Founded in 1941, the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival Corporation is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt social welfare organization that exists to promote the production and sale of Michigan-made maple syrup in Eaton and Barry Counties. The festival itself began as a barber shop discussion in 1940 between local syrup producers regarding how to best sell their product.

Vermontville, founded in 1836 by The Rev. Sylvester Cochrane, is a village in western Eaton County home to approximately 800 residents and over 500 maple trees. Vermontville, nearby Nashville, and the surrounding areas are served by Maple Valley Schools, a K-12 public school district established in 1963 and serviced by the Eaton Regional Education Service Agency.