Save the date for a sweet weekend

Plan to visit the 15th Annual Whitingham Maple Festival on Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24 to learn about the life and lore of making maple syrup — sugaring, as it’s known — and its historical importance in this small town (the birthplace of Mormon church icon Brigham Young). The town also hosts a craft fair and pancake breakfasts/luncheons on both days, and a sugar-on-snow supper on Saturday evening.

That’s just one of the maple-related events taking place on Vermont’s Annual Maple Open House Weekend, which offers an opportunity to visit one or more sugarhouses throughout the state. We suggest you call first.

Participating sugarhouses in Southern Vermont:

• Evans Maple Farm, 61 Spaulding Hill Rd, E. Dummerston (802-257-0262, http://www.evansmaplefarm.com).

• Green Mountain Sugar House, 820 Rte 100N, Ludlow (802-228-7151, http://www.gmsh.com).

• Hidden Springs Maple, 162 Westminster West Rd, Putney (1-888-889-8781, http://www.hiddenspringsmaple.com).

• Havoc Hill Sugarhouse, 190 Havoc Hill, East Dorset (802-362-4136, havochil@myfairpoint.net).

• Jim and Josie’s Maple Syrup, 1055 Vt Route 11, Londonderry (802-824-3295, windrows@sover.net).

• Mitch’s Maple, 2440 Green Mtn Turnpike, Chester (802-228-5242, cpmit@tds.net).

• Robb Family Farm, 822 Ames Hill Rd, Brattleboro (802-258-9087, http://www.robbfamilyfarm.com).

• Smith Family Maple, 327 Atcherson Hollow Rd, Cambridgeport (802-869-2417, smithfamilymaple@hotmail.com).

• Sweet Maple Alpaca Farm, LLC, 154 River Rd, Westminster (802-376-9846 or 802-380-0750, http://www.sweetmaplealpacas.com).

• The Corse Farm, 773 Corse Rd, Whitingham (802-368-2420, thecorsefarm@myfairpoint.net).

• Wood’s Cider Mill & Sugar House (1482 Weathersfield Center Rd, Springfield, 802-263-5547, http://www.woodscidermill.com).