PETERSBURG — It may be cold outside, but the Sugar Shack at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, 3400 Discovery Road in Petersburg, is warming hearts and kettles in preparation for the 2026 Maple Harvest Festival.
Soon, crews will be identifying and tapping trees, collecting sap and boiling it down as Penn State students prepare to showcase the maple sugaring process during the annual spring festival that brings together the local and Penn State communities.
Scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, and Sunday, March 22, the Maple Harvest Festival is a well-loved community tradition that also features live music, pancakes with real maple syrup, wildlife programs, a climbing wall and more.
Last year, more than 1,780 visitors attended the festival, that was made possible with the support of 219 volunteers and staff along with 16 Penn State students.
In total, visitors consumed 7,272 pancakes during the two-day event.
Shaver’s Creek staff and interns put in numerous hours leading up to the event to
prepare to host the community during Maple Harvest Festival, according to Vincent Caruso, a spokesman at Penn State Outreach.
At the festival, students teach at educational stations where festivalgoers can learn about the history of maple sugaring, how to identify and tap maple trees, and how sap is collected and transformed into maple syrup. There are 21 students in the class this year.
“This year we are still in need of many engaging community members to help make the weekend successful. Pancakes with maple syrup will be provided to all volunteers,” Caruso said.
Individual volunteers must be 18 or older. Volunteer minors (ages 12–17) are eligible if they are accompanied by an adult who is also a volunteer during the same day/time. For volunteer groups that include minors, there must be at least one adult for every three minors in the group. All volunteers are required to provide their own transportation to Shaver’s Creek.
Volunteers are needed for food service prep, sausage station, green team and recycling efforts and parking.
“Many of the volunteers are past staff and students who have been a part of SC in
recent years. Their love for the place and community keeps them coming back to
help support this event,” Caruso said. “Most years, they make around 8,000 to 10,000
pancakes.”
Timed-entry tickets are required to attend the festival and/or to visit Shaver’s Creek on those days and must be purchased online prior to the event. Tickets go on sale at noon on Feb. 25 on the Shaver’s Creek website.
This year’s festival is further bolstered by Shaver’s Creek’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration, which kicked off on Jan. 24 with an Opening Day Hike. Additional opportunities to celebrate the anniversary include:
- Anniversary Celebration: Reminisce, relive and reconnect to all things Shaver’s Creek to celebrate 50 years of inspiring discovery on May 23. The day will be filled with walks, programs, ice cream, a campfire and more. Food vendors will be on site for snack and dinner options. Registration is required.
- Open House: Discover all that Shaver’s Creek has to offer during the annual Open House on Sept. 12. On this day of discovery, visitors can meet staff and explore the grounds of Shaver’s Creek. Enjoy nature crafts, activities, educational programs and more while learning about all the opportunities Shaver’s Creek offers throughout the year.
- Solstice Celebration: Reflect on a year of celebration and gratitude on Dec. 19 to prepare for the winter solstice. The event will include guided hikes, snacks and hot chocolate to welcome the beginning of the winter season and bring Shaver’s Creek’s milestone year to a close.
- Field Guide to Alumni of Shaver’s Creek: All those who have been a part of Shaver’s Creek 50-year history are invited to share their story so it can be included in this special project.
Laurie McLaughlin, the Shaver’s Creek program director who oversees the festival, said the festival provides an opportunity for former Shaver’s Creek students and staff to come back and celebrate the center’s deep roots and bright future.
“Maple Harvest Festival is one of our signature programs for the community. All the hard work and preparation is so worth it when we see the community enjoying the event; connecting with each other and the natural world,” McLaughlin said. “We have always been a place for students to learn and grow and a place for them to try out their craft of teaching and working with others. It brings such joy to see this in action and celebrate with those who have been a part of this special place through the years.”
Caruso said Shaver’s Creek has always been a place for students to learn and grow.
“Maple Harvest Festival brings back many of those former student and interns to volunteer, reconnect and reminisce,” Caruso said in a statement. “This year, those connections will be even more poignant as the center looks back at 50 years as a place of discovery.”
The celebration will also include a 50th anniversary story board featuring field guides of past staff and photos from recent years. Caruso said there will be a new t-shirt with a 50th anniversary graphic and a new design, along with items in the bookstore for sale with 50th anniversary graphics.
The Maple Harvest Festival made its debut at Shaver’s Creek in 1984, starting off as a small group of maple syrup enthusiasts
To purchase tickets, volunteer or seek other opportunities, go to the Shaver’s Creek website at www.shaverscreek.org.
