Elmira Maple Syrup Festival moves online with interactive website

Maple Syrup Festival launches new website From CTV Kitchener's Stephanie Villella: The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival has moved to a new online format with an interactive website.

ELMIRA — The Elmira Maple Syrup Festival will move online this year so celebrations can go ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year's festival was cancelled, but this year it will go forward on an interactive website.

'Because of COVID, we don't really want to bring people to town, so we came up with the idea of a virtual festival," Co-Chair Doug McLean said. "Our website is getting totally renovated and will be up and running on the 17th of March."

The website will stay live until the end of April. People will be able to take a virtual tour of the Sugar Bush, see how taffy is made and buy local syrup in an online store.

There's also a big virtual event planned for April 10.

"(A) mixologist that's going to present some adult drinks and some fun kid drinks," McLean said. "Chef D is promising us a surprise in what he's going to bring in the way of cooking."

It's not a Maple Syrup Festival without pancakes. The festival will offer breakfast boxes for purchase online.

Kevin Snyder with Snyder Heritage Farms said taking the festival virtual is a good idea.

"You're able to share the event with people in different provinces and different countries," he said. "They don't have to travel here and they get an experience, and maybe another year, after they get a taste virtually, maybe they'll actually make the journey themselves."