The moon is full, and a path lay ahead through the corn that grows over six feet tall. On a platform in the distance a menacing figure surveys the maze on all sides, looking like the monster in the Jeepers Creepers movie. A fork in the path lies ahead, do we go left, or do we go right? Another creature straight out of our darkest nightmares jumps out and chases us down the left path, our decision made up for us at this point. Is this an excerpt of the latest horror movie? No, this is simply another night in the over 20-acre Haunted Corn Maze at Fear Farm in Avondale.
Fear Farm is celebrating their 20-year anniversary and have gone all out this year with spooks and scares for the horror lovers in the family. Featuring the largest corn maze in the history of the event and with even more attractions, it’s something that Halloween fans across the valley (and beyond) must experience to believe. Along with the now infamous Haunted Corn Maze there are five themed haunted houses, mini escape rooms, games and funnel cake to keep you entertained through the long night of terror.
Each of the haunted houses are themed and tell their own unique story. For those who are willing to dare enter you will be greeted by maniacal and evil creatures from all walks of life. Bunker…the arrival taking inspiration from the now infamous Phoenix Lights has you descend into a secret bunker where one of the aliens has crashed and wreaks havoc on the numerous scientist who were tasked to investigate it. Slaughterhouse takes folks on a horrific adventure maneuvering through a madman’s desire to consume human flesh. Pumpkin Witch relies on the souls of unsuspecting trespassers to feed her their very souls. Fallout exposes all those who dare enter to a post-apocalyptic world where radiation has corrupted the very minds of those who were once human. Last and certainly not least is The Plague which sees a town overcome with the grief of the widespread death of their children hunting down the very doctor they once praised.
Each of the haunted houses are done in incredible detail, and even though darkness abounds, it’s easy to see the hard work and dedication that has gone into each structure. From the outside they look fairly small, but it’s surprising how large they feel once you have descended into their depths. For those who have had the opportunity to experience Knotts Scary Farm in California they will instantly feel at home within the small confines of each house. These are not just folks who threw up some fake blood and bought some costumes from Target, these are incredibly detailed environments and the commitment to the actors and their parts is without equal. Each themed house stays true to the story it wishes to tell and each come with their own unique effects (which I won’t spoil here) to ensure each feels different from the rest.
The biggest attraction however is the Haunted Corn Maze, and this year the folks at Fear Farm have really outdone themselves. It’s the largest corn maze in their 20-year history and speaking at the folks at the entrance it can take 30 minutes to over 2 hours to complete, depending on how lucky you are. We started the maze alone but quickly ran into another group trying to find their way out. With a little luck and the guidance of the person leading the group we were able to complete it in just around 45 minutes. We also were very lucky that it was nearly a full moon so that cast a lot more light on the maze, I can only imagine what it must be like going through it when there is no moonlight at all.
Fear Farm is the perfect event to get you in the mood for Halloween. There are a host of other events to keep you busy once the main events have been completed such as carnival games, mini-escape rooms and plenty of food to keep you occupied well into the night. If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience Fear Farm (as I had not), it’s worth your time to head out to Avondale and experience it. If you’ve attended in the past, the 20-year anniversary is bigger and scarier then ever before. Be sure not to overlook this Halloween gem this season, you definitely won’t regret it.
For tickets and more information, please visit here.
