STORY — The National Maple Syrup Festival is making Brown County its home sweet home once again.
After a two-year hiatus, the festival is returning to the county the weekend of March 2 and 3 at a new location: The Story Inn in southern Brown County.
Some popular events will be back, such as maple sugaring demonstrations, pancake breakfasts, maple-infused menu specials and a cooking contest.
New events have been added as well, including beer, wine and spirit sampling, local artisan demonstrations and local music.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Tickets for the two-day festival, which include most events, are $10 per adult and free for kids 12 and younger.
Tickets for the pancake breakfasts and a four-course maple-inspired meal can be purchased separately.
“We really want to make it family-friendly but fun for everyone,” said Britani Ham, Story Inn marketing manager and event coordinator, “… really informative but also fun.”
The festival, owned by Tim Burton of Maplewood Farms, moved to Brown County in 2015 after it outgrew its former home of Medora in Jackson County. The Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau ran it for two years. The first March it took place on the Brown County Courthouse lawn in Nashville with other events at Brown County State Park, then it moved almost completely to the state park in 2016.
Because of a lack of funding and volunteers, the visitors bureau decided not to host it in 2017. But the bureau did help get Story Inn’s owners connected with exhibitors from past festivals and is helping to promote this year’s event, said CVB Executive Director Jane Ellis.
The Story Inn also hosted a syrup festival about five years ago, Ham said, but this is the first time that it’s sponsoring as well as hosting it. “We’re trying to add more aspects onto it,” she said.
Events will be spread over the “village” of Story, a collection of historic buildings mostly owned by The Story Inn. Some will be inside and others will be outdoors, in barns or under a large tent.
Festivities will start at 10 a.m. Saturday in Story with an epic, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast served by Chris Cakes, a company known for its food-flipping antics. Live music by local musicians Silver Sparrow and Will Scott starts at noon and lasts until 5 p.m., when festival gates close.
On both days, sugar-making demonstrations will happen throughout the grounds, including one by Native American re-enactors. Local artisans such as Homestead Weaving, Chocolate for the Spirit, the Uncommon Gourd, Amy Greely jewelry and Lost Lake Studios will exhibit. Dutch oven cooking demonstrations also will take place.
At 6 p.m. Saturday, the Story Inn’s gourmet kitchen will serve a four-course maple-inspired dinner. Each course will be served with a beverage from Brown County’s Bear Wallow Distillery, Quaff ON! brewery and Columbus-based 450 North brewery. Tickets for that event are $65 per person.
Gates open again at 10 a.m. Sunday with another Chris Cakes breakfast. The main event that day, starting at 1 p.m., will be the Sweet Victory Challenge, a cooking contest among preselected chefs who will create maple-themed dishes. Festival-goers are welcome to observe that contest and maybe taste some of the dishes as well, helping to determine a People’s Choice winner.
The Story Inn’s restaurant also will be open between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. both days.
Maple-themed food specials will be available throughout festival weekend in select restaurants in Nashville. Even though the county didn’t host the festival in 2017 and 2018, this Maple on the Menu event still happened both years because people liked it so much, Ellis said.
The CVB also is hosting a free “sap school” in downtown Nashville, where visitors can gather at the Brown County Visitors Center to learn the basics of how syrup is made, then walk downtown to actually see a maple tree being tapped.
Tickets for the events at Story Inn can be purchased through the inn’s website, storyinn.com, or at the festival’s website, nationalmaplesyrupfestival.com.
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Saturday, March 2
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Story Inn restaurant open
10 a.m. Festival gates open
10 a.m. “Sap School” (at Visitors Center in downtown Nashville, free)
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All-you-can eat pancake breakfast by Chris Cakes (separate ticket required, $12 for adults, $6 for kids)
Noon to 2:45 p.m. Live music by Silver Sparrow (Sam Herrin and Dave Sisson)
3 to 5 p.m. Live music by Will Scott
5 p.m. Festival gates close
6 p.m. Four-course maple-inspired dinner at Story Inn (separate ticket required, $65)
Sunday, March 3
8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Story Inn restaurant open
10 a.m. Festival gates open
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All-you-can eat pancake breakfast by Chris Cakes (separate ticket required, $12 for adults, $6 for kids)
1 p.m. Sweet Victory Challenge, breakfast flight judging
2:30 p.m. Sweet Victory Challenge, savory flight judging
4 p.m. Sweet Victory Challenge, dessert flight judging
5 p.m. Festival gates close
Festival tickets (two days): $10 for adults, free for kids younger than 12
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