PAINTED POST, N.Y. (WENY) -- Families are participating in a weekend full of sweet activities at the Y at Watson Woods in Painted Post. The annual Maple Syrup Weekend walks guests through making the product, showing how it makes its way from tree to table.

People of all ages were able to have a hands-on experience of syrup making on Saturday. Experts guided guests through a step-by-step process to not only teach them something new but to bring them together.

Many people use maple syrup to top off foods like pancakes, waffles, and more. For over 20 years, the Y at Watson Woods has welcomed people from all over for the annual celebration to show people how the treat gets there in the first place.

"The main feature of this event is our hayride," said Brian Dana, the executive director at the Y at Watson Woods. "It takes you to each step in the maple syrup process. So you get on the wagon and you ride into the sugar bush where we are now. You learn about tapping and where the sap comes from."

Guests rode down to the Y's sugar bush where they met Neil Yoder, a ranger facility guide at the Y. Yoder brought guests to the dozens of spiles and buckets attached to maple trees. Then, they collected sap from the buckets to bring to the sugar shack.

Yoder says the sap is about 2% sugar when it comes out of the tree but, it needs to be sweeter before it can be served.

"In the sugar house, maple syrup is 66.6% sugar and it's, I tell the kids, sap is a lot of water and a little sugar, but the syrup is a lot of sugar and a little water," said Yoder. "And so when we get there, we explain how to separate or get the water removed, and that process is done by evaporating the water away on our evaporator and pan up at the sugar house."

At the sugar shack, Yoder walks people through the process of finishing up the syrup with the evaporator. He shares that he used to be a teacher and doing this is right up his alley.

"I love teaching people, and even though I'm not working in the classroom anymore, I feel this is something we get to share with people and really teach them, and they can learn a little bit of something that's natural," said Yoder. "That they go to a store, maybe, or a farmer's market and pick up, but they really don't know where it comes from, and so by doing this, we're really allowing them to see, you know, farm to table. They're allowed to see where their maple syrup really comes from."

Guests could try their hands at other activities as well. The Y welcomed people to make kettle corn, do some crafts, and try woodworking.

One guest, Jason Kaminski, said he and his family have been coming to Maple Weekend for three years now and he says he enjoys that the organizers always try to ensure that everyone has a good time.

"What I really like is when they offer these camps, they listen to what the people that are coming in have to say about feedback, and then they change up the schedules," said Kaminski. "They change up the offerings and they're really friendly and helpful. They want every family to have fun and they make it fun."

Since the event is only once a year, Dana says the Y encourages guests to come stay on the grounds for the whole weekend to experience all they have to offer. However, people can also just come for one day to experience the process and spend time with new people.

For more information on upcoming events, you can check out the Y at Watson Woods' website.