Oct 04, 2024
YANKTON, S.D. (KELO) — From hayrides to picking your own pumpkin, a pumpkin patch in southeast South Dakota has everything you'd expect. One thing you might not see coming is its five-acre corn maze that's shaped like a country music artist. Since its opening in 2020, Mazing Acres Pumpkin Patch in Yankton, South Dakota has worked with a local bank to create a new corn maze design for visitors each year. "We've done a mummy and a pumpkin one year. We've done a farm family a previous year. We've done a South Dakota themed one," co-owner Scott Nedved said. This year's theme is a country music celebrity. "It's a great attraction. We have a five acre corn maze with two different mazes and interactive games within each. This year, it's a Luke Bryan corn maze," co-owner Molly Nedved said. "Within that means there's Luke Bryan trivia as well as there's a photo opportunity by the maze." The design process starts in early May during planting season. The Nedved's said they were fortunate to not be heavily impacted by this summer's flooding. "We have a company do that piece for us. They can actually do it on software on a computer and create those files for us. Then we go ahead and take those files into our planting equipment and plant it out that way," Scott Nedved said. Giant pumpkins head to Canton for state record weigh-in It's part of a national campaign, where several farms are planting their fields in the shape of the country artist. To the Nedved's, it's a chance to bring a form of excitement and relevance to their pumpkin patch. "Luke is just one of those things when you think country, kind of farm. He's one of those guys that you think of and we just wanted something fun and exciting and kind of relevant all at the same time," Scott Nedved said. Once the season's over, the corn maze is harvested, and visitors will have to wait for next fall's maze to "Play It Again." Other attractions: The corn maze isn't the only attraction for visitors to take advantage of. Giant tug-of-war, a tractor pull and a U-Pick pumpkin patch are some forms of additional entertainment. A new paintball shooting gallery is also on the list. "We have targets out. People can purchase our paintball ammo and then shoot at our targets, and it's a lot of fun. It makes a lot of noise and it's great for all ages," Molly Nedved said. Live music is also played during Saturday and Sunday afternoons. How it started: The Nedved's opened the pumpkin patch after their decision to move back to their Yankton family farm after living in Iowa and Nebraska. "We had taken our kids to different pumpkin patches in those states," Molly Nedved said. "We came here and decided in 2020 that we thought it'd be a good idea to open a pumpkin patch more close to home versus all of the surrounding Yankton area needing to travel an hour plus to get to a pumpkin patch." 9-year-old barista serving ‘boo’ inspired brews Opening during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic didn't slow their business down. "We weren't sure at the time if that was going to be feasible. Then it ended up everybody was wanting to be outdoors in the open air," Molly Nedved said. This is the pumpkin patch's fifth season of business. Mazing Acres is open weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until October 27th this fall.
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