Virginia's Highland County Maple Festival Celebrates 66 Years

This annual springtime event in the Allegheny Mountains showcases the region's maple syrup production.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The Highland County Maple Festival in Virginia has been a beloved tradition for over six decades, drawing thousands of visitors each March to celebrate the start of maple syrup season. The festival features sugar camp tours, arts and crafts shows, live music, and all-you-can-eat pancakes and maple-flavored treats across the towns of Monterey, McDowell, and Blue Grass.

Why it matters

The Highland County Maple Festival is a unique celebration of the region's agricultural heritage and natural resources. As an annual rite of spring, the festival provides an opportunity for the local community to share its traditions with visitors and keep the art of maple syrup production alive.

The details

The Highland County Maple Festival features 10 sugar camps across the county where visitors can tour the facilities, see the maple sap being boiled down into syrup, and purchase various maple products. The festival also includes juried arts and crafts shows, live bluegrass and mountain music performances, and an abundance of maple-themed foods like pancakes, doughnuts, and specialty syrups.

  • The Highland County Maple Festival takes place during the second and third weekends of March each year.
  • The festival celebrates the opening of the maple trees and the start of sap collection season.

The players

Highland County Maple Festival

An annual springtime event in west-central Virginia that celebrates the region's maple syrup production, featuring sugar camp tours, arts and crafts shows, live music, and maple-themed foods.

Tomi Herold

A longtime resident of Monterey, Virginia and the Director at the Highland County Public Library, who appreciates the opportunity to share the community's beauty and hospitality with festival visitors.

Valerie Lowry

The co-owner of Back Creek Farms, one of the 10 sugar camps featured on the festival's self-guided tour, where visitors can taste different stages of the syrup-making process and purchase unique maple products.

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What they’re saying

“I appreciate the opportunity to share the beauty and uniqueness of Highland County, as well as the inherent friendliness and hospitality of our local volunteers and businesspeople.”

— Tomi Herold, Director, Highland County Public Library

“Some are very traditional and boil in open pans, others are more high-tech, with a lot of stainless steel.”

— Valerie Lowry, Co-owner, Back Creek Farms

The takeaway

The Highland County Maple Festival is a cherished springtime tradition that celebrates the region's agricultural heritage and natural resources, providing an opportunity for the local community to share its unique maple syrup production process and hospitality with visitors from near and far.