Virginia’s sweetest event of the year is almost back.
The 66th Annual Highland County Maple Festival is set to return this weekend.
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“The entire community comes together. It’s a county-wide event, which is a little bit unique when people think of festivals,” said Chris Swecker, the executive director of Highland County Chamber of Commerce. “They think of maybe a gated area, you know, with music and stuff, but this is the entire county.”
Ten sugar camps are dotted around the county, along with a shuttle system to get visitors to the camp they want to see. Each one offers its own variety of syrup to try.
It’s also got artisans, crafters, Appalachian music and dancing. That’s not to mention some scrumptious food items
“There are all-you-can-eat pancake and buckwheat cake meals that are served by our local Ruritan clubs, which are civic organizations,” Swecker said. “There are famous maple donuts, and then just maple everything that you can think of.”
The festival brings in over 20,000 people to a county with a population of just over 2,000, making it one of the largest drivers of the local economy.
“It supports local businesses, nonprofits here, and just obviously individuals as well,” Swecker said. “We had an economic impact study done in 2023, and it showed that $2.4 million in direct spending in Highland County happened.”
The festival will be this weekend on March 14th and 15th, along with the next weekend on March 21st and 22nd.