HOLDEN, Maine - Almost 100 sugar shacks are open for Maine Maple Sunday, and this year, most should have something to demonstrate.
"So far the season seems to have been pretty good," says Timothy P. Littlefield Sr., of Lucerne Maple Products in Holden.
The last few years, Littlefield says he wasn't able to show off much of the process to visitors, because weather somehow always managed to conspire against the sap run by the time Maple Sunday rolled around.
"At least we're going to have maple sap to boil," he laughs. "First time in four or five years. That'll be nice. Keep people interested in what's going on."
As much as he loves the business, Littlefield says that after five decades of trudging through snow and tapping trees, he's about ready to let his family take on a bigger role. Lucerne Maple Products is a small producer, making up to 450 gallons of the pancake-ready stuff each season, but that still means handling about 18 thousand gallons of raw sap.
It's the 35th year for the event, created by the Maine Maple Producers Association to promote one of the region's traditional industries.
In 2017, Maine produced more than $700 thousand gallons of syrup, up about 5 percent from the year before. According to state data, the industry is worth almost $49 million to Maine's economy.
At least 96 sugarhouses are open Sunday, from Eagle Lake to Wells.
Many of the establishments have also begun to offer games, tours, music and other events, making the day a holiday for many. In fact, many businesses other than sugarhouses have also begun to celebrate Maple Sunday in their own way. Lone Pine Brewing Company has even produced a maple beer, which they are showcasing Sunday.
In Holden, Littlefield says although he's hanging up his snowshoes, it won't be his last Maple Sunday. "I'll be around," he says "I'll be helping out, but I'm getting too darn old to get in the woods."
Additional reporting by Caitlin Troutman.
