RANDY METCALF

Buckelew Farm's corn maze is made up of more than five miles of 4-foot-wide trails. The stalks of corn that form the wall of the maze are 8 feet high.

Friday October 5, 2001

Tucsonan constructs 15 acre cornfield maze in honor of Halloween

For the past 13 years around Halloween, Buckelew Farm's 45-acre pumpkin patch has drawn Tucsonans looking for the perfect potential jack-o-lantern. But this year, 15 of those acres have been transformed into a twisting maze in the design of a mountain lion on top of the farm's logo.

Nick Buckelew of Buckelew Farm, 17000 W. Ajo Way, constructed the maze, which consists of five miles of paths through the cornfield.

Among the maze are 12 different checkpoints designed to aid wanderers through the largely green cornfield. Each participant is given a card with 12 empty boxes on it.

RANDY METCALF

Nick Buckelew, a partner in the Buckelew Corporation that owns Buckelew Farm, walks through his corn maze with his dog yesterday afternoon. Buckelew Farm's pumpkin patch and maze is open through last three weeks in October.

Each checkpoint holds a different hole punch to signify the maze goer's arrival at the point, as well as map that gives the person a hint as to where they are at in the maze.

The maze - which stands eight feet tall, four feet wide and runs a length of about five miles - was designed to draw crowds to the already busy patch. Buckelew Farm features more than 45 acres of pumpkins, most of which will be bought at 20 cents per pound by Halloween on Oct. 31.

Buckelew said he was inspired to create the mazes after talking to an associate in Colorado who said his sales had risen due to the attraction.

"Pumpkin sales increased 30 percent, with 13,000 visitors," he said.

Buckelew said that with a map, visitors can make it through both of the mazes in about an hour.

Along with the maze is the farm's Pumpkin Festival. Included with a $3 admission is a horse-drawn wagon ride to the pumpkin fields and back. Once there, guests are treated to a petting zoo, pony rides and a concession stand.

"I still have to roll over the path," Buckelew said "so it's not so rough."

But Buckelew still said he finds himself getting a little lost in the maze.

"Some places there are four, sometimes five, different directions that you can go. You could be with a group and you might all have a different idea of which way to go."

Even though it took a full day just to map out the design, Buckelew said he hopes to continue the maze each year and "maybe have a contest or something" for a design of the maze.

Buckelew said with three mazes already in Phoenix, his corn maze will make Tucsonans' commute a shorter one this holiday season. Take I-19 west, exit onto Ajo Way and head west. Buckelew Farms is on the right about a mile past Three Points. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 12 and free for children younger than 6.