Warren County Sets Date for Sixth Maple Festival | The Locally Times
Warren County's environmental center in Bolton has scheduled its sixth annual event for March 7, 2026, continuing a community tradition celebrating the region's maple sugaring season.
## County Announces Annual Celebration of Maple Season Warren County has scheduled the sixth annual Maple Festival for Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center in Bolton. A February 18, 2026, county news item states the event will celebrate the start of the region's maple sugaring season, continuing a local tradition at the county-run facility. ## Festival Highlights Regional Agricultural Heritage The Maple Festival’s focus on a cornerstone of local agriculture reflects a wider pattern of support for farming in the region. In a separate initiative, the Town of Bethlehem accepted applications for its 2026 Farmland Agricultural Use Lease Agreements. According to a notice on the town’s website, the application period closed on March 13, 2026. The Bethlehem program offered opportunities that included seasonal hay harvesting licenses and agricultural use lease agreements for farmland in both Glenmont and Selkirk. By making town land available for agricultural purposes, the program provides a structural mechanism for preserving and utilizing the area's farming resources. This complements cultural events like the Maple Festival, which celebrate the products of that agricultural heritage. ## A Season of Community-Focused Initiatives The Maple Festival is one of several public programs Warren County scheduled for residents in early 2026. County records show an informational meeting was held on February 26, 2026, to recruit foster parents. A county announcement for that meeting noted a need for more people to provide care for local children, though public records do not quantify the shortage. Earlier in the month, the Warren County Department of Workforce Development hosted a job fair on February 19. Beyond the county level, other regional public entities also planned community-oriented programming. The Southern Adirondack Library System, for example, scheduled a March 3 workshop on state funding for library construction projects and a March 11 workshop on developing teen summer reading programs. Together, these events demonstrate a sustained effort by various public bodies to provide educational, cultural, and social support services to the community. ## Looking Ahead to the Sugaring Season As the March 7 date for the Maple Festival approaches, residents can anticipate the celebration of the region’s maple production. While Warren County’s official announcement confirms the event’s date, location, and purpose, public documents do not yet detail the specific activities, educational programs, or local producers that will be featured at the 2026 festival. Furthermore, records do not specify attendance numbers from the five previous festivals or provide information on the event's budget and funding sources.