Sept. 22 not only marked the beginning of autumn, but also the start of fall events. There are many events taking place within driving distance of Quinnipiac, allowing students to venture out of Hamden and hop on a hayride, get lost in a corn maze or pick apples at one of the many locations nearby
Larson’s Farm Market, in Brookfield, is known for their famous sweet corn. One of their main attractions this year is their baseball-themed corn maze titled the “Seven Acre Stretch.”
“Our corn maze is three miles long,” said Joe Kaver, the maze manager. “It’s like a puzzle to solve. I don’t think you’ll find one like it in the area.”
For four weekends, creator and director Bob Novella is transforming the maze into a Halloween thrill. Larson’s Haunted Maze will be open Fridays, Oct. 21 and 28 and Saturdays, Oct. 22 and 29 from 5 to 10 p.m.
Larson’s also offers hayrides, face painting and pumpkins in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
Brookfield is not the only location for corn mazes. The Great Pumpkin Corn Maze at Plasko’s Farm, in Trumbull, is over one-and-a-half miles of 10-foot-tall corn. The maze was created by Great Adventure Corn Mazes, out of Idaho. They used a global positioning system to navigate through the four acres of cornfields in order to create this year’s design.
Those who accept the challenge of completing The Great Pumpkin Corn Maze must find six paper punches attached to posts in order to finish the maze. Plasko’s donates $1 for every admission ticket to the Swim Across the Sound cancer prevention and education programs.
In addition to the corn maze, Plasko’s provides hayrides, pumpkin decorating and crafts.
At Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, customers can wander through rows of 28 different varieties of apples. Lyman Orchards also sells sugar pumpkins, ideal for baking, and jack-o-lantern pumpkins for carving.
The Apple Barrel is Lyman’s year-round farm market, which is where their award-winning apple pies are sold, as well as Lyman’s pasteurized apple cider.
Lyman Orchard’s corn maze honors the Apple Barrel this year. The maze is spread over four acres of land and Lyman’s contributes $1 of each admission ticket to the American Cancer Society. Pony rides and hayrides are also available every weekend.
Another location that offers apple and pumpkin picking is Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford.
Starting Sept. 24, Connecticut residents can enjoy Scarecrow Weekend at Bishop’s every weekend through Oct. 23. The event is presented by Community Dining Room in Branford, a non-profit organization that provides food to nearby towns. Visitors are able to create an original scarecrow to take home as a souvenir with a $10 donation
Autumn is not complete without a good Halloween scare. Thrill seekers can be spooked at either Lake Compounce in Bristol or Six Flags: New England in Agawam, Mass.
Lake Compounce offers a Haunted Graveyard every weekend beginning Friday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 31 from dusk until 10 p.m. Attendees can experience one frightening adventure after another as you walk through the Haunted Graveyard amidst witches, zombies and ghouls.
Six Flags Fright Fest has four main attractions from Sept. 24 to Oct. 31: the Trail of Terror, Nightmare Island, Terrorvision Circus, and Haunt Zones and Midway Monsters.
Guests enter Happy Valley, the forgotten town in the woods behind the River’s Edge Picnic Grove and stroll down the Trail of Terror, the path of forbidden farmhouses and asylums. The Hurricane Harbor Water Park is now an island of horror called Nightmare Island. Visitors will also encounter carnival madness as they travel through the maze at the Terrorvision Circus.
Check out one of these off-campus fall attractions!
