Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Children of the corn maze

Halloween can be more than candy and costumes

Corn maze
Corn maze

The largest corn maze in Southern California is in Temecula. The Big Horse Corn Maze (951-389-4621) covers a whopping 11 acres and takes one to two hours to navigate at an easy pace (45 minutes if you power walk). This year’s design is American in theme: an American flag with an eagle at its center, and the words “Freedom isn’t Free” written across the top and “#ProudAmerican” across the bottom. Monica at the Big Horse feed shop let me know that “‘corn cops’ are stationed throughout the maze who will help you if you get lost, and there are stations within the maze that give you hints on how to get through it.” The maze ($9, kids 3 and under free) and the pumpkin patch are open all week; on the weekends, parking is $5 and “we have hay rides, pony rides, a corn cannon, face painting, and pig races. You can do the maze plus three activities for $15. And there are food vendors.”

The corn maze at Mountain Valley Ranch and Pumpkin Patch in Ramona (760-788-8703) is both closer and smaller: “Two and a half acres,” says Markie Battaglia, whose family owns the place. “The center is well over six feet tall, and the whole thing takes 10–15 minutes to get through. We recommend that little kids go through with adult accompaniment. We make it by planting the corn and then carving out the pattern when it’s a couple of inches tall. Then we let the rest grow.”  The corn maze costs $5; kids under four go free.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The actual corn from the maze gets fired from an air-powered corn cannon. “It’s $1 for two shots. First we stuff in the corn husk to block the air and then the ear,” like an old-time musket. “We also have pony rides and hay rides for $5 each. Pumpkins are sold by the pound ($.47–.60, depending on kind), but the petting zoo is free. We have baby goats, a donkey, and our prize possession, a five-year-old buffalo that we have raised. Parking is free and we’re open until October 31. After that, all pumpkins and corn that haven’t been used or sold get turned into silage to feed our cattle.”

Over at Carlsbad Pumpkin Patch (760-603-9608), “The corn maze is roughly 200 feet by 300 feet and about six to eight feel tall,” says Stan. “If you were a child between 5 and 12, I’d guess it would take you 30 minutes to get through. It’s a three-quarter mile walk. They use a satellite navigation system to cut the pattern, and it’s pretty confusing — there are a lot of dead ends. But we do have markers inside to help you find your way.” Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children. Besides the maze, the Carlsbad Patch offers hayrides ($6 for 12 and up, $4 for 3 to 11, under 3 free) and pumpkins, starting at three to five pounds and going up to the giant Cinderellas. “On the weekends, there’s an artist here with paints and you can paint a face on your pumpkin. Parking is free, and it’s also free to walk in the patch.”

The Pumpkin Stations at Rancho Bernardo (858-566-7466) and Bonita (619-475-8733) also have corn mazes. “We have about 10,000 people go through every year,” says Norm. “They’re about an acre in size, and it takes about ten minutes. Cost is $2. We also have $2 tractor hay rides, farm animals, and pumpkins. No charge to walk the patch or see the animals.”

Bates Nut Farm Straw Bale Maze

“We don’t have a corn maze,” said the clerk at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center (800-642-0348), “but we do have a straw bale maze. It might take a kid 10–15 minutes to get through, and adults can see over the top of it. During the week, we also have pony rides, hay rides, and a petting zoo, $2.50 each. On the weekends, we also have food vendors, a rock climbing wall, a bouncy house, live entertainment, and more.”

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch in Lakeside (619-390-2929) also offers a straw bale maze, plus a cotton seed mountain for kids to climb and slide down, hayrides, a petting corral, and playground equipment. $10 for kids 13 and under gets you access, a pumpkin, and a water bottle. Adult admission is $5, no pumpkin or water bottle included.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Temperature inversions bring smoggy weather, "ankle biters" still biting

Near-new moon will lead to a dark Halloween
Corn maze
Corn maze

The largest corn maze in Southern California is in Temecula. The Big Horse Corn Maze (951-389-4621) covers a whopping 11 acres and takes one to two hours to navigate at an easy pace (45 minutes if you power walk). This year’s design is American in theme: an American flag with an eagle at its center, and the words “Freedom isn’t Free” written across the top and “#ProudAmerican” across the bottom. Monica at the Big Horse feed shop let me know that “‘corn cops’ are stationed throughout the maze who will help you if you get lost, and there are stations within the maze that give you hints on how to get through it.” The maze ($9, kids 3 and under free) and the pumpkin patch are open all week; on the weekends, parking is $5 and “we have hay rides, pony rides, a corn cannon, face painting, and pig races. You can do the maze plus three activities for $15. And there are food vendors.”

The corn maze at Mountain Valley Ranch and Pumpkin Patch in Ramona (760-788-8703) is both closer and smaller: “Two and a half acres,” says Markie Battaglia, whose family owns the place. “The center is well over six feet tall, and the whole thing takes 10–15 minutes to get through. We recommend that little kids go through with adult accompaniment. We make it by planting the corn and then carving out the pattern when it’s a couple of inches tall. Then we let the rest grow.”  The corn maze costs $5; kids under four go free.

Sponsored
Sponsored

The actual corn from the maze gets fired from an air-powered corn cannon. “It’s $1 for two shots. First we stuff in the corn husk to block the air and then the ear,” like an old-time musket. “We also have pony rides and hay rides for $5 each. Pumpkins are sold by the pound ($.47–.60, depending on kind), but the petting zoo is free. We have baby goats, a donkey, and our prize possession, a five-year-old buffalo that we have raised. Parking is free and we’re open until October 31. After that, all pumpkins and corn that haven’t been used or sold get turned into silage to feed our cattle.”

Over at Carlsbad Pumpkin Patch (760-603-9608), “The corn maze is roughly 200 feet by 300 feet and about six to eight feel tall,” says Stan. “If you were a child between 5 and 12, I’d guess it would take you 30 minutes to get through. It’s a three-quarter mile walk. They use a satellite navigation system to cut the pattern, and it’s pretty confusing — there are a lot of dead ends. But we do have markers inside to help you find your way.” Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for children. Besides the maze, the Carlsbad Patch offers hayrides ($6 for 12 and up, $4 for 3 to 11, under 3 free) and pumpkins, starting at three to five pounds and going up to the giant Cinderellas. “On the weekends, there’s an artist here with paints and you can paint a face on your pumpkin. Parking is free, and it’s also free to walk in the patch.”

The Pumpkin Stations at Rancho Bernardo (858-566-7466) and Bonita (619-475-8733) also have corn mazes. “We have about 10,000 people go through every year,” says Norm. “They’re about an acre in size, and it takes about ten minutes. Cost is $2. We also have $2 tractor hay rides, farm animals, and pumpkins. No charge to walk the patch or see the animals.”

Bates Nut Farm Straw Bale Maze

“We don’t have a corn maze,” said the clerk at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center (800-642-0348), “but we do have a straw bale maze. It might take a kid 10–15 minutes to get through, and adults can see over the top of it. During the week, we also have pony rides, hay rides, and a petting zoo, $2.50 each. On the weekends, we also have food vendors, a rock climbing wall, a bouncy house, live entertainment, and more.”

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch in Lakeside (619-390-2929) also offers a straw bale maze, plus a cotton seed mountain for kids to climb and slide down, hayrides, a petting corral, and playground equipment. $10 for kids 13 and under gets you access, a pumpkin, and a water bottle. Adult admission is $5, no pumpkin or water bottle included.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Love Thy Neighbor(Hood): Food & Art Exploration

Events November 2-November 6, 2024
Next Article

Gonzo Report: Three nights of Mission Bayfest bring bliss

“This is a top-notch production.”
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader