New York, NY (PRWEB) March 01, 2016
Be on the lookout for life-sized waffles and walking maple trees. Greenmarket’s Union Square shoppers will get a special treat later this month when EscapeMaker.com, New York’s guide to local getaways and farm escapes, hosts “Maple Fest” on Friday, March 18th from 10am-4pm on the north side of the square.
The event is the first in a 2016 series of agritourism-themed events designed to promote Greenmarket farmers, producers and winemakers within a striking distance of New York City. EscapeMaker will be on hand with general agritourism info on how to visit farms, farm stores, breweries and wineries whether by car, bus or by Amtrak.
The family-friendly event kicks off that morning with live music, demos, free samples and all things maple. Every Greenmarket maple producer will be featured at a maple dipping bar; Deep Mountain Maple from Vermont, Berkshire Berries from Massachusetts and Remsburger Maple, Roxbury Maple and Wood Homestead from New York’s Hudson Valley, Catskills and Central Regions respectively.
In addition, there will be free samples of maple-flavored products like hard candy, beer, cotton candy, cream and even yogurt from Ronnybrook Dairy and maple turkey from Dipaola Turkey Farm. Deep Mountain Maple will be on hand for maple tapping educational demos alternating with Beth Linksey of Beth’s Farm Kitchen preparing and handing out samples of waffles, chunky maple apple sauce and maple squash soup.
There will also be representatives on hand from tourism regions in New York and Vermont. Corning and the Southern Finger Lakes of New York will be highlighting their craft beverage trail which includes award winning breweries, a cidery, and a distillery. They will also be handing out maple martini recipes and offering tastes of craft beer served at their annual Maple City Brew Festival, taking place June 4th.
Vermont Tourism will be promoting their Maple Open House Weekend scheduled for April 2-3rd, where sugarhouses across the state host pancake breakfasts, wagon and sleigh rides for kids. At some sugarhouses, many of which are accessible via Amtrak, you can ski or snowshoe through the woods. Others offer a chance to taste authentic Sugar-on-Snow – a traditional maple delicacy. Westchester County, just north of the city, will be featuring their many farms like the eco-friendly Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center. In addition, Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley, will be sampling Crown Maple’s treats and signing up people for their popular “Farm Fresh” tours offered via Metro-North Railroad.
Early this year, EscapeMaker.com solidified a partnership with Greenmarket for a consistent presence in their markets across the city and throughout the growing season. “At Greenmarket we strive to bring shoppers closer to who grows their food and where it comes from” says Greenmarket Director, Michael Hurwitz. “There is no better way to experience how our food is grown than going with friends and family to visit a working farm. We are excited to continue our partnership with EscapeMaker this season to provide information on agritourism and other great ways to learn about the wonderful agricultural tradition of our region.”
Caylin Sanders, President and Founder of EscapeMaker since 2000, said “our goal is to add value to the Greenmarket community and their shopping experience by educating on agritourism, offering info on local vacation packages and hosting fun kid-friendly ag-themed interactive events.” In addition, she added, “shopping outside in March is not as cold if you’re distracting yourself with delicious maple treats and dancing with people dressed as pancakes and waffles.”
For more information, visit http://www.escapemaker.com and for a list of Greenmarket farmers and producers visit http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket
