The Top of the Common Committee 

 Lunenburg Vermont

        The Lunenburg Maple Festival was held, on the Saturday of Vermont's   
             Maple Open House Weekend. "Thank You" to all who stopped by.

    Through the year, sugarmakers     
    prepare for the coming sugaring   
    season.

    When the temperatures warm, 

Doors opened at 8:00 a.m. for an amazing Pancake Breakfast, served until 10:30 a.m. by The Top of the Common Committee. It was quite the feast, enjoyed by 80 visitors. Offered for an affordable price was made possible through the generous donations of individuals and area businesses: Bev Wilkinson, our local sugarmakers, The White Market, Littleton Walmart, Market 32 by Price Chopper, Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs, Littleton Food Coop, Lancaster Shaws, Ocean State Job Lot, and Tim's Deli & Restaurant.
                       
At the greeting table, visitors signed up for the free door prizes ~ the winners are:
$35 gift certificate donated by Holy Charcuterie (Megan Danforth Richardson) - Marguerite Bruno, $25 gift certificate donated by Copper Pig Brewery – Jessica Bucklin, Dinner for Four donated by Lancaster McDonald’s – Alex Cantin, and a pint of maple syrup donated by Macie’s Maple – Ryan Marchetti.

From 10-1, the student-led narrating and exhibiting from their sugarmaking unit study (with a close up look at their grant-awarded evaporator) was wonderfully done. Kudos to the students for their "storm-adaptability"!
If you'd like to try your hand at tapping sometime, a download of the UVM Backyard Sugaring pdf handout is available here!

Judging of the pie contest entries began at 10:30 a.m. Each category winner received a Vortex Lava Lamp donated by Home Depot. The winners are: fruit category – Ryan Marchetti, nut category – Russell Hinton, and cream/custard category and Best of Show winner – Adam Foster, who also received a Pancake Mix & Syrup Set donated by Fuller’s Sugarhouse.

Beginning at noon, through 2:00 p.m., the Old Home Day Committee's delicious soup and bread luncheon was served to 45 visitors. All the soups, breads, and desserts, as well as items on their sales table, were homemade by our talented community cooks and bakers, which made possible the affordable prices.

Throughout the day, the aroma of maple cotton candy (a very popular treat!) greeted visitors who enjoyed and learned from static, interactive, and photographic maple sugaring displays, antique sugaring equipment, and lively dialogs. Lunenburg has a maple sugaring heritage worthy of exploration, appreciation, and honor! Students' Poster Contest entries express their impressions of maple sugaring season ~ the winners in each grade are: Grade K – Garrison Isham, Grade 1 – Saoirse MacKinnon, Grade 2 – Reagan Thompson, Grade 3 – Mia Brooks, Grade 4 – Isaiah Alba-Richardson, Grade 5 and overall winner – Nate Vozzella. Each winner received a Happy Meal donated by Lancaster McDonald’s with Nate additionally receiving a sketch pad, colored pencils, sharpener set.

      Grade K – Garrison Isham

     Grade 1 – Saoirse MacKinnon

    Grade 2 – Reagan Thompson

           Grade 3 – Mia Brooks

 Grade 4 – Isaiah Alba-Richardson

      Grade 5 and overall winner –

                   Nate Vozzella

             2024 block category
                   winning entry

         2023 applique category
                   winning entry

The Historical Society quilt, made from the 2023 quilt square contest entries, was one of the raffles offered during the day (take a peek at it HERE). Tickets will continue to be sold for this quilt throughout 2024, with the winner being drawn at the Gingerbread Bazaar on December 7th.
The winners of the other raffle items are: Hoover vacuum donated by Home Depot – Sue Mitton, Maple Gift Basket donated by Maple Grove Farms – Michelle Balch , Broil King Barbecue Set donated by Aubuchon Hardware – Sandra Cronin, jars of Hollow Point Hill handcrafted lotion donated by Chelsea Costa – Gary Ingalls, and T-shirt donated by Granite Grind – Kathy Simonds.

Around town locations (open 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.)
Six of our sugarmakers, welcomed visitors to their sugarhouses with the sweet aroma of the season! Our "Road Guys" kept the sugarhouses accessible throughout the day. Collectively, the sugarmakers greeted approximately 150 visitors.

  Each of our six open sugarhouses
        offers the opportunity to see the
               whole sugaring process

    Our sugarmakers enjoy sharing
              their sugarhouses
         and experiences with you.

   "Thank You" to all our visitors who came out to join us, our sugarmakers, road crew,                                            community members, and our volunteers!

3/25/24