Learn the Sweet History of The Dawes Arboretum at Maple Syrup Day
The arboretum’s founders, Beman and Bertie Dawes, began harvesting sap for maple sugar in 1919. Today, the annual Maple Syrup Day shares that heritage with visitors.
The post-holiday lull is here, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t sweet events to put on your calendar during the frozen season, including the 60th annual Dawes Maple Syrup Day on Feb. 22. The celebration serves as a nod to the arboretum’s co-founders, Beman and Bertie Dawes, who began harvesting sap for maple sugar on the property in 1919.
“This year’s event will feature even more science and history, all shared by educators that believe in our mission of trees, nature and history,” Leslie Wagner, historian at The Dawes Arboretum, said in a Jan. 6, 2026, press release.
How Beman Dawes’ staff produced syrup in the 1920s and the science of why the arboretum does not currently tap its sugar maples are just a couple of the new additions for this year’s event, Wagner said in the release. Other offerings planned for Maple Syrup Day, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is included with regular arboretum admission, caters to nature lovers, history buffs and foodies interested in maple-sugaring history.
Guided walks along the Maple Syrup Trail allow visitors to learn from educators about the variety of ways Dawes has produced syrup over the years, while costumed interpreters show what maple sugaring was like at the arboretum during the 1920s and 1970s. Hands-on, tree-tapping demonstrations provide a way to experience this time-honored tradition.
Those who want to a taste of that maple-sugaring heritage can head to the arboretum’s log cabin to try maple and hickory syrups or purchase a waffle on a stick from the Sips & Sticks Co. food truck that will be on-site for the event.
7770 Jacksontown Rd., Newark 43056, 740/323-2355, dawesarb.org
For more Ohio travel inspiration, sign up for our Ohio Magazine newsletters.
Ohio Magazine is available in a beautifully designed print issue that is published 7 times a year, along with Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter editions of LongWeekends magazine. Subscribe to Ohio Magazine and stay connected to the beauty, adventure and fun across our state.
Related Articles
New Book Details Origins and Evolution of Dayton’s Carillon Historical Park
The destination’s vice president of museum operations Alex Heckman and curator Steve Lucht wrote the 222-page, hardbound coffee-table book. READ MORE >>
See ‘Heartland: The Stories of Ohio Through 250 Objects’ in Lancaster
The Decorative Arts Center of Ohio hosts an artifact-focused exhibition that tells the story of our state through a collection of family keepsakes and iconic inventions. READ MORE >>
Historic Marker Installed at Home of Orville Wright
Hawthorn Hill, the Oakwood home where aviation pioneer Orville Wright lived with his sister and father, now bears a new marker celebrating its place in American history. READ MORE >>