Naper Settlement Maple Sugaring Days returns

It started with a blizzard that brought more than 19 inches of snow.

Then February finished in a tie with the year 1875 as the coldest February in Naperville and the Chicago area with an average high temperature of 14.6 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

But now it's March, and Naperville residents will get their first official - and sweet - tastes of spring during Maple Sugaring Days this weekend at Naper Settlement.

The event has become a popular family tradition in the city, drawing roughly 1,000 participants last year, its largest crowd ever.

"It's such a celebration of spring" Naper Settlement spokeswoman Donna DeFalco said.

The drastic swings in temperature at this time of year - freezing nights and warm days - allow sap to rise from the roots of the maple trees. But because our weather is so unpredictable, so too is the sap.

"Some years we'll just get a little, tiny drip of sap when we demonstrate how to tap the trees, and other years we'll get buckets full," DeFalco said.

However the sap may flow, it's still a good thing because this teaches visitors about the struggles and successes of our Civil War-era ancestors, which is the mission of Naper Settlement. Maple sugaring was an integral part of American life in the 1800s and maple products were the foremost sweetener until the end of the Civil War.

Visitors will learn how to collect sap the old-fashioned way while watching maple tree-tapping demonstrations at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 14 and 15. They also can participate in hands-on activities like drilling and carrying a yoke and bucket, and then try maple taffy treats to see how it compares to typical candy.

Naper Settlement staff also will be at the Log House demonstrating how sap was boiled down to create maple syrup and maple sugar.

"What's really nice is, when you walk on the grounds, you'll smell the sap boiling and the sweetness in the air," DeFalco said of the Log House activities.

Other family activities are happening at several sites within Naper Settlement throughout the day, including lessons on spring cultural festivities at the Martin Mitchell Mansion and talks on Native American maple sugaring techniques, as well as the history of maple sugaring, at the Meeting House.

Meeting House visitors will do more than just learn a few fun facts, though. They also can hear live music from The Battlefield Balladeers, who play 19th century music, and learn the steps to a dance called a "reel."

Finally, families also can stop by the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center, where the Riverwalk Quilters Guild will display quilt squares featuring designs members created based on the historic homes and businesses at Naper Settlement. Guests are invited to vote for their favorite.

Maple Sugaring Days also offers a Girl Scouts Program on Sunday, March 15. In addition to the main activities, Scouts can become history sleuths and complete a scavenger hunt, or visit a craft table to make a swap keepsake to share. Scouts will receive a Naper Settlement patch to take home. Registration for this program should be made through the Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Council website or by calling the registrar. For details, visit www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org.

If you go

What: Maple Sugaring Days

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 14; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 15

Where: Naper Settlement, 523 W. Webster St., Naperville

Tickets: $12; $10 seniors; $8 ages 4 to 12; free for ages 3 and younger, Naperville residents and members

Info: napersettlement.org or (630) 420-6010