Vermont’s maple sugarhouses open to the public this weekend

JERICHO, Vt. (AP) — Maple syrup producers in Vermont — the country’s top maple producing state — are opening their sugarhouses to the public this weekend.

Organizers say this year’s Maple Open House Weekend is bigger than ever with 138 sites participating, including restaurants and a brewery offering food and drink made with maple.

Activities range from syrup tasting to sugar-on-snow parties and horse-drawn sleigh rides. Visitors also get to learn and see how syrup is produced.

Officials say an estimated 40,000 visitors toured the state during the event last year.

A map of open sugarhouses and maple-related businesses can be found online on the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association website.