Maple Festival

By: BHS Features Staff

April 23, 2025

With April coming to an end and Summer nearing, it is time for the Geauga County Maple Festival! 🍁

The Maple Festival was founded in 1926, with the idea coming from Art Carlson. The idea for this festival was to introduce a competition between maple syrup and Vermont syrup, in addition to bringing awareness to the maple syrup industry. The first opening was a hit with over 15,000 customers. Ever since, it has become an annual tradition. 

The Geauga County Maple Festival is the oldest maple festival in the United States. It commemorates the tradition of producing pure maple syrup for Northeast Ohio, typically held on the final weekend of April.

A wristband to access all rides costs $25, while a single ride ticket costs $1.25. Bulk packages are also available at $20 for 20 tickets and $40 for 40 tickets.

This year, the festival runs from April 24-27 and is located in the Chardon Square. There are numerous family-friendly activities to partake in such as crafting, amusement rides, tug-of-war, and more. 

With many activities and rides, it will be nearly impossible to not find something to do. The Grand Parade, with the theme of Sweet Maple Magic, will be held on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00, showcasing nearby companies and businesses. The Chardon High School dance team will perform, alongside the King and Queen of the festival. 

The parade will also include prizes that will be awarded to the winning floats. The winning floats must participate in both parades in order to qualify.

In addition to the activities, another great option is the baking contest. The baking contest is only $5 to enter and a great opportunity to show off your creativity. To ensure everything is fair, all food entries must be homemade without assistance from family members. All entries must be dropped off on April 24 (tomorrow) at the set location. If you are interested in this contest, register here.

The Maple Festival is an important tradition in Ohio, so take a ride out East (45 minutes from BHS) with family and friends. Make this your annual tradition, too!

{Information for this article sourced from Maple Festival.}