St. Johnsbury — often referred to as the “Maple Center of the World” — salutes spring with its annual Kingdom Maple Festival, a syrup-soaked street fair nodding to Vermont’s sweetest export. A stacked day of activities pours on the fun for all ages, beginning with a lip-smacking-good pancake breakfast. Walk it off along Railroad Street, where more than 50 local vendors peddle handmade wares to the beat of live music by the Bel-Aires and the aptly named Maple Leaf Seven. Face painting, family-friendly crafts and culinary takeovers complete the theme, reminding locals and tourists alike that life is sweeter through amber-colored glasses.