Bellbrook's Sugar Maple Festival returns this weekend

Apr. 19—Bellbrook's 44th annual Sugar Maple Festival returns this weekend, featuring a slate of new events, activities, and food trucks.

The annual sugary festival is held in and around Bellbrock Park in downtown Bellbrook, and kicked off Friday at 5 p.m. The '80s tribute band Stranger is playing Friday evening, ending at 10 p.m.

The festival continues Saturday morning with the pancake breakfast at the United Methodist Church at 8 a.m., a 5K race, parade, food and craft vendors, and other events throughout the day. On Sunday, children's activities and the craft and vendor show run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The event features several new events this year, including a pie eating contest, and a wine tasting featuring local Ohio wineries.

The festival has several new and returning food trucks, including Candi's Concessions, Schmidt's Sausage, Freda's, Pink Kayak, Death Grip Donuts and others.

Additionally new this year is the Sugar Maple Festival Ambassador Program. Previously known as the Sugar Maple Festival Sweethearts, the Ambassadors program is open to all high school students, and focused more on community service and leadership.

Five high school students "who are really active in the community," have been selected as this year's ambassadors and will be recognized this weekend, said festival publicity coordinator Jenny Lewis.

"It's something that we're really proud of ... a new take on an older tradition," she said.

Proceeds from the festival go toward several community organizations, including the festival's scholarship program, the Bellbrook Family Resource Center, and the fall Veterans' Breakfast, Lewis added.

"We would love to have people come down and support our festival and the Bellbrook community," Lewis said. "Coming to the festival is a good way to support your community, and all of the people that live and work in our community and make it what it is."

For a full list of festival events, visit sugarmaplefestival.com.