The "New" & Improved Maple Leaf Needs YOUR Support as we look to Maple Fest 2027

Ever been to the Hebron Maple Festival and seen the Hebron Maple Leaf? Maybe the Leaf gave you a high-five, maybe the Leaf danced around to music, or maybe you caught the Leaf riding on the tractor parade. In any case, the Leaf was there to bring joy to the Maple Festival. The Leaf was there to make kids & families feel happy about attending the Maple Festival. 

That was my purpose when I created the concept of the Maple Leaf in 2010. I had wanted to create the mascot for the festival. When I first started out, I was a member of the Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast before I made my way to downtown Hebron. I started with a costume I bought on my own with a sheet of paper tacked to the costume with the name "Mr. Maple Leaf." No one knew originally what I was- they thought I was a burning hot dog, or something of that nature. The sign helped to define the character.

I am here to formally thank everyone who donated to create the "new" Maple Leaf. I cannot thank everyone enough. We have accumulated over $1000 in donations but we are still looking for around $400 to fully pay for the costume. This new costume was all thanks to the citizens of Hebron who stepped up and contributed to keep this tradition alive. They have shown me that this tradition is worth keeping and that they want to keep the passion of the Maple Leaf alive. Thank you to everyone who has donated for the new Maple Leaf costume for the 2027 Maple Festival. It will be donated to Michelle at the Flour Girl Cafe, as her staff has taken up the role of the Maple Leaf the past few years.

Below are a collection of photos featuring the new costume. It is not a final draft but it is what the new Maple Leaf will mostly look like. Additionally, if you would like to help us raise the last bit of money, you can donate at the GoFundMe page here: Maple Festival Go Fund Me Fundraiser We are almost at our goal and hope to reach it in the next few weeks! Please help support this tradition so we can share our love and fun at the Maple Festival. 

Over the years, I gained some credibility as

a mascot. Kids looked for me at the Maple Festival and I created the Facebook page to share the love and joy with everyone. I have easily close to 50 personal photos, many with children, politicians, and on the tractors in the tractor parades. Additionally, I made it into newspapers. I had tried to get into the newspapers each year. 

One year, I was kicked out from someone who claimed I did not have a right to be there. It was a bit upsetting and it angered others who had seen me around town because they know I was there for them, no one else. Some people demanded that they would "make their own Maple Leaf costume and walk around town" if the real Maple Leaf could not be present. The support was phenomenal. The town had my back. I never asked for any money. In fact, I paid for my own costume twice, as I replaced the first one with a sturdier second one over the years. In any case, various different groups took over the Maple Festival and eventually allowed me to participate.

I just want everyone to be aware of this maple movement- I created the Maple Leaf mascot and the image. I brought the idea of the Maple Leaf to everyone. It has now become the official mascot and tradition of the Maple Festival. I moved out of Hebron and have given Michelle's staff at the Flour Girl Cafe a chance to be the Maple Leaf. I have passed the tradition forward, but the same mission still stands to spread joy at the Hebron maple Festival. 

We are currently in the midst of creating the "new" Maple Leaf costume. I reached out to vendors and found a vendor that is making a new costume. This one will be "new" and will obtain logos for the sponsors, Flour Girl Cafe and The Town Center Project. Both of these groups have helped to keep the tradition alive and make the Maple Festival as great as it can be. 

We are almost done with creating the costume. As mentioned, it is looking to be ready for 2027. Please consider donating to the cause, as we hope this costume and tradition will last for many years beyond 2027.

Link to Maple Leaf fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-the-maple-leaf-mascot-tradition-alive

Hebron Mini Golf is Perfect for Hebron, and a Step Toward Making Our Town More Entertaining

 I no longer live in town (or state for that matter), but have returned to visit from time to time. When I was growing up in Hebron, I found that Hebron was a small farm town that was a great place to live in, but it did not have much to do besides your main sports. I would always venture into other towns for more fun things to do (movie theater in Colchester, museums in Manchester, etc.). I can honestly say that I feel others who previously lived here would say the same thing or just flat out say "There's nothing to do in Hebron."

Sure, we have parks and fairs. The newly reconstructed Veterans Park has a playscape, a ball field and a skate park. There are nature trails. Hebron does a great job with yearly events (Harvest Fair, Maple Fest, Halloween events), but aside from these, the town lacks fun attractions to enjoy aside from its fairs and town events. Many people have to venture into other nearby towns to find more readily available entertainment. So, how can we keep kids out of trouble with fun things to do in our community?

Recently, Hebron has opened a miniature golf course. This course is located across from George's Restaurant and Scooter Bug's ice cream along route 85 (which are great options to eat after playing a game of golf). So far, from what I see, this course has been a HUGE success. Whenever I have driven by, the course is packed with kids and families. It is a fantastic activity for all and much more readily available than just an open field. I see parents enjoying the game as much as kids, and it's a fantastic easy-to-do bonding activity for all ages.

I had a chance to play a game of golf at the new mini-golf course. I was by far impressed. The course was a rather simple course, but it was clean, well made, and had different varied holes. The staff was very respectful. I was able to get 3 hole in ones in my first game there, and it was a lot of fun. They have one 18-hole course, but it looked like there is room to expand.

We have always been lucky to have Blackledge and Tallwood nearby for competitive golf, but neither of these have a family and kid friendly mini-golf course. What makes Hebron Miniature Golf so accommodating to our town is that it is an event kids can easily join, families can come together, and it's so easy to play. I encourage everyone to go to this new course and try it at once.

Hebron needed this course, and I think others would agree. Hebron will always be that small farm town, and a town for families, and this mini-golf takes a step toward "fun & entertainment" where I feel Hebron hasn't quite reached its potential.

This poses the next question: what other attractions can Hebron add to make the town more entertaining, fun, and family friendly? We just obtained this nice new golf course and recently obtained a dog park and a new skate park, but what else is the town missing? What new activities can we provide in our town to keep kids and families entertained and out of trouble? Please share your thoughts here and let's consider making Hebron even more fun by adding more family friendly activities because we need these activities to keep our kids entertained, busy, and out of trouble.