PERTH — Ever since local businessman Victor Lemieux organized the first Perth Festival of the Maples in the early 1970s, the town has been a gathering place for an annual celebration of local farmers and syrup producers.
With the festival set to mark its 50th anniversary on Saturday, April 25, 2026, plans are underway for this spring tradition celebrating the region’s best-known agricultural product, maple syrup.
The free festival, presented by the Perth and District Chamber of Commerce, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Gore and Foster streets in the downtown core. More than 190 vendors are expected, including local businesses, artisans, food and farm vendors, along with community and charity groups.
Chamber executive director Rose Grieder said the event continues to grow in popularity.
“We expect to attract between 15,000 and 20,000 guests for our 50th celebration,” she said. “After a long, cold winter, people are ready to get out and enjoy the day with taffy on snow, maple butter and fresh syrup from local sugar bushes.”
The Chamber partners with several local organizations to stage the event, including the Lanark and District Maple Syrup Producers, the Town of Perth, the Lanark-Leeds Homebuilders Association, the Ontario Provincial Police, Perth Fire Services and the Perth Civitan Classic Cruisers.
New this year, the festival is teaming up with the Hospice Hub in Perth for a Maplefest Plaid Party, an evening fundraiser dance featuring live music by Open Road.
Festival chair Brian Perkin said the event is supported by a grant from the Perth and District Community Foundation.
“Everyone is invited to pull on their plaid and enjoy a great night of music in the Crystal Palace,” he said.
Doors open at 7 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m. The event is for those of legal drinking age. Tickets are $35 and available at ticketsplease.ca.
Other festival highlights include the annual Maplefest Syrup Competition, organized by the Lanark and District Maple Syrup Producers, and a classic and antique car show on Herriot Street hosted by the Perth Civitan Classic Cruisers.
Live entertainment will take place on two stages, alongside events such as Maplefest sap-tapping and the Wood Cookie Challenge. The Tay Basin will feature Safety Square and a children’s play park with activities by Ry-J’s Climbing Adventures, a petting zoo and the Perth Firedawgs children’s obstacle course.
A featured attraction this year is the Great Canadian Lumberjack Show, with two-person teams competing in axe throwing, cross-cut sawing and wood chopping events, along with a hot saw demonstration.
Performances are scheduled for 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. between Perth Town Hall and TD Bank.
For more information, visit festivalofthemaples.com.
Source: Perth & District Chamber of Commerce
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