You don’t have to travel any farther north than Philadelphia to learn about the process of making syrup this winter! Parks & Rec’s environmental education centers are hosting educational events that will show you how they:
- Tap a Philly sugar maple.
- Harvest the sap.
- Boil the sap.
- Create maple syrup and candy.
When trees shed their leaves in winter, they need to rely on their own energy to last until spring. To prepare, trees save up sugar and turning it into starch. This starch is stored throughout the tree and converted to sugary sap during winter to use as energy.
Learn more about the maple sugaring process.
Featured 2022 events
Sugar Saturday
When: February 5, 2022
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Wissahickon Environmental Center, 300 West Northwestern Ave, 19118
It’s that sweet time of year when we explore the forest to find our very special sugar maple trees. There, we will learn how a tree is tapped to collect sap, then return to the Tree House to turn sap into syrup. Space is limited, register at treehousewec.eventbrite.com.
Event Activities
- Finding sugar maples.
- Tapping trees.
- Learning about turning sap to syrup.
Sugaring Saturday at Pennypack
When: March 5, 2022
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Pennypack Environmental Center, 8600a Verree Road, 19115
All are welcome to join us for our yearly Maple Sugar Day. We will be boiling down sap into syrup, and then into candies to try. For more details Call 215-685-0470 or email Pec@phila.gov.
Event Activities
- Boiling maple sap into syrup.
- Making maple candies.
- Enjoying fresh maple syrup on pancakes.
Cobbs Creek Maple Sugaring Festival
When: March 12, 2022
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center, 700 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, 19143
Join us for a day of celebrating all things about maple sugar! We will have hourly tree tapping tours, sap boiling, pancake and syrup tasting, maple candy making, and more. Pennsylvania maple syrup will be for sale. Free admission!
- Tap trees around Cobbs Creek.
- Tasting the new syrup on pancakes.
- Making maple candies.
Additional 2022 events
Sugaring for Homeschoolers
When: February 8, 2022
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Wissahickon Environmental Center, 300 West Northwestern Ave, 19118
Join us in learning about how sap is harvested and turned into syrup. This trip through the forest is recommended for kids 2nd grade & up with an accompanying adult. Registration opens one week before the program, you must register at treehousewec.eventbrite.com.
Event Activities
- Learning about sugar maples.
- Learning how to tap maples for sap.
- Gathering sap and heading inside to turn it into syrup.
Backyard Maple Sugar Workshop
When: February 12, 2022
Hours: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Pennypack Environmental Center, 8600a Verree Road, 19115
Maple Sugar season is back! Learn the basics of how maple sap gets turned into maple syrup, or maple sugar from your own maple trees. For adults and kids 10+. Masks are required for the indoor portion of the program. Register by calling 215-685-0470.
Event Activities
- Learning about turning sap to syrup.
- Learning about turning sap to maple sugar.
