SWEDEN — Maine Maple Sunday is coming to Pietree Orchard from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 23. Visitors will enjoy sweet treats, live local folk music and meet some of the sugaring crew at Pietree’s farmstand, 803 Waterford Road.

The first sap run of the season —  “It’s like sugar water,” said Matt Carter, associate farm manager, who has headed the development of the new sugarbush this year.

Carter and his crew have been busy running sap lines, tapping trees and installing new equipment in preparation for the first sap run.

The crew will boil the sap in a new sugarhouse being completed by Moose Pond Arts + Ecology of Otisfield. The 20 x 32 foot traditional timber frame was crafted from locally harvested white pine and hemlock that was milled on site.

“We also added elements made from all the other tree species we could find on site,” said Scott Vlaun, who is heading the project with Shawn Kane. “It’s a very special building,” Vlaun added, “traditional in nature, but designed specifically to handle the weight of all the sap tanks and equipment.”

Pictures of the sugarhouse will be on display at the orchard, because the sugar bush itself is so far off the beaten path visitors cannot be accommodated. “We want Maine Maple Sunday to be accessible to everyone, so we moved our event up to the farm, where my wheelchair can get around and so can others with mobility assistive devices,” said Pietree Business Monkey, Naomi King.

Local musician John Tercyack will provide music and there will be educational displays.