry. The festival’s only “ticket fee” is admission to access vendors in Monterey at the Highland County Public School gyms and The Highland Center’s local Artisans’ Market that can be purchased onsite for $5 (children 9 and under are free). That $5 payment comes with a collectible maple leaf keychain that also provides access to 2 p.m. entertainment at The Highland Center. This year’s keychain commemorates the celebration of America’s 250th with a red, white, and blue color scheme.
Each day will feature a live performance of Appalachian culture at 2 p.m. at The Highland Center: March 14, bluegrass band Southern Rail Express; March 15, Little Switzerland Cloggers; March 21, a square dance with local callers Ellen and Eugene Ratcliffe backed by the old-time music of Mudhole Control; and March 22, Appalachian folk band Mill Creek Cronies. For more entertainment, visitors can listen to bluegrass music at Southernmost Maple in Bolar starting at noon on Saturdays.
New for 2026, Virginia’s 44th state park, Hayfields State Park, will be open for visitors to hike, fish, and explore south of the town of McDowell. The Felix Hull House in the heart of McDowell is a historic property now owned by Durham Collective that will be hosting an open house with local goods and refreshments. Also in McDowell, Eagle Point Log Homes will have a model house to tour, and Mountain Oasis is under new management as the Outpost to supply a deli, groceries, and treats. Bruce’s Syrup & Candies will add a new location to sell maple syrup and baked goods inside of the Stonewall Ruritan Building in McDowell. In Monterey, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be available from the Highland County Eagles #4556 near the intersection of Rts. 250 and 220. Next to Water Street in Monterey, Sky Pirate Ranch will serve housemade sausages with patio seating.
Full details on all the festival happenings can be found at www.highlandcounty.org/maple-festival, with posts highlighting the festival available at www.facebook.com/HighlandCounty and www.instagram.com/highland_county_va.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
