Fair Oaks Farms’ Corn Maze
The corn maze at Fair Oaks Farms is 4 acres of challenging pathways. You can find both a difficult and easy pathway so that everyone in the family can enjoy the maze. You will notice that we went with an apple-inspired design to help celebrate the opening of our 40-acre apple orchard. The design is equipped with the words “Pick-Nic” to signify the picnic and apple picking opportunities at the farm.
Enjoy the maze for just $5/person or you can purchase a Family U-Pack which includes 2 U-pick apple bags and admission to the corn maze for the whole family for $20! Purchase these items at our Orchard Store on Saturdays and Sundays, 9am – 6pm CST!
History About Corn Mazes
One of the most popular fall traditions in the US is the corn maze. Families, teens and so many enjoy visiting and challenging themselves to corn mazes. Some of the designs are intricate and unveiled each year as a surprise to tourists and guests. It’s something that a lot of people look forward to once summer fades and autumn settles in.
Mazes can date back as far as 4,000 years ago to ancient Greece and Rome. Back, then mazes were seen as artwork. Roads and pathways were designed with maze-like patterns to create beauty and interest in the cities. And, although the mazes were thought of as beautiful artwork, they were also used for rituals and processions.
As time went on, more and more countries began to adopt the idea of mazes. Hedge mazes began to pop up throughout Europe. The hedge mazes were usually designed in gardens for royalty and had geometric patterns.
The first modern corn maze was created in 1993 by Don Frantz and Adrian Fisher in Annville, Pennsylvania. The corn maze was made in 3 acres of land and had 1.92 miles of pathways. Since then, corn mazes began popping up all over the continental US.
How Do You Make a Corn Maze?
When you develop a corn maze, first you must think about planting the correct variety of corn. You need to consider stalk strength and height. After all, if you can see over the stalks then it’s pretty easy to figure out the maze, right?
You will want to plant your corn maze in mid to late May. This gives your corn enough time to grow to the best height by autumn. Some farmers use GPS to create intricate designs based on an artwork or pop culture. When you cut your corn for the pathways, you want to make sure to cut the internal growing point of the stalk to ensure that the stalks do not grow back.