Celebrate 61 Sweet Years of Maple Sugaring at Maple Sugar Festival!
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 9 am – 4 pm

Join in the fun for the 61st annual Maple Sugar Festival. Each year we celebrate the first signs of spring, from the festival’s humble beginnings of a kettle on a tripod to today’s full day of activities with the all-important pancake breakfast topped off with real Michigan maple syrup. Join the generations of visitors who have walked across the iconic bridge to breathe in the fresh air and delicious smells of pancakes cooking as you immerse yourself in everything the festival has to offer.

This year, we’re making the day even better! All activities will be at KNC’s main campus, so you can dive into a full day of fun, nature, and community. Maple Sugar Festival is KNC’s largest fundraiser, with proceeds supporting innovative programming conservation, and research; you’re not just having a great day – you’re making a difference. See you there for a day of sweetness, fun, and a dash of spring magic!

Rediscovering History at KNC
Step into the past and explore the roots of maple sugaring at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Chris Chosa, KNC Grants Manager and an Ojibwe descendant raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is leading an experimental project to revive early Indigenous maple sugar production techniques that have not been practiced for centuries. Drawing on more than 20 years of hands-on experience in the sugar bush and academic research conducted at Michigan Technological University, Chris is reconstructing a method that may not have been witnessed in over 500 years. This work blends cultural knowledge, experimental archaeology, and environmental science to better understand how maple sugar was produced long before modern equipment.

Visitors can experience this living history during the Maple Sugar Festival, where Chris will demonstrate the process, share insights, and answer questions in the Arboretum. Join us to witness a rare intersection of tradition, research, and discovery.

Check out the process and talk with Chris in the Arboretum from 10 am – Noon and 1-3:30 pm.

KNC Visitor Center

Pancake breakfast 9am – 3pm

Hot drinks for purchase from Factory Coffee 9am-3pm
Plainwell ice cream with real maple syrup 9am – 3:00pm
Avian Arts Exhibition Glen Vista Gallery
Forest Canopy exhibit
Creature Feature Presentations, 9:30am, 10:30am & 11:30 (1/2 hour each)
Bird feeding 2pm
Magic Show with Alan Kazam, 1pm, 2pm & 3pm (1/2 hour each)
Kids art activities in the Glen Vista Gallery 9am-4pm

Outdoor Activities

Maple sugaring demonstration stations along the Fern Valley Trail 9am – 3:30pm
Adaptive Tours: shorter maple sugaring experiences intended for folks with limited mobility or small children, 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm
Please note: Accessibility tours are dependent on capacity and weather-related trail conditions.
Old -fashioned games in the Arboretum 9am-4:00pm
Horse & tractor drawn wagon rides with Tiller’s International 9am – 3pm
Kids activities in the Camp Barn lower classroom 9am-4pm