On Friday, September 6, Western North Carolina's largest
corn maze and fall event will open to the public. Now in its fifth year of
operation as the only non-profit corn maze in WNC, Eliada's annual corn maze
will offer twelve acres of maze trails and many additional attractions to
delight children of all ages. Named one of the top 12 corn mazes in the country
by Endless Vacation magazine, the event brings over 20,000 visitors annually to
the Eliada's century-old campus.
"Coming to Eliada's annual corn maze has become a
tradition for many families," says Mark Upright, President & CEO of
Eliada. "The maze trails provide hours of entertainment, but there is so
much more for children to enjoy. Last year, the favorite was a 20 x 20 spider
web climb-on and a storybook trail featuring Spookley the Square Pumpkin. This
year we've added a second storybook trail for younger children featuring the
story of Ciderella and the Little Glass Sipper."
Other popular attractions include the giant sandbox
filled with corn kernels, haybale maze, hay ride, pumpkin patch, barrel train,
giant tube slides, corn cannons with giant pumpkin men targets, and corn toss
games.
Asheville Grown Business Alliance & the Corn Maze This year, Eliada is
partnering with the Asheville Grown Business Alliance to create a "Love
Asheville Give Local" theme in the maze. A giant heart, with this familiar
slogan creates the maze trails and celebrates Eliada as a local charity in the
region. The Asheville Grown Business Alliance's mission is to support
independent owned businesses in the community. "Local Independent
Businesses cycle 3 times more money back in to the local economy and give
greater support to a community's non-profit and civic needs" (http://ashevillegrown.com/). Eliada is
proud to partner with Asheville Grown to highlight our local roots and promote
other local businesses and non-profits in our region.
Spookley & Ciderella Storybook Trails
Eliada has devoted one area of the corn maze to the
Spookley the Square Pumpkin Storybook Trail. Based on the popular children's
book, Spookley is a pumpkin who is a little different, but he uses his unique
shape to save the day. Featured on the Disney Channel, the story teaches
children to embrace diversity and has a powerful anti-bullying lesson. Children
learn the Spookley story as they walk the 3D Storybook Maze Trail. They can
have photos taken in a special storybook cutout or with a giant Spookley, and
can also join Spookley in taking a bullying prevention pledge! The Storybook
Trail is wonderful for field trips and school groups.
Eliada has added a second Storybook Trail to this year's
attractions. Ciderella and the Little Glass Sipper takes the familiar tale of
Cinderella, and transforms it into an educational opportunity for children to
learn about apples, apple cider, local foods and farming. Students walk the 3D
Storybook Maze Trail read the story, and then have the opportunity to craft
their own 3D paper apples. The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (http://asapconnections.org/) is
providing recipe cards, and teacher and student resources to enhance the
experience for school groups. Hickory Nut Gap Farm (http://www.hickorynutgapfarm.com/)
will round out this apple experience with apple tastings on the weekends.
Eliada is proud to partner with these local organizations to promote local food
& agriculture at the Corn Maze.
Operating Hours & Ticket Prices
The maze will be open each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
beginning September 6 through October 27. Operating hours are 4-8 on Friday,
10-8 on Saturday, and 11-7 on Sunday. Ticket prices are $9 for adults 12 and
over and $6 for children ages 4-11. Group rates, field trip rates, and birthday
party offerings are also available. As always, 100% of proceeds from the corn
maze benefit children and families served by Eliada.
Volunteer & Visit the Maze for Free!
Eliada needs almost 400 volunteers to make the event a
success! Volunteers serve for 3 hour shifts and perform jobs like helping in
the concession stand, assisting ticketing agents, acting as guides, and much
more. Each volunteer receives two free tickets, a small snack, and a big thank
you! Visit the volunteer page at http://fieldsoffun.org
to sign up for the slot that works best for your schedule.
Sponsors
"Fields of Fun" is made possible by the
generous support of Earth Fare, Fairway Outdoor, Comprehensive Chiropractic,
Asheville Compounding Pharmacy, Brown & Brown Insurance, Independent
Studios, Katie Cash, AutoZone, Lety Onate Hair Salon, Coca-Cola, WLOS, ING,
Daniels Graphics and MazePlay.
For more information about Eliada's annual corn maze,
visit www.fieldsoffun.org or call
828.254-5356.
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