Harvest time fun is what memories are made of,” said Demetri and Christina Falakos, owners of the Harvestmoon Farm in Masaryktown.
And this year, they’re pulling out all the stops to offer a really memorable trek through stalks of corn that about now stand 6 to 7 feet tall.
Harvestmoon Farm, tucked away at the end of a tree-canopied lane about a half a mile from the junction of County Line Road and U.S. 41, was the destination of many thousands of visitors last year who experienced traditional harvest time fun with a themed corn maze, pumpkin patch and lots of children’s activities.
“It was a great success and so we have introduced more activities for our visitors to enjoy this year,” Demetri Falakos said.
Becoming more and more popular each year, a corn maze beckons people to wind their way through miles of trails the farmer shapes into the young corn patch.
With the aid of a specialist company, the Falakos custom-designed their newly themed, five-acre corn maze and, in June, started clearing the corn fields with a tractor and tilling the soil to create the paths.
“It’s actually two mazes in one,” said Falakos. “We wanted to make it as amazing and complex as possible so kids and adults can enjoy alike.”
“You won’t get hopelessly lost, but you will get lost at some point for a little while,” said Falakos.
This year’s corn maze is Peanuts-themed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic television show “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”
The maze will feature an interactive bingo game where guests who complete it successfully will have a chance to win a trip for 4 to meet the Peanuts gang at Knottsberry Farm in California.
“We know ‘The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ is such an iconic and nostalgic fall movie that’s special for so many folks,” Christina Falakos said.
The baffling and bewildering design spans more than 3 miles of twists and turns through tall stalks of corn. There are surprises around every corner, including the dreaded dead-ends and a lookout tower in the center of the maze affords spectators a bird’s-eye view.
Spookley, a children’s favorite, returns again this year. Spookley is a square pumpkin who lives in a round pumpkin patch world and is the “Official spokes-pumpkin” for Bullying Prevention. October is National Bullying Prevention Month and Spookley is on a mission to help children be tolerant and kind.
Harvestmoon Farm also has a huge pumpkin patch. Pick a cute little pie pumpkin or a large jack-o-lantern size to carve with the whole family. Pumpkins are priced by size. There’s also inflatable horse races, tether ball,
a kiddie maze, cow train rides, a tire mountain and a barnyard petting zoo that includes rabbits, goats, Inky the llama, piglets, Hercules the donkey and miniature horses.
There’s also a huge jumping pillow — a 70-foot-long inflatable air pillow that’s about 3 feet high — for adults and children of all ages.
New for this year, the Falakos have added a “Pan for Gold” feature. It’s a mining sluice for visitors to have the old-time panning-for-gold experience. Empty your bags in a screen-bottom box, ‘sluice’ it in the water flume
and the dirt washes away to reveal gems, fossils, or arrowheads. An additional fee applies.
Most mazes offer a “haunted” experience as Halloween draws near and these nighttime navigations add an entirely new element to the corn maze experience.
“Young kids have a blast,” Falakos said, “and even adults come out and say, `That was scary.’”
“We have two very special late-night experiences planned — a flashlight maze tour and a paintball zombie hunt and these are by reservation only,” Falakos said.
Traditionally, flashlight maze hours run from 7pm to 10pm with the last entrance into the maze at 9pm.
The paintball zombie hunt is where guests will have the opportunity to shoot the living dead in a nighttime hunt for zombies.
“You’ll need to be really a brave soul to experience this,” said Falakos.
“We are sure the make believe zombie hunt is going to be really popular,” said the Falakos. “Zombies will lurk in the darkness of the orchards and guests on a trailer will have paintball guns to splatter the zombies, he said.
“We can hear them screaming in the darkness,” said the Falakos. “It’s a lot of fun.”
For the Falakos, organizing the festival and maintaining the farm is a group effort. The whole family, including two young sons were in the throes of setting up last week.
“There’s so much we have to do before we open,” said Christina Falakos. “We have to set the pumpkins out, put corn in the corn box, and fix a few things yet, but we’ll be ready,” she said. “We’re hoping we can give everyone in our community the opportunity to have some harvest and Halloween fun, make lots of memories and establish family traditions.”
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IF YOU GO
Harvestmoon Farm is located at 15990 Stur St., in Masaryktown.
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Oct. 1 through to Nov. 6
Cost: $11.95 plus tax for ages 3 and up. Children 2 and under are free.
For info: (800) 373-4811 or to reserve spots on the flash-light tour and paintball zombie hunt. All activities are weather permitting.
Children (ages 2 and under) go free.
Military Discount / $2.00 off general admission with ID.
Pony Rides $5 per person
Flash Light Tour is by reservation only. Admission $10 pp ages 3 and up
Bring your own flashlight.
Paintball Zombie Hunt also by reservation only and a fee applies.
No one under the age of 18 without adult supervision.
They reserve the right to refuse admission to any person! (This is a non-alcoholic event).
Email Hernando Sun correspondent Sue Quigley at saffronbleu@hotmail.com.