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BY JOSIE HUANG
Blethen Maine Newspapers 03/08/2008

Blethen Maine Newspapers

It's not on the calendar, but for thousands of households, Maine Maple Sunday has become an unofficial holiday, a reason to get out of the house at the end of winter to visit a sugarhouse in the great outdoors.

But some families face a quandary this year: Maine Maple Sunday falls on Easter Sunday. Should they skip the Easter events for the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast?

More than 60 syrup producers still plan to hold open houses that Sunday, cleaving to a 25-year tradition of celebrating the event on the fourth Sunday of every March.

But, at least nine sugarhouses will hold their open houses on other days, some as early as next week, thereby solving the date conflict between Christianity's major holiday and one of their most lucrative days of the year.

Harris Farm in Dayton, for example, will open on March 15 and 16 for what it's calling "Maple Weekend." Most other sugarhouses, such as Sweet William's in Casco, are scheduling their open houses for March 22, the Saturday before Easter Sunday.

"As a Christian family, we decided we weren't going to participate on Easter Sunday," said William Symonds, the owner of Sweet William's. "We also have all kinds of friends and family who volunteer that day, and it would disturb their Easter Sunday."

Conceived by the Maine Maple Producers Association, Maine Maple Sunday is regarded by industry members and state agricultural officials as a major success. It draws more than 50,000 people each year. Syrup producers in New Hampshire and Vermont have begun similar events in the last decade.

Many of the smaller sugarhouses in Maine -- the country's No. 2 syrup producer, after Vermont -- sell most of their product on Maine Maple Sunday, while larger producers like the chance to expose their brands to the public.

Jeremy Steeves, secretary-treasurer of the Maine Maple Producers Association, expressed optimism that people will visit sugarhouses after attending Easter services.

The last time the dates conflicted, in 2005, members voted not to change the date. A minority of producers rescheduled their open houses and weren't negatively affected, Steeves said.

This time, no vote was taken. "The parties that were interested in changing the date decided not to push the issue," said Steeves, who owns Strawberry Hill Farms in Skowhegan.

This is only the third time that Maine Maple Sunday has coincided with Easter, which is held on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21.

Some syrup makers didn't have to consider altering their plans because of Easter. Clark Cole Family Pure Maple Syrup in Dayton has always held its open house on Saturdays, said its owner.

"Sunday -- that's been a church day for us and for music, and teaching Sunday school, so we haven't been open Sundays," said Clark Cole, who will open his doors March 22.

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