Take a step back in time to Highland County, "Virginia's Sweet Spot." Travel scenic back roads and majestic mountain byways to the annual Highland County Maple Festival.  Since 1959, visitors have been drawn to Highland County to tour real maple sugar camps for a cultural and culinary adventure! In 1999, The Library of Congress designated The Highland County Maple Festival a "Local Legacy." In 2014, the Governor of Virginia signed a bill into law designating the festival as the "official maple festival of Virginia." Each year, tens of thousands of visitors explore this unspoiled, rural region of Virginia to celebrate the "opening" of the trees and observe the process of maple syrup-making. Sugar camp tours provide a unique and educational experience that portrays a rapidly vanishing way of American life. In 2025, there will be 10 open sugar camps with unique techniques and stories for you to explore for free. In addition to pancake and buckwheat cake meals, famous maple doughnuts and live entertainment, over 100 high-quality juried arts and crafts vendors take part in the festival each year. We're glad to have you share the experience!