One of the biggest maple festivals in the Mid-Atlantic region returns this month for a multi-weekend event celebrating the community’s history and traditions of maple harvesting.
The High County Maple Festival, which has been designated as the official maple festival of Virginia for well over a decade, returns this month and will feature:
- A county-wide celebration with each town hosting its own unique events
- Annual ‘opening’ of the maple trees
- Live demonstrations of maple syrup production
- Ten ‘maple sugar camps’ that are open for exploration + guided tours
- All-you-can-eat pancakes & buckwheat cakes
What is the Highland County Maple Festival?
The Highland County Maple Festival is a celebration of the role that maple syrup harvesting has had in establishing the local community’s traditions and culture.
The first Maple Festival of Highland County dates back to 1959, making it one of the oldest celebrations of its kind in the region, and since then, it’s grown to be one of the largest as well.
In recent years, the county-wide event has consistently drawn tens of thousands of visitors, making it one of the area’s most popular and iconic events.
After a bill signed into law by the Governor of Virginia in 2014, this has been designated as the ‘official maple festival of Virginia’, an honor that the local community takes very seriously.
When is the Highland County Maple Festival?
The Highland County Maple Festival is taking place over two weekends during March, 2026.
- March 14th & 15th
- March 21st & 22nd
As the celebration is county-wide, many local towns will be conducting their own unique events at various times, so be sure to check the event’s official website to plan your visit.
The general timing of the festival will be Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm.
Is the Highland County Maple Festival free?
While the festival itself is considered free to attend, many unique events happening throughout the county will have an admission fee of around $5.
All-you-can-eat pancakes and buckwheat cakes will be available at participating locations around the county for around $12 to $15 per person.
