The Shadow
MONTEREY, VA. (VR) – Virginia’s Sweetest Event of the Year returns! Nestled in the peaceful, rural mountains on the western border of the Commonwealth, travelers can take a step back in time for a cultural and culinary adventure at the county-wide Highland County Maple Festival during the second and third weekends of March. This year marks the 65th event, set for March 8-9 and 15-16, 2025.
Highland County is Virginia’s least populous county but has been drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the community since 1959 to celebrate the “opening” of the trees and to observe the process of making delicious, pure maple syrup. Free “sugar camp” tours provide a unique and educational experience for the entire family to learn how the golden delicacy is made from tree to bottle, ranging from traditional to modern techniques. Local sugar camps have even expanded to include syrups infused with fruits and spices or even aged in spirit barrels. Other tree syrups can be found at the festival as well, including hickory, birch, and black walnut. Ten local sugar camps will be open on Saturdays and eight on Sundays this year.
Local civic clubs and organizations will be bringing back their delicious food offerings, including those famous fresh maple doughnuts, pancake and buckwheat cake meals with country side dishes, trout, pork rinds, and just about anything maple-flavored! Local restaurants are ready to serve with special menus of savory and sweet treats. Food vendors on North Water Street in Monterey offer additional meal options.
Over 100 juried arts & crafts vendors will be available in Monterey and McDowell, providing one-of-a-kind treasures, tasty food, and special gifts. Browse and shop with new and returning vendors for a seemingly endless variety of handcrafted items, from old-time trades to exclusive artwork to exquisite jewelry. The Highland County Artisans’ Shop will be set up at The Highland Center in Monterey to showcase local crafts for sale as well. Admission to access vendors at the Highland County Public School Gyms and The Highland Center will be $5 purchased onsite (children 12 and under are free). That $5 payment comes with a collectible maple leaf keychain that also provides access to 10 am and 2 pm entertainment at The Highland Center.
Each day of the festival in 2025 will feature at least two live shows at The Highland Center. On Saturday, March 8th, enjoy the popular bluegrass band Southern Rail Express at 10 am and 2 pm. A special acoustic performance from Furnace Mountain Band will take place at 5 pm for just $15 for adults ($5 off with keychain.) On Sunday, March 9th, listen to the talented Jack Dunlap play bluegrass at 10 am and 2 pm. During the following weekend on Saturday, March 15th, put on your dancing shoes with the Appalachian folk band Mill Creek Cronies at 10 am, and stay to hear their heel stomping tunes for a 2 pm Square Dance with callers Ellen and Eugene Ratcliffe. Finish up the festival with two clogging performances on Sunday, March 16th, with the Hi-Horse Cloggers performing at 10 am and the homegrown Little Switzerland Cloggers entertaining audiences at 2 pm. All entertainment at The Highland Center is brought to you with the assistance and sponsorship of the Highland County Arts Council. For more entertainment, visitors can listen to bluegrass music at Southernmost Maple in Bolar starting at noon on Saturdays.
Stop into locally-owned shops that dot the countryside and small towns to experience rural charm and a friendly atmosphere. New for 2025, the Highland County Visitor Center is now located in the recently-opened Highlander restaurant at the intersection of Rt. 220 and 250 to provide additional information on area businesses and attractions while enjoying pizza, fried chicken, and subs. Townsend Draft Goods in the Mill Gap area will also be new this year, using maple as a main ingredient in natural remedies and goods like fire tonics. In addition, the Highland County Girl Scouts will be providing indoor dining with baked potatoes, chili, and more at Monterey Presbyterian Church starting at 11 am.
This year, a shuttle service in Monterey will be expanded to all four days of the festival to help reduce traffic congestion. B & L’s Mountain Safe Transportation will be providing a complimentary shuttle service from approximately 8:30 am to 5 pm on Saturdays and 8:30 am to 4 pm on Sundays. The route begins at the Monterey Stockyard and runs on a continuous loop with a stop at Rt. 220 near the Highland County Public Schools, a new stop near the Mill Gap Ruritan Doughnut trailer, and a stop at The Highland Center. Complimentary parking at the Monterey Stockyard at 1367 Jackson River Road just south of Monterey off of Rt. 220 is first come, first served. No reservations are needed.
In 1999, the Library of Congress designated The Highland County Maple Festival a “Local Legacy,” and in 2014, the Governor of Virginia signed a bill into law designating the festival as the “official maple festival of Virginia.” More recently, the festival has earned several user-voted awards, including the winner of Best Unique Festival in the Best of the Blue Ridge 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards from Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine and 2024’s first-place place winner for Best Festival of the Shenandoah Valley Region in Virginia Living’s Best of Virginia. An economic impact study in 2023 revealed that the festival generated $2.4 million in direct spending in Highland County.
The Highland County Maple Festival is coordinated by the Highland County Chamber of Commerce and made possible with the help of countless volunteers and organizations. Top sponsors include the Blue Grass Valley Bank, Burke & Herbert Bank, Kissito Healthcare: The Springs Nursing & Rehab, Pendleton Community Bank (PCB), The Highland Center, and Highland County Arts Council.
Traditional hours of the festival include Saturdays from 9 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 9 am to 4 pm, though visitors can get a jumpstart to the day with maple doughnuts being served at 6 am and pancake meals starting as early as 7 am. Full details on all the festival happenings can be found at www.highlandcounty.org/maple-festival, with posts highlighting the festival available at www.facebook.com/HighlandCounty and www.instagram.com/highland_county_va.
Virginia is for Maple Syrup Lovers!
