Celebrate the end of winter

ALONG THOSE LINES
Celebrate the end of winter
The end of winter and the transition into spring is
signaled by many things beyond warmer, longer and
brighter days. Robins return, high school and college
basketball tourneys tip off. In rural Indiana, this time of
year is heralded by the tapping of maple sugar trees and
the shearing of sheep. And while festivals don’t reach full
swing till May, here’s information on two events this
month dedicated to these two traditional rural activities.
Medora hosts National Maple Syrup Festival
M
aple Syrup Season is truly one
of the first signs of spring, as temperatures warm and sap starts flowing through maple trees. What better way to celebrate the coming of
spring than to attend the first and
only National Maple Syrup Festival
in America?
The second annual festival is
March 7-8 and 14-15 at Burton’s
Maplewood Farm, nestled in the
rolling hills of Southern Indiana
near Medora. The farm is served
electrically by Jackson County
REMC.
Sap collection is Indiana’s oldest agricultural venture, dating back
to its discovery by Native Americans. That heritage makes sap and
the maple syrup it yields more than
just a tasty treat. Maple syrup is
part of Indiana’s historical fabric
and the festival celebrates that fact.
The variety of events and activities include live music, demonstrations, and, of course, 100 percent
pure maple syrup. Maple syrup
from each and every maple syrupproducing state in America will be
on tap.
Also, this year’s festival features a
special guest appearance by the
newly-crowned Miss America, Katie
Stam. The former Miss Indiana is a
Jackson County resident whose home
is served electrically by Jackson
County REMC. She will be at the
festival March 7 from 9-10:30 am.
Through the efforts of the Heads
Up!!! Foundation, the festival supports Riley Hospital for Children’s
“Camp About Face.” The camp allows youth dealing with craniofacial
anomalies to experience activities
like swimming, nature projects and
campouts. The Medora-based foundation supports children with anomalies such as cleft lip and palate.
If you like maple syrup, be sure to
check out two other maple syrup
events around Indiana this month in
Hoosier Happenings on page 6.
Medora
If you go:
Location: Burton’s
Maplewood Farm
8121 W. CR 75 S,
Medora, IN 47260
812-966-2168
www.nationalmaple
syrupfestival.com
Dates: March 7-8
and 14-15
Hours: 9 am-5 pm
Admission: One Day:
$4 (ages 5 to 15
years); $8 (16 years
or older); Weekend
Pass: $12; Festival
Pass: $20.
Photo by Kelly Turner courtesy of Burton’s Maplewood Farm
Jay County fest celebrates all things fiber
D
on’t put your winter woollies out of your mind just yet. The
sixth annual Fiber Fest & Spin-In celebrates all things woolen
and woven from not just sheared sheep but a large variety of
other animals, too. This year’s dates are March 12-14.
The three-day event at the Jay County Fairgrounds, located in Portland, is devoted to the fiber arts and will include
classes, entertainment and demonstrations.
Fiber arts, like maple syrup, are a long-standing part of
American traditions. The Fiber Fest & Spin-In will feature fiber
artists of all descriptions. There will be vendors of all kinds of
fibers, from the common to the exotic, including wool, mohair,
angora, flax, alpaca, cotton, silk and even buffalo.
Other related items will be for sale, including sweater
yarn, homemade soap, and equipment for all fiber crafting
needs. Visitors can bring raw wool or other fibers to be
washed and processed by the Wooly Knob Fiber Mill, and
learn about different kinds of fibers. This is an opportunity
to observe fiber artists in a relaxed atmosphere.
In addition, the Fiber Fest features a strong element of
supporting other local organizations. There will be a chili
supper and ceramic bowl fundraiser for the Helping Hands
Food Bank and fiber artists will be knitting “chemo caps” for
people who have lost their hair through chemotherapy.
Connie Boocher
of Orland works
her loom at last
year’s Fiber
Fest. She’s a
member of the
“Warped
Sisters” group
of custom
weavers and
spinners.
Photo courtesy of the Jay
County Visitor and Tourism
Bureau
Events include:
• March12 — Classes, by pre-registration, 6-9 pm.
• March 13 — “Educational Day,” 9 am-2 pm, admission
$1; Classes, by pre-registration, 9 am-9 pm; Benefit Chili
Supper, 4-8 pm.
• March 14 — Open to public, 9 am-4 pm, free admission.
For more information or to register for the free classes,
please contact Gyneth Augsburger or Jennifer Nixon at the
Jay County Visitor and Tourism Bureau, 260-726-3366, or
toll-free at 877-726-4481. You can also log on to
www.visitjaycounty.com, or email info@visitjaycounty.com.
Portland
If you go:
Location: Jay County
Fairgrounds, Portland
Dates: March 12-14
Admission: $1 for
Friday’s “Educational
Day,” classes and
Saturday’s events are
free. Pre-registration
required for classes.
For more information:
877-726-4481;
www.visitjaycounty.com
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