They say good things take time, and that definitely rings true with maple syrup! To make one gallon of maple syrup you have to harvest up to 40 gallons of sap. Pair that with the fact that most maple trees only produce 5-10 gallons of sap, that’s a lot of hard work (including for the trees!). But the end result – nothing short of delicious.
Curious about what it takes to make maple syrup? There are maple sugar events all over the Cincinnati area where you can participate in tree tapping and production as well as my favorite part: tasting the final product.
Here’s our list for maple syrup & sugaring events in and around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Maple Syrup & Sugaring Events in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Maple 101, Do It Yourself Backyard Maple Tapping
January 10, 2026; 1-3pm
Caldwell Nature Preserve
430 West North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45216
Live off the land and learn to make your own maple syrup! Join in on the fun as they teach the tricks of the trade for making maple syrup at home. Discover what trees to tap and how to collect and cook the sap into syrup.
There will be one group geared towards adults and another for families. Dress for the weather as most of the program is outdoors.
This is a free event but you must register (space is limited).
Registration required by January 8, 2026.
Website
Maple Sugaring Hikes at Cincinnati Nature Center
2026 dates include: Jan. 17 and 18, Jan. 24, Feb. 7 and 8, Feb. 14, Feb. 21
Cincinnati Nature Center
4949 Tealtown Rd., Milford, OH 45150
Registration required.
Hit the trail for a guided interactive maple hike. Check the sap buckets in the sugarbush and see the steaming evaporator as they boil sap down to “liquid gold” maple syrup. Members $6; nonmember adult $14 (includes daily admission).
Website
Maple Sugarin’ Time at Caldwell Nature Preserve
February 7, 10am – 1pm
Caldwell Nature Preserve
430 West North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45216
It’s Maple Sugarin’ Time at Caldwell Nature Preserve! Tap the trees in their sugar bush. Take a journey back in time discovering the magic of maple sugaring and taste this natural sugary delight! Through hands on activities, participants will experience the arts and traditions of tapping a maple tree and the evaporator in action!
Program is for families and adults. It is an outdoor program. Dress for the weather! Program entirety lasts about 1 ½ hours from your start to finish.
Registration required.
Website
Community Maple Day: Old Church
February 7, 2026; 10am – noon
Greenacres Old Church
8680 Spooky Hollow Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242
Celebrate the maple season at Greenacres with a hands-on outdoor experience at the Old Church site at the Cincinnati Campus. Participants will discover how maple syrup is made, exploring both historic and modern methods used to transform sap into syrup. The program includes a guided walk through the sugar bush, an opportunity to try drilling a tap hole, and a visit to the evaporator to see the process in action.
Designed for school-aged children (ages 5 and up) and their caregivers, this program takes place primarily outdoors and encourages learning through direct connection with the land. Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy footwear, as trails may be muddy and uneven.
Registration required.
Website
Community Maple Day: Lewis Township
February 7, 2026; 10am – 3pm
Greenacres Lewis Twp.
7597 State Route 505, Felicity, Ohio 45120
Celebrate maple season at Greenacres with a hands-on, family-friendly day in the sugar bush. Participants will explore how maple syrup has been made—past and present—through guided experiences that bring this seasonal tradition to life. Enjoy a short hike through the woods, try drilling a tap hole, and visit the evaporator to see how sap is transformed into maple syrup.
This outdoor program is designed for school-aged children (ages 5 and up) and their caregivers. Activities take place primarily outdoors and on natural terrain, offering an immersive learning experience rooted in the landscape. Please dress for the weather and plan for muddy trails and uneven ground.
Registration required.
Website
Maple Sugaring Walk with the Lloyd Library and Museum
February 8, 2026; 10:30am-noon
Cincinnati Nature Center’s Rowe Woods
4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, OH 45150
Discover the sweeter side of winter at Cincinnati Nature Center! On this naturalist-led hike, you’ll find native maple trees, check sap buckets, and look for signs of how native animals use sap as well. Then, you’ll head back to the evaporator to see the sap boiling and to sample warm maple syrup. Along the way, you’ll learn all about what it takes to make maple syrup, including how to find sugar maple trees, why Cincinnati Nature Center calls their maple syrup “liquid sunshine”, how maple sugaring has changed through time, and more.
Registered participants will meet at the Outdoor Learning Center at our Rowe Woods location. Look for the “Sap Hikes Start Here” sign.
Registration required.
Website
Out in the Outdoors: Maple Syrup
February 14, 2026; 1-2 pm
Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve
3455 Poole Road, Cincinnati, OH 45251
Embark on a sweet adventure to learn the history and significance of maple sugar. Hike into the sugar bush, tap a maple tree and sample the finished product. This group meets monthly at various Great Parks destinations.
Website (scroll down to the end for this event)
Maple Tapping & Tasting
February 21, 2026; 10am-noon
Cincinnati Zoo’s Bowyer Farm in Lebanon
2210 Mason Montgomery Rd, Lebanon, OH 45036
Registration required
Come join in at the Zoo’s Bowyer Farm for a fun afternoon full of history, hands-on activities, and storytelling all about maple tapping! This program offers a sweet peek into the history of this age-old tradition and offers an opportunity to participate in the maple tapping process. At the end, participants will be able to taste the pre-cursor to maple syrup, fresh from the tree. This program is sure to be fun for the whole family. NOTE: This program takes place at Bowyer Farm in Lebanon, located at 2210 Mason Montgomery Road. This is an outdoor program- dress warmly and with comfortable walking shoes to walk approximately 1-2 miles over uneven terrain.
Website
Thomas Ireland Smith Farm Open House & Tours
TBA for 2026
6197 Morrow Rossburg Road, Morrow, Ohio 45152
Thomas Ireland Smith Farm hosts an open hour during their sugaring season. See the operation in full swing (usually in February). They’ll have samples of their maple syrup, sugar and candies available for sale. They’ll also have their laser etcher running during the open house and you can have your name put on a bottle of maple syrup.
Heads up – come dressed in appropriate shoes for this visit. The sugar house is located about 100′ off the driveway and you’ll have to walk through the grass. They report they’re doing some construction and the ground is very muddy.
Website
