The twists and turns of corn mazes, and the treats found in bountiful pumpkin patches can simply sum up the season. Consider this batch.
ALTO
Jaemor Farms
This year Jaemor has planted more than 40 acres of pumpkins in different sizes, shapes and colors. Big ones, little ones, white, beige, traditional orange and more. Pick your own pumpkin in the Pumpkin Patch or select one in the market.
The 2015 Corn Maze Theme is Boys of Fall. The eight acre maze is fun and challenging ($9-$10). Younger kids can venture into an easier, smaller maze ($3).
Tractor-pulled hayrides ($6) and a pumpkin train ($3) guide visitors through the grounds. Trigger-happy kids and adults can blast three apples through a cannon for $1. Young ones can take to the farm slide ($1 for two turns) and participate in rubber duck races ($1 for three races). A petting zoo ($3) and farm skee ball ($1) are also available. An all access pass is available if you want to do it all ($14).
10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1-6 p.m. Sundays through November 8. Additional dates are listed on the web site. Market hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Jaemor Farms, 5340 Cornelia Hwy., Alto. 770-869-3999, www.jaemorfarms.com.
CANTON
Cagle’s Family Farm
This popular attraction commemorates its 15th year of creating corn mazes with a corn field benefiting the 100th Anniversary of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. You can find your way through the MAZE in about 45 minutes, but most MAZE-goers will need about an hour to poke along the more than 3 miles of paths. Visitors can easily spend an entire day exploring the grounds. Guests are invited to take a farm tour (Saturday and Sundays), experience a bonfire hayride (Fridays and Saturdays), catch air on the massive jumping pillow and brave the Haunted Barn (Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31). All ages can explore oodles of pumpkins for a possible purchase. If all that activity works up an appetite, grab concessions including barbecue, hot chocolate, hot dogs and hamburgers.
5-11 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. Through Nov. 15. $7-$12 per attraction; $15-$28 combination tickets. Cagle’s Family Farm, 362 Stringer Road, Canton. 770-345-5591, www.caglesfamilyfarm.com.
Tanglewood Farm
More than 150 miniature animals, from alpacas to pigs, occupy this faux Wild West town. One of the headliners is 8-year-old Tiny Bubbles, the world’s smallest registered miniature horse at 22 inches and 56 pounds. Things go decidedly seasonal for its OctoberFest. This features a walk through the haunted barn, which promises to be more delightful than frightful. Guests can troll the pumpkin patch and buy one to carve back home. Kids will receive one free miniature pumpkin with paid admission while they last.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Through Oct. 31. $15; free for infants 11 months and younger. Tanglewood Farm, 171 Tanglewood Drive, Canton. 770-667-6464, www.tanglewoodfarmminiatures.com.
DAWSONVILLE
Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch
Ready to pick a pumpkin? It’s an overdose of orange as visitors peruse Uncle Shuck’s Pumpkin Patch and shop for pumpkins, corn, gourds and foods favorites like funnel cake and caramel apples. Watch as goats climb the ramps of the Towering Goat Walk. Goat food is available for 50 cents.
Hayrides are offered day and night along the banks of the Etowah River. Hay rides last about 20 minutes. On evening rides, there’s a stop at the campfire area, and everyone gathers around the campfire for marshmallow roasting. The cost is $5.00 per person Combination tickets for mazes and hayrides are also available.
The main attraction is the 12 acre corn maze with approximately 4 miles of trails. The 2015 Corn Maze features Medusa, with her lovely, snakey hair. Organizers say it can take visitors as quick as 30 minutes to complete one maze, and as long as two hours to conquer both. The Corn Maze is $10, or you may want to purchase the Cob Combo for a Hayride & the Corn Maze for only $13.
The Dark Rows is Uncle Shuck's new and improved Haunted Maze. It's open on Friday and Saturday nights. No flashlights allowed – just moon and stars. The cost for this attraction is $13, and package rates are also offered with other attractions. Ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by a parent during Haunt Nights.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through October. Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, 4520 Highway 53 E., Dawsonville. 770-772-6223, www.uncleshucks.com.
GAINESVILLE
The Kinsey Family Farm
This lovely family farm is open every day during October, so come and enjoy the fall weather. You can relax outside in the fresh air, take a scenic hayride around the farm, and bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at available picnic tables. The barn is filled with seasonal crops including thousands of pumpkins of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
Enjoy a fun hayride around the scenic farm ($3 per person, 2 and under is free). Hayrides occur at the top of the hour on weekdays and run continuously on the weekends.
On weekdays kids can feed the fish in the catfish pond (no fish feeding on weekends). A cup of catfish food for each child is included with the hayride. Also for the kids the farm has a newly renovated animal pavilion for feeding traditional farm animals.
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Oct. 31. The Kinsey Family Farm, 7170 Jot-em Down Road, Gainesville. 770-887-6028, www.kinseyfamilyfarm.com.
LOGANVILLE
Corn Dawg Corn Maze.
Corn Dawgs is a farm themed adventure park in Loganville featuring more than 30 activities and attractions.
This year’s maze design is a tribute to a true American hero, Chris Kyle.
General Admission includes: Corn Maze, Kids Corn Maze, Hayrides, Black Mamba Swings, Corn hole Games, Cow Train, Giant Checkerboard, Giant Corn Box, Hale Bale Jump, Horse Swings, Spider Webs, Tile Mazes, Labyrinth Maze, Little Farmer’s Playground, Mountain Slide, Pedal Racers, Penny Pit, Petting Zoo, Ring Toss, Calf Roping, Rope Maze, Rope Swing, Sand Playground, Pumpkin Patch.
The all inclusive band includes all of the above, plus Corn Cannon (2 shots), Jumping Pillows (all day), Friendly Fire Arena (all day), Bungees (all day), Gem Mining (1 bag), Pumpkin Blaster (2 shots), Ziplines (all day). Tokens are also available for these activities.
Through Nov. 1. $12 ages 3-up; Seniors 55+ $10; 2 and younger free. All-inclusive Band $25. Fridays, 5p.m.-10p.m., Saturdays 10a.m.-10pm, Sundays 10am-7pm. Maze entrance closes 1 hour before the park closes. Corn Dawgs Corn Maze & Family Fun Park, 955 Leone Ave., Loganville. 770-786-9000, www.corndawgs.com.
STONE MOUNTAIN
Pumpkin Festival
This month-long event honors the season and specifically the round, orange fruit in question. Interactive events and shows take place in the Crossroads section of the park. Follow the telling of The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin as you find your way through Spookley’s A-MAZE-ING Adventure. Join Spookley and lift his friends into the air for a Dance-A-Long Party Parade, then meet him at Spookley’s Pumpkin Patch Meet & Greet. At The Great Pumpkin Junction you can be the detective in the Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt or beat the clock with a tasty treat at the Pie Eating Contest and much more!
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Sundays; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays. Through October 25. $29.95; $24.95 ages 3-11; $15 daily parking. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, Stone Mountain. 770-498-5690, www.stonemountainpark.com.
