The event was held at the Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., in Lansing.

Stations were set up all around the park and signs led people down twisting trails to sugary treats.

But not only did the festival serve as a sugar fix, it also served an educational purpose.

Nearly 2,000 people came to the event to attend demonstrations of maple creme making and more.

The whole premise behind the event is to welcome spring and to show how people use natural resources, said Jason Meyer, executive director of the center.

Meyer said the festival gave attendees an opportunity to enjoy the fresh spring air with family and friends.

“Everyone loves it,” Meyer said. “For us that are here every day, it’s nice to see these people come in and smile - it’s so awesome.”

Various exhibits demonstrated how the method of creating maple syrup has changed over the years, even showing how American Indians originally created it.

In the exhibit dedicated to the American Indian method, there was a tipi home and traditional tools that were used to gather the syrup from the trees.

“I’ve never seen a maple tree tap before, so I thought it would be fun to learn that and taste it,” said Jessica Mestre, a graduate student at MSU.

Afterward, people were able to drill into a maple tree and taste the sticky syrup that spilled out of the trunk.

“I think it’s great for students to get off campus and see what local community members are doing,” Mestre said. “It’s a nice change of pace from a typical campus event.”

MSU alumna Terra Bogart came out to simply enjoy the nice weather.

She said the festival helps people have a sense of their environment and teaches them about practices that have been done for a long time.

“I think it’s really cool because it’s nice to have something that celebrates Michigan and talk about things that happen locally,” Bogart said.