It's Maple Festival time!

Maple syrup will be in the spotlight during the Potter Tioga Maple Festival. Here, Sherry Ianson, from Brydonson Farms displays some of the items available at that popular Ayers Hill sugarbush.

Coudersport has some sweet activities cooked up for this year's Maple Festival.

Now in its 41st year, the Potter-Tioga Maple Festival is a true success story, combining the traditions of maple syrup production, a parade and a sweetheart pageant with an ever-expanding schedule of events.

This year's show continues Friday night and Saturday at the courthouse square in the center of town as the hub of activities. Coudersport Area Chamber of Commerce has taken over responsibility for the Maple Festival, working with the Potter-Tioga Maple Producers Assn.

Once again, among the highlights will be one of the biggest parades in the region, set to step off on Main Street at 4:00 Saturday afternoon. Bands, queen contestants, floats, fire apparatus and other groups and displays will be on parade.

Also returning this year are the antique car show, carnival rides and games, live music, an art show, duck race and more.

Rounding out the celebration of the maple industry and the arrival of spring will be a live demonstration of a maple "sugar shack" and maple products display and sale at the courthouse square.

A pancake breakfast, complete with real maple syrup, will be served at the Coudersport Consistory Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Area residents are holding yard sales all around town and several merchants are offering special deals.

There will be ample parking and no admission fee for festival activities. Here's a tentative lineup of events for Saturday:

- 7:00 a.m.: pancake breakfast, Coudersport Consistory.

- 9:00 a.m.: food, craft/ merchandise and antique vendors open; live music; art show (Methodist Church); quilt show (Episcopal Church); kiddies' carnival and games; demonstration of sugar shanty; maple products display and sales; registration for duck race; Arden Burdick Memorial antique car show registration;

- 10:00 a.m.: used book sale (Coudersport Public Library); Potter County Historical Society museum tours;

- 11:00 a.m.: chicken barbecue (firehall);

- Noon: American Red Cross Great American Duck Race (on the Allegheny River);

- 1:00 p.m., car show judging;

- 1:30 p.m., judging of Maple Sweetheart candidates;

- 2:30 p.m., Maple Sweetheart crowning;

- 4:00 p.m., Maple Festival parade;

- 6:00 p.m.. Potter County Idol karaoke contests (youth and adult categories).