Stamford, CT - A sweet tradition returns to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on Saturday, March 3 and Sunday, March 4 – First County Bank Maple Sugar Festival Weekend. The annual family event focusing on the deeply-rooted New England tradition of maple sugaring, will be held rain or shine at Stamford Museum & Nature Center from 11 am to 3 pm on both days.

With plenty to do for the whole family, including tasting many sweet maple syrup treats, visitors can see maple sugar and tree tapping demonstrations, make a maple-themed craft, vote for their favorite chef in the Chef’s Challenge, enjoy the popular pancake brunch, and go on a scavenger hunt. First County Bank is entering its 12th year of support of both this favorite family festival and Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s educational programming.

At the festival, visitors can stop by the little red sugarhouse on Heckscher Farm and see firsthand how sap is turned into sweet maple syrup and learn about the different methods used to turn sap into syrup through a variety of demonstrations. Visitors can see how to tap a tree to harvest its sap, how colonists made maple syrup, the Native American “hot rock” method, how the SM&NC uses the modern evaporation method to produce the maple syrup sold in the gift shop and how to even tap trees in their own backyards.

In conjunction with sponsoring Maple Sugar Festival Weekend, First County Bank will host its third annual Chef's Challenge on Saturday, March 3 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm during the Maple Sugar Festival. Four local chefs from David’s Soundview Catering, A Dash of Salt, EOS Greek Cuisine, and Susan Kane Catering will compete to create the best tasting recipe, as judged by the public, using maple syrup as an ingredient. The winner will be announced at 2 pm. On Sunday, the SM&NC will host its Pancake Brunch from 11 am to 2 pm.

Each February, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center taps its trees. When the temperatures are below freezing at night, but above freezing during the day, conditions are just right for SM&NC to make its very own maple syrup. Maple sugaring is the first sign of the annual agricultural awakening. The maple sugar season peaks in March with the annual First County Bank Maple Sugar Festival Weekend.

Maple Sugar Festival Weekend is supported by media sponsors StamfordPlus Magazine and 95.9 Fox. Daily admission fees are $5 for members, $10 for non-members. All children three and under are free. There is an additional fee of $5 per person for the Pancake Brunch.

Stamford Museum & Nature Center is located at 39 Scofieldtown Road, Stamford, CT (3/4 mile North of Merritt Parkway Exit 35.) For more information call 203.322.1646 or visit www.stamfordmuseum.org.