Agritourismo Comes to Georgia - Aw Shucks, A Corn Maze

The Pinzl Family's 20-acre farm complex, with maze trails, hayrides, pumpkins and other activities, is one of the biggest tourist magnets in Dawsonville, Georgia and a great autumn family getaway.  For 2009, Labor Day weekend marks the 8th year of fun, as the Pinzls challenge neighbors and tourists to come on in and find their way through a fantastic 10-foot-tall corn maze.

"This has been an amazing family business from day one, and we are proud to provide a wholesome entertainment option for people each fall," notes Mike Pinzl of his corn maze, one of almost 500 corn mazes across North America.

"Each year we challenge ourselves to improve our maze and the festival grounds so that families from all around Atlanta have a reason to return," the Alpharetta, Georgia resident adds. He has used Maze Play, Inc for the design and cutting of the corn maze trails all eight years.

Families traveling to see it from far off lands will be delighted to hear that Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch as it's know, will also feature one haunted maze section (October only), one soybean maze in the "Kiddie CORNer" activity area, hayrides along the Etowah River, a bonfire area and the pumpkin patch.

The corn maze occupies 12 acres. A special two-acre sunflower field will be added, with the large yellow blooms available for purchase. In addition, an “Amazing Scarecrows” exhibit area will display up to 20 decorated garden scarecrows done by local organizations, which maze visitors can vote on.

Despite it all, the main attraction for up to 40,000 annual visitors continues to be the living cornstalks, transformed into a series of pathways that, when viewed from above, resemble a north Georgia apple tree ready for autumn harvest.

The Pinzls take their duty seriously. July is the month that the corn needs to be planted, “as long as there is plenty of warm temperatures and some rain,” Pinzl added. When the cornstalks reach a height of 24-36 inches, by early August, a small tractor and a global position system (GPS) device are used to shape a labyrinth of pathways into a final masterpiece. It only takes the corn a few weeks to reach a mature height of 10-12 feet, so that by early September patrons are challenged to navigate the trails.

Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch is open for 12 consecutive weekends, including every day in October. Admission into the maze trails is $9 per person, ages 4 and over; maze admission is free for children 3 and under. There are additional activities at the agritourism complex, such as a tractor-drawn hay ride along the Etowah River, bonfire area and corn cannon, and fees vary (hay ride with make-your-own s’mores at the bonfire is $5 per person). A combo ticket for $12 includes admission to the maze, a hay ride and a bonfire pass with s’mores.

There is no admission fee for the Picnic Pavilion, Amazing Scarecrows exhibit, Kiddie CORNer (soybean maze, tractor display, hay bales) or photo area. Of course families can also buy what's left of the corn, pumpkins and sunflowers until the farm closes to the public on November 22, 2009.

Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch (888-O-SHUCKS) is located at 4525 Georgia Highway 53, Dawsonville, Georgia, only 40 minutes from metro Atlanta, just two miles west from the North Georgia Premium Outlet Mall on Georgia Highway 53. For more information, visit www.uncleshucks.com.