When winter begins to lift its snowy blanket, Ontario bursts into a delightful collection of maple syrup, blossom and birding festivals that herald the coming of spring.

Tap into our sweetest natural treasure in late March or early April. Tour sugar bushes and see how maple syrup is made in many parks, conservation areas and festivals that celebrate it. Visit the Ottawa Valley where Lanark County bills itself as the ‘Maple Syrup Capital of Ontario.’ Sample goodies like pancakes drenched in maple syrup, maple candy and a host of other sweets at the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, Prince Edward County’s Maple in the County and a host of other festivals.

Celebrate the glories of pastel-hued blossoms in apple, peach and cherry orchards at the annual Niagara Blossom Festival. Spring is a great time to enjoy the plays of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Or play the role of the audience in a Shakespearean drama at the Stratford Festival.

Follow the Apple Routes along Lake Ontario or southern Georgian Bay where this fragrant blossom is celebrated. Dazzle your senses at the annual Lilac Festival at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. Be enthralled by the spectacle of millions of colourful blooms at the Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa – the largest in the world. And witness the amazing spring migration of hundreds of species of birds – even swans – with festivals at favourite birding spots all over the province.