Maple syrup may get top billing, but it was far from the only star of the show Saturday at the 54th annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.
Despite cold, blustery conditions and a threat of snow, huge crowds filled Arthur Street to sample everything the festival had to offer.
“It’s the biggest event this town has. It’s really exciting, and it’s nice to have so many people come and see what Elmira has to offer,” said Ellen Siebel-Achenbach.
No stranger to Elmira or to Canada’s largest maple syrup festival, Siebel-Achenbach set up a stand on her front lawn to sell homemade crafts.
Another stand a few houses down offered syrup, as well as boxes and boxes of butter tarts. Elsewhere, a group of young girls sold Girl Guide cookies, while firefighters solicited donations for Muscular Dystrophy of Canada.
“Every little penny helps,” said firefighter Geoff Kelly.
At the heart of the festival were the vendors’ booths, where everything from cinnamon rolls to kettle corn was on offer.
Mike Pajot drove up from Amherstburg, as he does every year, to sell beeswax candles.
“We have great crowds coming here,” he said.
Of course, veteran festival-watchers like Siebel-Achenbach knew the real reason for the crowd.
“Maple syrup – it’s sweet. People like sweet things,” she said.
Syrup is still the driving force behind the festival, and its presence was evident in everything from the while-supplies-last pancake breakfast to the Pancake Mile – a one-mile race broken into four quarter-mile segments interspersed with pancake-eating.
Festival organizers say the event typically brings 60,000 people to Elmira.
With reporting by Stu Gooden
