Sugar Bush fair includes demonstrations, pancake breakfast

Susan Champagne of the Schaumburg Park District was among the volunteers and staff showing visitors how maple sap is turned into syrup Saturday at the Sugar Bush Fair at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road.

"We're boiling a lot of the water away, and what we want to leave is the sugar," Champagne said. "We then take the sap when it comes to that brown point and take it to the stove for the final boil-down."

Champagne then showed the visitors the difference in viscosity between table syrup made from corn sweetener and real maple syrup, as well as the differences in color between them.

The event continues from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday with demonstrations of syrup-making and sap-collecting methods used by Native Americans and early pioneers, an authentic Chicago-area Native American interpreter, children's puppet show and hayrides, as well as a pancake breakfast that includes sausage, coffee and juice will be served beneath a tent outside Merkle Cabin. Prices are $5 for a half stack and $7 for a full stack.

For more information, call (847) 985-2100 or visit ParkFun.com.