The band Wild Lupine, with Mary Schons, left, Kathleen Soler, Katie Mysliwiec and Tony Scarimbolo, sung in the first day of Spring for vistors to “A Taste of Maple Syrup Fest” in Cummings Square in River Forest. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
Tony Scarimbolo is a multi-tasking musician with the band. He also played ukulele. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
Jim Chelsvig, education manager for the Forest Preserve, supervises the drilling efforts of William Stierwalt, 2, of River Forest. Chelsvig was showing fest goers how to tap maple trees. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
Fest goers could do crayon rubbings of leaves and bark. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
At least one tree was growing leaves. Clay Holmes, 2, of Forest Park, gets some help hanging a maple leaf he decorated at a craft table. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
Manakrita Singh, 5, of Oak Park, tastes different kinds of maple syrup. (David Pierini/staff photographer)
The temperature still felt wintry, but the Forest Preserve of Cook County offered some tangible evidence that spring was in the air.
The Forest Preserve District held “A Taste of Maple Syrup Fest” at Cummings Square in River Forest last Thursday on what was the first official day of spring — March 20, the Vernal Equinox.
Fest-goers learned how to tap maple trees, watched how syrup was made, and taught tree-related crafts, all while a bluegrass band sang the winter blues away.
Spring is the best time to tap trees because warming temperatures make the sap run.