Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR’s Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here. 

I’ve been trying to find a silver lining to the massive blizzard we endured in New England this past week — and the potential snowstorms to come.

I admire those who made the most of the situation, taking their skis and snowboards out for a spin while the snow was coming down. Watching them play, I came to a realization: You’ll have a lot more fun when you focus on what you can do in this weather (rather than sulking over what you can’t).

But besides snow sports, what is there to do?

It so happens that March (which begins Sunday) is “Maple Month” in Massachusetts. And if you ask me, maple sugaring and snow go together like strawberry picking and sunshine. Local maple producers began tapping their trees last month, and more than two dozen will open to the public next weekend (March 7-8) so that visitors can get an up-close look at — and taste of — this year’s harvest.

Field Guide to Boston: Discover — and rediscover — your Boston.

Massachusetts Maple Weekend is organized by the state’s association of maple producers, which represents more than 300 different sugarers. While many local sugarhouses offer private tours and samples through mid-March, Maple Weekend is more like an open house. Some producers are also “adding a little bit extra,” said Kim Trust, the president of the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association.

“Maybe they’ll have a pancake breakfast or maybe they’ll be making sugar and snow, or maybe they’ll be serving maple hot cocoa, or maybe they’ll be making donuts or boiling hot dogs and maple syrup like the old timers did,” Trust said.

The MMPA’s website has an interactive map showing participating sugarhouses. “If you look at that, you can kind of map a route for you and your family to go on,” said Trust.

But how do you choose? I spoke to Trust and Richard Julian, vice president of the MMPA, for a few ideas to guide your maple sugaring experience.

Ronald Kay checks the evaporator in the maple sugar shack at Maynard Maple to process maple sap he’s collected around the Maynard area to make locally sourced maple syrup. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

For a short trek

The vast majority of the MMPA’s members are located west of I-91, which could be a long day for eastern Massachusetts residents. But there are two sugarhouses participating in Maple Weekend that are inside the I-495 belt.

The closest participating farm to Boston is Maynard Maple in Maynard, a backyard sugar shack that will be offering a tour and free samples. Meanwhile, up I-95 in West Newbury, Archalaus Hill Maple Farm will also host boiling demonstrations.

For families

Unfazed by a drive out west? Consider Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock. “They have 18,000 taps, so they’re a really big operation compared to a lot of the other producers in Massachusetts,” said Trust. For Maple Weekend, they’ve got special family-friendly activities, like making your own maple cream and a game where you can test your tree knowledge by identifying different types of bark, said Missy Leab, a part of the family that owns Ioka Valley Farm. The farm also has a cafe that serves pancakes, waffles and French toast meals every weekend from mid-February through early April. They’re just a mile away from Jiminy Peak, too, if you want a weekend ski trip out of it.

For foodies

Searching for something maple-flavored outside of the usual fare? “Look at some of the businesses around [your] community to see what they’re making locally with maple syrup,” said Trust. For example, North Hadley Sugar Shack in Hadley puts together a “sugaring season” menu with special products, like craft maple root beer, she said.

Julian also recommends Deep Roots Distillery in Sturbridge, which distills a maple whiskey with local maple syrup. Deep Roots Distillery isn’t officially part of Maple Weekend (after all, they’re open all times of year). However, Julian said they usually add a maple-themed drink to their seasonal cocktail menu in March.

P.S. — Massachusetts’ Department of Conservation and Recreation is also hosting a few free maple sugaring events in mid-March. DCR’s “Maple Sugarin’ Days” will take place at the Breakheart Reservation in Saugus on March 14, and at the Blue Hill Reservation in Canton on March 14 and 15. Both events feature hands-on explorations of the history of maple sugaring in Massachusetts. The Saugus event will also include a demonstration of how Native Americans pioneered the method.