Fun, fast and sweet, the final day of the Geauga Maple Festival featured a new event that brought the old-school charm of the sugar bush to Chardon Square, honoring the roots of the county’s maple syrup tradition.
Fun, fast and sweet, the final day of the Geauga Maple Festival featured a new event that brought the old-school charm of the sugar bush to Chardon Square, honoring the roots of the county’s maple syrup tradition.
“The (Geauga County) Maple Festival has been a huge part of my life since I was born,” emcee Mark Burr said. “I love being able to give back to the community and take part in a monumental event.”
Just before the April 26 Grand Parade, Burr welcomed five teams of two contestants each who signed up just minutes before race time. The event unfolded in front of the Entertainment Stage, where spectators gathered behind yellow caution tape along Main Street.
The teams, made up of participants of all ages, competed in a relay-style race to fill a sap bucket using a gallon jug of water. The goal was to continue filling the bucket until water overflowed through the tap hole.
“So, it’s very simple, you take your gallon jug, run down to a black container. Whoever has the water come out of the spile hole first is the winner,” Burr said.
Team names included Team Mom, Trouble, Trouble-Makers, Flying Walendas and Roseum Farms.
Spectators cheered and snapped photos as the first player on each team filled the jug, ran to the sap bucket and emptied it. The player then returned the empty jug to their teammate, who repeated the process.
Teams continued alternating turns until the sap bucket filled enough that water overflowed from the tapping hole.
Rules allowed only one jug to be carried at a time, and contestants were required to fully empty the jug before returning. Participants were also instructed to remain in designated areas while filling or pouring, and any spilled water required the jug to be refilled before continuing.
According to National Agriculture in the Classroom, “The sap bucket relay is a tradition rooted in the labor-intensive, early 20th-century history of maple syrup production, specifically celebrating the era when farmers gathered sap by hand using metal buckets. These relays, often featured at regional maple festivals and agricultural fairs, serve as a living history demonstration, honoring the ‘sugar makers’ of the past.”
Award-winning syrup producers Linda and Roger Roseum, of Chester Township, owners of Roseum Farms, were among the first to sign up for the festival’s newest event
“The sap bucket relay was so much fun,” Linda said. “We will be looking forward to participating again, hopefully, at the next festival. All the participants this year seemed to be enjoying the competition.”
When a bucket overflowed from the tapping hole, the team was instructed to raise their hands. A judge confirmed the result and declared Team Trouble the winners. Team members Kristine Snell and Richard Lasko, of Columbus, took top honors.
Snell jumped up and down in excitement after their last-minute decision to enter the competition paid off.
“It was an honor to be able to participate in the inaugural sap bucket race,” Snell said.
“We both feel it was a great honor to participate in the 100th anniversary of the maple syrup festival. I previously lived in Thompson and wanted to introduce my friend to this unique event. Rich enjoyed the hometown atmosphere and friendliness of everyone.”
