About This Festival

Sugar Camp Days is a two-day festival held on March 8–9, 2025, at Bendix Woods County Park in New Carlisle, St. Joseph County, Indiana, celebrating the end of winter and the arrival of spring through maple syrup traditions[1][4]. The event features watching sap cook into syrup in the sugar house, a pancake and sausage breakfast fundraiser, tours of the sugar bush where maple trees are tapped, and maple-themed foods including maple hot dogs and maple baked goods[1][4].

The festival atmosphere is family-friendly with activities such as kids' crafts, wagon rides, ice carving, Native American life-ways demonstrations, artisan demos, and live music[1][4]. It has a rustic, community-focused vibe centered around nature, heritage, and the ritual of maple syrup making.

Activities and Highlights

  • Sap cooking in the sugar house: Visitors witness the traditional boiling down of maple sap into syrup.
  • Pancake and sausage breakfast: Fundraiser for the New Carlisle Lions Club, serving maple syrup-laden breakfasts.
  • Guided Sugar Bush tours: Opportunity to learn about the tapping and collection processes.
  • Maple-themed foods: Including homemade maple baked goods and maple hot dogs.
  • Kids' activities: Crafts and educational experiences.
  • Live music and artisan demonstrations: Cultural and craft presentations.
  • Wagon rides and ice carving: Outdoor family entertainment.
  • Native American life-ways: Demonstrations showcasing indigenous traditions around sap/syrup[1][4].

Rough Schedule (from available official 2025 schedule and descriptions)

  • Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9, 2025 – Event runs from morning to mid-afternoon (e.g., 8 AM to 3 PM on at least March 9)[2][3].
  • Sauk Trail Shelter in the sugar bush open 9 AM to 2 PM (weather permitting) for demonstrations and tours on both days[3].
  • Pancake breakfast timing aligns with morning hours, exact times not specified but typically early to late morning.
  • Other demonstrations and activities dispersed throughout park grounds during event hours.

Location Context

Bendix Woods County Park is a natural wooded area in northern Indiana offering trails, picnic shelters, and open spaces suitable for outdoor festivals. The park is handicapped accessible and hosts the event across several locations including the sugar bush (maple tree groves) and designated shelters[1][3].

History and Founding

While specific founding details are not explicitly documented in the sources, Sugar Camp Days is an annual tradition rooted in the local cultural heritage of maple syrup production, a practice dating back to Native American and early settler customs in northern Indiana. It celebrates the seasonal process of tapping maple trees and syrup-making as a communal rite signaling the transition from winter to spring[4].

Admission

The event charges an $8 vehicle entrance fee to Bendix Woods County Park, supporting park maintenance and festival funding[1].

For up-to-date information, contact the St. Joseph County Parks Department at (574) 654-3155 or visit their website and social media pages[1].

This summary captures the key elements: the festive, educational, and culinary celebration of maple syrup production marking spring’s arrival, family-friendly activities, and the natural setting of Bendix Woods County Park.