Manitoba corn mazes to get you into the fall spirit

Now that fall has arrived, it’s time for us to leave the summer fun behind and turn to our favourite autumnal activities.

One of these activities is corn mazes, where you can put yourself to the test to see if you can find your way out.

In Manitoba, there are several corn mazes with different themes and activities that you can visit this year, including A Maze in Corn, Secord Corn Maze, the Pembina Threshermen’s Museum, and Deer Meadow Farms.

A MAZE IN CORN

A Maze in Corn, located in Saint Adolphe, is Canada’s oldest corn maze.

Along with the maze, the facility includes a petting zoo, hayrides, a pumpkin barn, and a haunted forest. The maze itself is made of a hybrid of grain corn and silage corn, and features several easy exits.

For those who want to take on the corn maze, owner Clint Masse suggests staying aware of your surroundings. He also said it’s helpful to come in groups of three to four people.

“You can send one person out around the bend and see if they come back or not,” he said.

“That way you can make progress a little quicker.”

A Maze in Corn’s Haunted Forest kicks off on Saturday. The haunted forest experience takes about 20 minutes to get through and features a graveyard scene, witches and other spooky sights.

“We actually have a corn maze within the forest that we’ve manufactured,” Masse said.

“If you can’t scare people with rustling corn, you can’t scare people.”

A Maze in Corn is open Wednesday through Sunday until Oct. 31.

SECORD CORN MAZE

The Secord Corn Maze is located a short drive north of Dauphin.

The theme for this year is sound, so visitors can expect to find lots of things that make noise within the maze, including a siren, bell, and gong. Secord Corn Maze also has activities for kids, including the Ladybug Trail, the ABC Kids Maze, as well as animals, including goats, mini horses, cows and sheep.

Shelley Secord, owner of Secord Corn Maze, said the maze is a great place to come to make memories with your family and friends.

“It’s really fun. Come out and get some fresh air and enjoy being out in the country,” she said.

After Thanksgiving, Secord Corn Maze switches over to a Halloween theme.

Then, in the days leading up to Halloween, they offer the After-Dark Haunted Corn Maze.

“That is not for young kids and not for the faint of heart, because there may be a few zombies and goblins running around in there,” Secord said.

Secord Corn Maze will be open until the end of October. The maze is by appointment only.

DEER MEADOW FARMS

Deer Meadow Farms is located on Springfield Road in Winnipeg.

The farm features many activities, including a 10-acre corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, a wagon train, a wild game preserve, fire pits, a bale pyramid, a farm store, and much more.

The farm also offers events, including this weekend’s Taste the Country, which will feature three food trucks.

Vince Rattai, owner of Deer Meadow Farms, said the farm is a great place to visit because you get to experience the country.

“People want to explore, touch, taste, see, do,” he said. “They’re going to experience everything here.”

For Halloween, Deer Meadow Farms offers a Forbidden Forest, which will open on Oct. 13. It also has haunted hayrides, Scareoke, and a Blood Bar featuring Halloween cocktails.

“There are about 20 sets in the forest to go through and we’ve got about 60+ actors, Rattai said.

“So it’s a lot of fun and we have a lot of fun doing it.”

The Deer Meadow Farm corn maze will be open until the end of October.

OTHER CORN MAZES

The corn maze at the Pembina Threshermen’s Museum is open now, but will close for the year after Sept. 30. Until then, it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

- With files from CTV’s Ainsley McPhail.