This Is Vermont’s Biggest Food Festival And You Won’t Want To Miss It

If maple season is the sweetest time of year, then the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans is the is the heart of it all. Now in its 51st year, this festival draws over 30,000 people to this fun and free event. From pancake breakfasts to carousels to parades, you'll quickly see why this festival was listed in the book 1000 Places in the U.S. and Canada to See Before You Die. This year's festival is on April 28, 29 & 30th and the streets will come alive with live music, free maple syrup samples and much more. Let's take a look at some of the many things you'll find, and we'll also include links for schedules and other events. Are you ready?!

This year the Vermont Maple Festival will be held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 28-30.

You'll find everything here, and we mean everything!

Antiques, Crafts and Specialty Foods Shows, Fiddlers, and Youth Talent Shows. You'll also find the Exhibit Hall with Maple Syrup and Maple Cooking Contest and Demonstrations, Maple Cream Frosted Doughnuts, Maple Creemees and other maple treats. Also, Pancake Breakfasts, a Maple Dinner, Sugarhouse Tours, Kids’ Activities and Face Painting, the Sap Run, Free Entertainment on the Main Street Stage, Chainsaw demonstrations in the Park, free New Crop maple syrup tasting at a little sugarhouse in the Park, a colorful Carnival, Maple Cotton Candy and more food treats from the Main Street vendors. There will also be Maple Beverage Tasting, Vermont’s famous Sugar-on-Snow, the grand old Taylor Park with a carousel, a newly re-built fountain and places to picnic; a downtown of intriguing shops, the two hour parade with floats, bands and colorful costumed characters.

See why over 30,000 people head to St. Albans each year for this sweet event.

The judges will be hard at work awarding prizes.

And you better believe that these entries are delicious!

The kids love the carousel, face painting and other fun things.

The two hour parade is fun for all. You never know what will float by!

The festival theme this year is "51 and Let It Run!" Are they talking about the sap running or the 8.5 mile foot race from Swanton to St. Albans? Perhaps both!

You will have loads of opportunities to fill up on your favorite maple treats such as maple creemees, milkshakes and of course...

Sugar on Snow!

The free entertainment keeps things lively.

The chainsaws will be running for the ever-popular chainsaw art demonstrations.

The storefronts are all decorated and waiting for the festival. Are YOU going?

Even if you don't like maple syrup (gasp!) you have to appreciate the history of the old school tapping to create the best maple syrup in the world!

Come see the parade, children's programs, and live entertainment! Here is the full schedule of events and even more information about the Vermont Maple Festival.

Now that you're in a mapley kind of mood, check out these 13 Vermont restaurants that serve pancakes to die for.