35th Heritage Syrup Festival
Saturday, November 9, 2024|  9am to 5pm
Our History
Traditional Time of Fellowship and Trading
Official Syrup Festival Mule
Many years ago, as the leaves were turning and the air was crisp, families gathered at the Syrup Mills. This was a time of fellowship and trading, but most importantly, Ribbon Cane Syrup.

Syrup was a very treasured sweet. Made from crushed sugar cane, using mule power, and cooked in a pan over a wood fire.  The old-timers still reminisce about this well remembered traditional folk art.
Heritage of Depot Museum Syrup Mill
The Depot Museum's Syrup Mill

This operational syrup mill is made from parts of two country mills.  The pan is more than 100 years old and came from the Richardson-Lowe Plantation and the crushing mill was part of the Leopard syrup making facility at Church Hill, Texas. 

Sugar cane was crushed in the mill to extract the juice.  The juice is piped down to the furnace, where it is cooked down into syrup.
Syrup Making Demonstration
The Syrup Team!

The highlight of the Heritage Syrup Festival revolves around a day of old time syrup making demonstrations.  The grounds of the Historic Depot Museum come alive with over thirty folk artist demonstrating and selling their crafts. Folk music and rural East Texas soul food round out the festivities.
We Hope to See You in Henderson!
Scarecrow at Syrup Festival

The fun spreads out to the National Register Downtown District where music and arts and crafts come together to form a community-supported Marketplace and Entertainment Zone.