As winter turns to spring demonstrations of how maple syrup is made, as well as tourist-oriented events and festivals built around maple syrup, flourish throughout the state. In mid-Michigan one of the most famous of these events is the Shepherd Maple Syrup festival. Begun in 1958, today the small town of approximately 1,500 people holds a three-day event that, among other activities, creates approximately 11,000 pancake meals (all served with locally produced syrup, of course).
