By CHARLENE PAUL
The Progress
The tradition of giving visitors a good taste of the country, giving them a good scare, and sending them home tired continued with the opening of the 2021 Moapa Valley Cornmaze on Thursday, Sept. 30.
During this 25-day event, which continues through the month of October, guests can get lost in the Cornmaze during the day or be frightened in the Haunted Cornmaze after dark. But those activities are just the beginning of the Moapa Valley Cornmaze experience.
The rustling corn stalks in the Haunted Cornmaze are filled with spooks, scarecrows, animatronics, and chainsaws in the darkest part of the cornfield. This is no place for the faint of heart. But those who brave the maze will be glad they did. There is plenty of fun along with the fright.
People often ask just how the Cornmaze is created. It begins with a creative drawing uploaded into a GPS program. The young corn is then cut with a lawnmower. Each Cornmaze design is filled with dead ends and blind turns with only one clear-cut way out. The challenge is to get to the exit without cutting through the tall stalks of corn.
New to the Cornmaze experience this year is the Shriek Shack. The brainchild of Moapa local Keith Leavitt, this spook alley experience will have visitors jumping at their own shadows – if they can find them, that is.
“Billy Pulsipher (Cornmaze owner) asked me if I wanted to do this, and I said, ‘Why not?’,” Keith explained. “My wife Katie carved all the heads out of styrofoam heads, and the animatronics are homemade.”
Walking through the Shriek Shack is an experience. Creepy crawlies up the walls, spider webs, fog, a laser-generated swamp, screams, warnings, skeletons, and dozens of other surprises make this a must-see. Keith and his crew did an outstanding job.
Food at the Cornmaze has always been a treat, but there are some tasty new items this year.
“I decided to grow sweet corn this year for the first time,” said Billy Pulsipher. “It is so good, sweet, and crisp. Roasted, slathered in butter, and topped with special seasonings, you won’t be able to get enough. You can also pick corn to bring home for five dollars a dozen.”
Funnel cakes have always been a hit at the Cornmaze.
“This year, I asked my sister Kessa to work out a new recipe for our funnel cakes,” Billy said. “They are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Top them with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar, and you won’t be disappointed.”
Kessa also developed two recipes for ice pops made from melons grown at the farm.
“One of the choices is an icy-cold, frozen watermelon pop that is so refreshing,” Kessa said. “The other choice has cream added for a creamy-cold, satisfying treat. All of the melons used are grown here at the farm.”
Hungry visitors can also enjoy hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, french fries, and apple pie fries, as well as sodas and ice cold water.
The cow train, a favorite of the kiddies, is included with admission and runs until closing each night. At a screaming five miles per hour, the train, pulled by a miniature tractor, takes riders down a dusty farm road. There is no limit to how many times it can be ridden by kids ages two to eleven.
The Farm Swing Merry-Go-Round is for kids ages 1-8 and is included with admission.
Kids and adults love racing around the track as fast as their feet can pedal in the pedal cars.
Getting up close and personal with goats, cows, horses, and chickens at the Petting Zoo is a highlight for visitors.
The Pig Races feature Oreo-loving swine trying to beat one another to the finish line for the coveted cookie.
For those who want a slower pace, the Day Hayride is just what the ghouls ordered. The wagon is pulled by a large John Deere tractor and runs along the same trail as the Haunted Hayride without the spooks and haunters. Both Hayrides are included in the entry fee.
The Pumpkin and Melon Patches cover two acres. Visitors can pick the plumpest pumpkins and the juiciest melons for fifty cents per pound.
The Cornmaze is even open for large families and other groups. Fire pits can be booked and paid for at mvcornmaze.com. There is limited seating, so be sure to bring a few chairs. Bring your own hot dogs and marshmallows to roast over the fire pits.
Although days are still a little warm, once the sun goes down, the temperatures dip. Be sure to bring blankets and jackets just in case.
Although the Cornmaze is fun for all, one problem has plagued it for as long as it has been in operation – a zombie apocalypse. As someone once said, “There’s zombies in them thar hills.”
Billy and his crew do their best to keep the zombies at bay, but it is just too much with all of their responsibilities.
“We do our best,” Billy said. “But help from our keen-eyed visitors is a must.”
Those who want to help keep the Cornmaze safe from those crazy zombies can board the Zombie Paintball bus for $25. The bus finds to the prime zombie sighting spot.
“We make it fun for the kids,” said Cornmaze owner Billy Pulsipher. “The point is to make sure the kids are happy, dirty, and dusty when they leave.”
The Moapa Valley Cornmaze is open Wednesday through Sunday and other select days throughout October. Visit mvcornmaze.com for full and detailed hours of operation.
