This year’s theme of the corn maze at Lattin Farms is Fairy Tales and Folklore, and it can be enjoyed during the farm’s Fall Festival every Saturday from September 25 through October 30 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as every Friday beginning October 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Attendees of this family-friendly event can explore paths carved through five acres of cornfields, where the stalks are at least six feet tall and thickly planted. There are clues for 10 classic fairy tales from around the globe, challenging attendees to solve the mystery behind the clues. Laurianne Lattin, planner, organizer, and corn maze extraordinaire, said this year’s design includes a castle, a pumpkin carriage, and a fire-breathing dragon. “We just chose 10 fairy tales from all over the world. Inside the maze, attendees will find posters for each fairy tale containing a synopsis of the story, plus a picture and a map pointing out where in the world the story is from. And they are from all over – South Africa, Brazil, Inuit Legend, Portugal, Indonesia.” She did all of the research herself to find the right fairy tales, too. “I love fairy tales, and I also love cultural things, so it was really fun for me.”
She’s turning the barn into an Enchanted Barn with potions and their ingredients, and a dragon that will prowl around. Local artists have also been invited to place their artwork on display, with some being available for sale. Lattin partnered with Jeslyn MacDiarmid, Children’s Services at the Churchill County Library for the fairy tales books that will be read by Catarina, who will be dressed for the part in the Enchanted Barn. A story afternoon will be held in the barn on October 9 at 4:30 p.m., geared toward younger children. A story evening will then start at 6:30 p.m., where creepier stories will be read. There are also two painting sessions planned during the Fall Festival, and sign-ups for those can be done online.
The Fall Festival will also have hayrides to and from the pumpkin patch, Paiute storytelling around the fire provided by the Museum’s Cultural Division, and a scarecrow factory. A pumpkin tower, made from jack-o-lanterns, and stacked in a pyramid about 10 feet tall, will be lit on October 16, the same night as the Fairy Tale costume contest. “We partnered with the Museum last year for our 20’s theme, and they provided these beautiful 20’s themed displays. It was an amazing experience.”
Don Keele, their corn maze technician, said the maze occupies five acres on the farm and is 345 feet across and 600 feet long. They’ve done a different pattern every year since starting in 1998. “We keep the maze up for a week after Halloween for youth groups that want to come through and play Capture The Flag in there. After that, the field is given to Sorenson Dairy, which cuts down all the corn for beef cow feed. And that keeps the mountain lions out.”
“People always want to know how we make it. So the lie I tell them is we just feed the pattern into the computerized corn planter and it drives up and down squirting the corn seeds where they need to be. So, it’s grown that way.” Laughing, Keele then said, “The truth is we cross-planted in 30-inch grids, and the pattern is set to the grid. When the corn is up about three or four inches, we just cut according to what part of the pattern is in that grid square. I get on the tractor with the rototiller, and it takes me about eight hours in total now to cut the entire maze.” The farm uses a design service, called The MAiZE, a global corn maze design company based in Utah.
Lattin said, “The first year we cut the pattern by hand with machetes, and we’ll never do that again.” Keele added, “It took us two days to paint the pattern on the field, then another three days to stay in the lines and cut it all. We needed multiple people and spent an estimated 150 man-hours. And time is money.”
For those planning to attend the Fall Festival activities and corn maze, Lattin said, “We do have to require that masks be worn inside the buildings, but not outside.” More information about all of the activities can be found on the Fall Festival section of the farm’s website, https://www.lattinfarms.com/fall-festival.
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