How many times can you write the word “sugar” in an article before you have a hyperglycemic episode? We test the limits every year during Sugar Season.
Sugar Season is the time of year when maple sap is harvested to make the famous Canadian syrup. The sap is tapped from the maple trees’ trunks as the snow melts all around. It is boiled, sweetened, and turned into the iconic Canadian maple syrup.
Montreal’s public markets, which will soon open their doors to become outdoor markets starting with the first warm days of spring, are joining in on the season by transforming, for a single day, into sugar shacks.
Sucre au Marché
Of course, the star of the Sugar Festival celebrations at Montreal’s public markets is maple taffy. It will be served on the snow and also in cocktails and mocktails (we’ve always been told that cocktails are okay starting at 11 a.m.). In addition to drinks and maple taffy, there will be maple sugar pie and other sweet-and-salty delicacies available for free and paid tastings. On the menu:
- Maple Kouign-Amann, maple cakes, and maple brioches fromAube Boulangerie
- Ginger and turmeric-infused maple syrup fromAyke
- Maple popcorn and other maple-flavored products from theBoutique Aux Champêtreries
- Sweet, savory, and semi-baked cookies ready to eat by the spoonful fromCookine
- Maple spirits from theDistillerie du Granit
- Farnham’s maple-flavored red ale, maple scotch ale, stout, and other seasonal beers fromFarnham Ale & Lager
- Tire, beignets, and maple products fromLa Cabane des p’tits Marois
- A bowl of strawberries drizzled with hot maple chocolate and their signature dessert: L’Écrin d’Érable fromMaison Berry
- Cabin and snack bar menu: grilled maple sausages and criss-cut potato chips
There will also be traditional dances —with classes led by the Tissés Serrés collective and French-Canadian folk music—all day long.
And so that the kids can work off the gargantuan amount of sugar they’ve consumed, there will be giant inflatable games.
Practical Information
At Atwater Market – Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At Marché Maisonneuve – Sunday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At Jean-Talon Market – Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
