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Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival on tap for early April

Event set to take place April 1-2 at the Tiffin Conservation Area, west of Barrie
BarrieToday Staff

NEWS RELEASE
NOTTAWASAGA VALLEY CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
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The annual Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival continues to offer a wide range of family-friendly activities on April 1 and 2.

This year, visitors can enjoy new activities and longtime favourites including animal exhibits with Scales Nature Park and Zoo to You, dog demonstrations by Red Barn Event Centre.

Admission also includes a full pancake and sausage breakfast with fresh maple syrup, as well as activities including interaction with exotic animals, firefighters, paramedics, horse drawn wagon rides, live music by Rob Watts, outdoor skills demonstrations by the Cadets and much more!

“We start preparations well in advance with volunteers tapping trees, collecting sap and producing maple syrup for the event,” said Kyra Howes, manager of lands and operations at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. “Families can learn how maple syrup is produced today and in the past, as well as engage in a variety of activities to kick off the Spring season.

"Tiffin’s very own maple syrup will also be for sale in limited quantities.”

The festival is jointly hosted by NVCA and the Rotary Club of Barrie. Volunteers from the Rotary Club generously donate their time to organize Spring Tonic and manage different stations during the event.

“All proceeds from the festival go back to the community and helps maintain Tiffin Conservation Area,” said John O-Brien, chairperson of the Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival at the Rotary Club of Barrie. “Some of this funding goes towards the Royal Victoria hospital, Salvation Amy, affordable housing and many other community enhancement projects throughout Simcoe County.”

The Spring Tonic Maple Syrup Festival is held at the Tiffin Conservation Area, 10 minutes from Barrie, Angus and Innisfil, and only one hour north of the Greater Toronto Area. Admission to the festival is $20 for adults, $15 for children between two and 12, and free for children two and under. Admission includes all activities, except for bird box building and horse-drawn wagon rides.

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