BETHLEHEM - The New Hampshire Maple Experience will return to The Rocks Estate this weekend, bringing with it all the tradition, sweetness, and fun of maple sugaring season.

The Experience includes an interactive step-by-step demonstration of crafting maple syrup - complete with a visit to the onsite sugar house - as well as a horse-drawn carriage ride through the historic Rocks Estate and a syrup tasting with the traditional pairing of sour pickle and homemade donut.

Dates for this year's Maple Experience are this Saturday and again next weekend, March 23-24, the following weekend, March 30-31, and again on April 6.

"Parents looking for kid-friendly events often bring their children to the Maple Experience, and inevitably the whole family ends up learning a lot about maple sugaring - and everyone has a great time," said Nigel Manley, longtime Rocks Estate manager. "We keep the Maple Experience fresh by adding new features each season."

Other highlights of the Maple Experience include a visit to the interactive maple museum and education center; the "Taste of New Hampshire Maple," featuring local chefs demonstrating how to make their favorite maple recipes; a relay race where participants are timed on how long it takes to fill a 10-gallon container (enough sugar maple sap to make one quart of syrup); and tasty treats from Polly's Pancake Parlor and Kingdom Kernels Kettle Corn.

Reservations for the Maple Experience tours are highly recommended, but walk-ins are welcome on a space-available basis.

The New Hampshire Maple Experience explores and demonstrates the maple tradition, from the techniques used by Native Americans and early European settlers of the region to the operations of the modern sugar maker.