Sweet rewards await those who visit Sharpe Reservation March 18 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. That’s when the Fresh Air Fund’s 14th annual Sugar Maple Celebration will be in full swing.

One day each year, the Fresh Air Fund invites the public to Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill to enjoy a day of family fun and celebrate that special time between winter and spring known as maple sugaring season. Festivities include planetarium shows, live animal shows, storytelling, dozens of demonstrations of crafts like wood carving and blacksmithing, field games, and a children’s nature and craft discovery center. Admission is free. Local food and crafts from Hudson Valley vendors are available for purchase (all sales are cash-only).

Special features will include the Maple Syrup Contest, during which visitors can taste-test syrups from around the region, and the Sugar Shack, where visitors can buy maple products and see how sap becomes syrup.

Sharpe Reservation—more than 2,000 acres of land with lakes, streams, ponds and wooded hiking trails—is the site of the Fresh Air Fund’s five camps, where each summer 3,000 children from New York City’s low-income communities explore the outdoors, make friends, have fun and learn new skills. During the school year, more than 15,000 children visit the reservation to participate in the fund’s environmental education programs.

The Sugar Maple Celebration is cosponsored by the New York State Outdoor Education Association.

Sharpe Reservation is located at 436 Van Wyck Lake Rd., Fishkill. For info and directions, visit FreshAir.org/sharpe or call 845.897.4320.