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The Adventure Zone

Past stories Surf's up! The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

Photo: Jérome Roy

Come April, most Canadians are looking ahead to the coming warm temperatures and the chance to enjoy the outdoors in something other than a snowsuit and toque.

But depending on the region, April can also be a time to enjoy the outdoors with activities that celebrate the last vestiges of winter. Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick, the maple syrup capital of Atlantic Canada, is a great place to do just that with their annual Maple Festival.

The six-day event celebrates the spring maple syrup season that has been a staple of northeastern North America for centuries, back to the days when the Ojibwa called this six-week period the "maple moon" or "sugar month". New Brunswick is the third-largest Canadian maker of the sweet, gooey garnish, behind Quebec and Ontario.

Saint-Quentin and its 2200 residents, largely francophone, are located in the Appalachian Mountains in northwestern New Brunswick, nearly 300 kilometres north of Fredericton. Given the mountainous terrain that makes for great skiing and hiking, there are plenty of outdoor adventures in the area to explore between sweet tooth indulgences.

The town's title as the maple syrup capital of Atlantic Canada is well-earned. Despite its modest population, the Saint-Quentin area is home to over 10 per cent of New Brunswick's maple syrup producers. And that does not account for the two dozen or so traditional sugar shacks.

Between visits to sugar shacks in the bush, festival-goers can choose from a variety of specialty meals that feature maple syrup-laced dishes, as well as treats especially geared towards children, like maple syrup chilled on snow and rolled onto a stick. It is a tasty taffy snack for kids, and even kids-at-heart, to enjoy while getting fresh air and exploring a new part of the country.

The Maple Festival in Saint-Quentin takes place April 3-8th.
Visit www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca for more information.