Well, this weekend was the 50th Annual Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. I have only been a part of it for 39 years. Of course, I was only six months old for my first one. I don’t know what others think about the festival weekend, but I really like it. I am sure that a lot of it is the nostalgia of it all. I have so many memories from when I was kid.
I remember my dad serving as the President and Vice President of the Shepherd Sugar Bush Corporation and all of the other years that he worked to support the festival. I remember my first job of community service for the syrup festival was pushing little pills in the holes that were drilled in trees to insert the hardware on which the buckets were hung. The purpose of the pills was for the health of the trees. The purpose of choosing me was because I had small fingers and could push the pill in the hole! I graduated to collecting sap and watching the evaporation process at the “sap house” when my dad was working. I also helped can the finished maple syrup and helped make the maple candy. Over the years, I have done most every job there is during the pancake and sausage meals.
All of this work by the community serves to benefit the community. There are material contributions, but for me, I just like the sense of community that the festival brings. Everyone (well many) comes together to pull off this weekend of activity as well as preparing the product for which the festival is held. This gives Shepherd a sense of identity. Many people know of Shepherd because of its maple syrup and the festival or because they know of the school. Speaking of school, the school basically gives its facilities to this community event. I don’t know when it started, but I know that school has been canceled the Friday of the big weekend for as long as I can remember so all of the set up can be done. The high school, middle school, and main elementary host activities throughout the weekend.
As the current Shepherd High School principal, I can appreciate the excitement of the students. I always got excited, too. To be truthful, I may get more excited now. I want to experience all that the festival has to offer and to do it all. I want my kids to do all of the same things that I did as a child. This year was no exception. I don’t think my kids fully understand the significance to me, but I want to help them understand the tradition of the festival and giving back to the community. I think this was one of my best years.
I try to do as much as the festival has to offer. This year I was able to do the following:
Ø Take my kids to the carnival rides (I remember when there were no carnival rides.)
Ø See the antique tractor display
Ø Watch some of the farm stock tractor pull
Ø Visit the Train Depot Museum
Ø Visit the Sugar Bush
Ø Visit the Little Red School House Museum
Ø Watch the Parade of Emergency Vehicles
Ø Work the pancake and sausage meals and then partake of the same
Ø Visit the indoor crafts
Ø Visit the outdoor crafts
Ø Ride the Navy flight simulator
Ø Watch the Chainsaw Carver Show
Ø Watch a little of the Saturday tractor pull
Ø Watch Cow Patty Bingo
Ø Watch the special 50th Anniversary fire works
Ø Watch the parade
Ø And – I had to buy some maple candy and maple syrup!
Of course, one of the highlights is just being able to spend time with family and see old friends in town. I hope that all who read this can appreciate the benefits of being part of a small town community!
