Shouts of "Hotcakes!' filled the air at this year's Maple Harvest Festival, as people waited in a line for up to twenty minutes to top pancakes and sausage with sticky syrup.
Staff members at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center said the weekend of maple tapping serves as a rite of passage for spring, as maple syrup only flows in the spring season, and some --
donning old-fashioned clothing, taught traditional ways of tapping and producing.
"We look forward to it more every year, to see the community come out, to see the beautiful scenery and to enjoy the excellent food," said Darrell Velegol, of State College, who brings his two daughters to the festival annually.
About 100 staff and volunteers run the event each year, with about 1,500 to 1,800 people attending, said Laurie McLaughlin, an instructor at Shaver's Creek. Renovations to the outside pavilion and the breakfast recipe brought newcomers to the festival, she said.
McLaughlin emphasized the importance of teaching children the source of the foods they eat, including syrup. Otherwise, "they think it comes from the store, not any further past that."
The proceeds of the event go to support Shaver's Creek, although McLaughlin said it is primarily held as an educational event to further public awareness of local nature.
In addition to enjoying breakfast, festival-goers could interact with the educational exhibits and live animals. Owls and reptiles were on display, and volunteers carried different animals to allow further interaction with the crowd.
"It's Shaver's Creek that gives the community the opportunity to act on their curiosity toward nature," volunteer Ryan Elliott (senior-wildlife and fisheries science) said. "I feel like I get as much as I give back to the community."
