Liz Biro's Foodie Action: The maple syrup festival tour
- 4 maple syrup festivals
- Rare barrel-aged beer
- One big German party
Maple syrup madness
Let the golden goodness begin. Maple syrup festivals are on tap at various locations this weekend and beyond.
Parke County: Pancakes and sausage, homemade goodies sugar camps, artisans and crafters fill the Parke County Maple Syrup Fair 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 1 at Parke County Fairgrounds.
1472 N. U.S. 41, Rockville, (765) 569-5226, www.coveredbridges.com
Hendricks County: Savor a pancake breakfast or lunch and see demonstrations of modern syrup-making during McCloud Maple Syrup Days at McCloud Nature Park 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 7.
8518 Hughes Road, North Salem, (317) 718-6188, www.hendrickscountyparks.org
Washington County: The 24th Annual Maple Syrup Festival happens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 28 and March 1 and March 7-8 at LM Sugarbush. The family farm serves pancakes and syrup, demonstrations, games, a Sugar Store, vendors, wagon rides, crosscut sawing and more.
321 N. Garrison Hollow Road, Salem, (812) 967-4491, www.lmsugarbush.com
Brown County: Make plans for the big-boy National Maple Syrup Festival March 5-8 at various locations in Brown County. Expect tapping, sap boiling and a range of food and drinks featuring maple syrup. Watch Dutch oven cooking around a huge stone fireplace at Brown County State Park -- and get a taste. Park rangers lead interpretive hikes and show you how to identify maple trees. Delaware and Shawnee descendants reenact how their ancestors made maple syrup centuries ago. Story Inn hosts recipe contests for kids and adults. Maple is on the menu at various Nashville restaurants, too. Those are just a few samples of what's up for this sweet weekend. Visit the festival website and Facebook for full details.
(800) 753-3255, www.nationalmaplesyrupfestival.com
Barrel-aged beer fest
If you missed last weekend's barrel-aged bash during Tailspin Ale Fest in Louisville, Ky., good news! Flat 12 Bierwerk's hosts its Winter Wood Barrel-aged Beer Festival noon to 6 p.m. Feb. 28. The brewery promises "the rarest of barrels from the cellar" and "exclusive brewers' selections" including never-released suds and sours. Wooden barrels that previously hosted bourbon, rye whiskey, tequila, port, and wine were used to make "these premium small run, experimental batches," Flat 12 reports. I have my sights set on Rye Farmageddon, a black rye saison aged in rye whiskey barrels. Tickets cost $12.
414 N. Dorman St., (317) 635-2337, www.flat12.me
German food and beer
Doesn't seem like it now, but, yes, spring is not far away, as evidenced by Liederkranz Bock Bier Fest 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at Indianapolis Liederkranz headquarters. German food, beer and music are on the menu. The Alpine Express band performs. Tickets cost $10 if you're not an Indianapolis Liederkranz society member, $5 if you are.
1417 E. Washington St., (317) 266-9816, www.indyliederkranz.org
Call Liz Biro at (317) 444-6264. Follow her on Twitter @lizbiro, Instagram @lizbirodish and Facebook. Email her at liz.biro@indystar.com.