It’s that time of year again—when Maple Madness overtakes the Green in Woodstock. On Saturday, March 25, you can enjoy the taste of sugar-on-snow and view a maple tree tapping demonstration from 11am to 1pm. Maple butter popcorn will also be available. This event is free and open to the public.

You can also bid on sap buckets painted by local artists. The buckets will be displayed at businesses around town. If you want one, just drop your bid into the bucket.

That evening, there will be the annual Maple Madness Taste Around at Suicide Six Ski Area from 6 to 8pm. Enjoy the music of Sabrina and Jazz Cat while strolling from table to table, tasting food prepared by more than 20 area restaurants. There will also be door prizes, a cash bar, and a silent auction. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children under 10 years old.

This is also Maple Madness in Vermont, when most sugarhouses are open to the public to demonstrate the making of maple syrup. Many will have samples of fresh syrup, maple candies, and other sweet treats. Some farms will also have pancake breakfasts, horse-drawn wagon rides, and petting zoos. Best of all, you can buy maple syrup right from the producer.

Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup? When sap comes out of the sugar maple tree, it looks and tastes like slightly sweet water. In the sugarhouse, the sap is boiled in a contraption called an evaporator, traditionally heated by a wood fire, though some producers have gone to cleaner burning oil. When the sap reaches 219º you know you’re making maple syrup.

To buy tickets for the Taste-a-Round and for information about Maple Madness, visit the Chamber’s website at www.woodstockvt.com. To find a sugarhouse near you, log on to vermontmaple.org.