Surrounded by acres of farmland, an unusual twist on an October tradition celebrated its opening day Saturday.
At Williston’s U Pick Lane Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, a family-run event at U Pick Lane farm, about 300 children and adults walked through an 8-acre corn maze, flew down a zip line and climbed atop a “Monsterbine Combine” ride.
Brad Etheridge, 41, the owner of the 600-acre farm, said he and his wife, Shannon, decided to turn their land into a seasonal attraction after seeing many of their friends do it.
“We have other friends that are in this same thing,” he said. “We know some friends that have a pumpkin patch, and we know some friends that have a corn maze — and we wanted to build it all together as one.”
The family has been on the farm for 19 years but has only recently decided to transform it into a business for October weekends, he said. Monthly collaborations with other farmers on the lane are in talk for the rest of the year.
The farm is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays, according to the event’s website. General admission is $10 with part of the proceeds being donated to local ministries. Cards or cash are accepted.
On Saturday, some visitors spent nearly five hours on the farm trying to experience everything, Etheridge said.
At one end of the farm, a converted harvesting machine — the “Monsterbine Combine” — ferried attendees around. Elsewhere, children stood inside a large tin barrel of corn kernels, which Etheridge called a corn bath. Further down, about 1,000 pumpkins sat rooted to the ground, waiting to be picked.
For Sue Corbin, 65, of Williston, the main selling point for her granddaughter was the corn maze, which was trimmed to look like a cow when viewed from overhead.
“It’s been a very pleasant experience,” she said, adding that she would come again next year.
With the success of opening day, Etheridge and his wife, Shannon, plan on turning the event into a family tradition, he said. Next year, he said they will expand their operation by growing strawberries and squash in addition to pumpkins.
In the digital age when kids spend most of their time on their phones, Etheridge said he is motivated to provide this kind of outdoor, family-friendly entertainment for local children and their parents.
“There’s not a lot of opportunities for urban kids to get out and enjoy simple things,” Etheridge said. “There’s good, wholesome fun here, and our family enjoys it.”
