The Manitoba festival with a focus on maple syrup

Roland Gagne, volunteer at the festival speaks to what happens at the event that has been running in their community since 1990.

A festival focused on French Canadian food, maple syrup, and Francophone culture is taking place in St-Pierre-Jolys this weekend.

The Sugaring Off Festival, which runs on Saturday and Sunday, gives attendees a chance to learn about maple syrup production, try traditional sugar shack food, and listen to the music of fiddlers.

Roland Gagne with the St-Pierre-Jolys Museum explained that maple syrup has been a part of the community for generations and is a main source of the museum’s fundraising efforts.

“What we’re doing now is trying to bring it back and make sure that the future generations know how to get the syrup out of those trees,” he said in an interview with CTV Morning Live on Thursday.

Gagne said the Sugaring Off Festival is a family-friendly event, which sees about 300 to 500 people come through each day.

He added that it’s a history-based event where festivalgoers can learn about the heritage of the region.

“A little bit of everything, but mostly you’ll see the great Canadian food that we have, French Canadian food, plus a lot of fiddling and a lot of entertainment,” he said.

“Guaranteed fun for the family.”

The Sugaring Off Festival takes place on the grounds of the St-Pierre-Jolys Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

• With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé.