Schoharie County sweetest celebration takes place this Saturday.
It’s the 43rd edition of the Schoharie County Maple Festival, complete with a parade, music, dancing, the crowning of maple royalty and naturally, pancakes, maple syrup and a variety of maple products.
All events are free and at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.
For the first time, the traditional Maple Queen contest becomes the Maple Royalty contest. Arin Folster, a sophomore at Middleburgh, is vying to become the first Schoharie County Maple King.
He’ll contend against Schoharie freshman Erika Dever, who’ll be Maple Queen if she wins.
Either Arin or Erika will succeed the 2008 Maple Queen, Renee Johnson.
The Royalty contest is only the final event of the day. A long schedule starts in the morning:
* 8––The Festival opens with a pancake breakfast, available all day at the Fairgrounds, by the Cobleskill Fire Department.
* 10:30—Just Throw Money, an acoustic band, plays in the Agricultural Building.
* 11:30—Irish dancers perform in the Agricultural Building.
* 11:30––Parade line-up in the Price Chopper parking lot.
* 11-12––Tom Wadsworth and the Skeleton Band perform their first set in Progressland.
* Noon––The parade marches down Main Street and South Grand to the Fairgrounds.
* 12-1––Just Throw Money performs again in the Agricultural Building.
* 1––Irish dancers perform in the Agricultural Building.
* 12:30-1:30––Tom Wadsworth and the Skeleton Band perform in Progressland.
* 1:30-2:30––Just Throw Money plays its third set in the Ag Building.
* 2-3––Tom Wadsworth and the Skeleton Band play their third set in Progressland.
* 2:30––Irish Dancers perform in the Ag Building.
* 3:30––Irish Dancers are on stage again in the Ag Building.
* 4––Maple Royalty demonstration and competition in the Ag Building.
* 4:30––Crowning of the 2008 Maple Royalty.
Throughout the day, there will be maple demonstrations, maple products available for customers, fun for kids, a maple baking contest and many other activities.