BEHIND THE SCENES - Festival Organizers & Volunteers
Tim & Angie Burton are the owners of Burton’s Maplewood Farm. Tim & Angie share the same interests and beliefs when it comes to our environment and wildlife conservation. They have a passion for preserving, promoting & sharing with others one of our Nations Natural Renewable Treasures and somewhat of a forgotten past time - Maple Syrup. During the festival you are sure to be greeted by one of them welcoming you to their family farm and making you feel as though you never left home.
Greg Burton is the son of Tim and Angie. He recently moved back from Missoula, Montana where he was a fly fishing guide on the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot rivers. He and wife Sabrina attended The University of Montana- Missoula. They are the proud parents of daughter Brynn Burton and four legged daughter Skyy Belle Burton, a German Shorthair Pointer. During the festival Greg most likely will be found either running the evaporator or overseeing the parking crew, which consists mostly of his younger cousins (Forrest, Zach, Sean and Timmy.) Sabrina is the festival chair for the Heads Up!!! Foundation. If Sabrina is not in the Sugarhouse she is most likely chatting with a familiar face. Although missing the mountains of beautiful Western Montana they are enjoying the opportunity to be around family and friends.
Cowboy Ron wears many hats! During the festival he runs the rope making demonstration where children of all ages have a blast making ropes of all sizes and textures. At the sugarbush, Ron keeps the sap flowing by watching the lines and keeping the vacuum pump running.
Jessica Craig, Cowboy Ron’s Daughter, is the tour guide for the festival. She does a wonderful job keeping everyone interested with syrup history, trivia, and hands-on demonstrations of the tree-tapping process.
Michelle Stephens and Arann Banks oversee Pat’s Snack Shack. On the first day alone over 1500 pancakes were served!
This is only the tip of the iceberg for all the people that have contributed to the 2008 festival. Please check back to learn more about the people and lives behind the scene!
