For a second consecutive year, New York-based Grouse Hill Maple Farm will host a free, family-friendly event at Noteology, providing guests with maple samples and information about the maple syrup making process.

Maple Fest — to be held Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at 537 Wyoming Ave., Scranton — will feature samples of all four grades of Grouse Hill’s pure maple syrup (golden, amber, dark and very dark), and maple cream and maple melts, said Danielle Fleming, founder and CEO of Noteology and co-owner of Grouse Hill Maple Farm. The event will also offer fresh apple cider and activities for kids, including coloring sheets.

“We had a really great turnout (last year),” Fleming said. “People were very interested in learning about the process, understanding how sap turns into syrup. It went so well that we decided to do it again.”

Grouse Hill Maple Farm, located in the Finger Lakes, produces 100% pure maple syrup in small batches over a traditional wood fire, Fleming said.

Fleming and her husband, Mark Bonfiglio, purchased the farm property in 2022 and started experimenting with making maple syrup in 2023, she said.

The couple attended a five-day camp at Cornell University’s maple research forest in the fall of 2023 to hone their skills, Fleming said.

“That’s where we learned to make the melts and cream,” she said. “That really propelled us in terms of learning how everything works. It’s a fascinating process to watch. It’s amazing to see that you can take a clear liquid that comes out of a tree and turn it into something so flavorful, just by cooking it.”

Fleming joked that getting involved in maple production happened by accident.

“We bought the farmhouse in the dead of winter, and it came with 25 acres,” she said. “We didn’t really walk the land at the time, and then we realized the vast majority of the acreage is all maple trees.”

Although producing maple syrup is a time-consuming, strenuous task, Fleming noted it’s a nice change of pace from perfume and candles.

“It’s a very labor-intensive process, from the end of winter to the beginning of spring,” she said. “It’s very cold, and it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. But, I’ve been in perfumery for more than 25 years, and we just enjoy that this is totally different.”

Originally Published: October 10, 2025 at 10:55 AM EDT