'Come see it for yourself': Corn Maze craze hitting Saskatchewan
As the season shifted from summer to fall, Saskatchewan’s popular attractions have also shifted: from the beach, to the corn field.
Corn Trails is located just west of Canora, and the family run business has come quite a ways. It all started with an experimental feed grow, where the Bazarski’s children continued to play, mesmerized by the tall stalks of corn.
Slowly, the idea grew, and as the Bazarski’s kept building it — the masses continued to come.
Although the three-mile trails look to have taken the family months of work to create – it wasn’t as tough as you may think following the growing season.
“We actually use our lawn mower to cut the trails,” said Bonnie Bazarski. “Once we do start cutting, we just do it randomly. We have no set pattern, no set plan. We just go and the corn takes us.”
Bazarski said the family’s crop had many visitors with the help of Facebook and word of mouth.
2022 is the family’s 11th year running the attraction, and the tallest crop its ever seen.
It also boasts a “rustic” mini-golf course and will turn a bit spookier in late-October, as the Halloween-theme takes over the trails.
Near Regina, Cedar Creek is another corn maze, which is also family-run. The Crassweller’s continue to create the maze year after year.
“We just enjoy creating something that's challenging, and a little bit different — that's why we do it,” said Brad Crassweller.
Brad’s son maps out the cut on a grid each year, encapsulating a theme for the labrynth. This year is Spy Kids: The Jurassic Rescue, which is complete with themes and challenges for all ages.
Crassweller said his maze is not just for kids.
“No, this is not. It's kid of fun watching the competitive people. They'll go in, come back out ... A couple of the areas are pretty difficult to track everything down. So you're in there for a couple hours, for sure,” he said.
For Greg Vancha – a first time visitor to Cedar Creek – it was a great experience.
“I didn’t know what to expect. It was really fun, you’ve got to come see it for yourself,” said Vancha, who brought his 18-month-old grandson.
When the fall air gets chillier, and it’s time to pack it in for the year, Crassweller has found a way to make sure none of his crop goes to waste.
“My neighbour has about 500 head of cattle, so he comes over -- he and his family. They harvest it up, bail it up and its gone within about a day,” he said.
Saskatchewan has a few more opportunities for people to get out and get lost — in the maze, that is.
Places such as the Happy Hollow Corn Maze, Corn Maiden Market at Lincoln Gardens Farm, the Strawberry Ranch & The Maze and the Youth Farm Corn Maze ensure that all areas in the province have that opportunity to get into the fields, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the fall season.
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