NEWVILLE, Pa. — Labor Day marks the end of the summer season, but for some--like Jeff Miller--fall is already in full swing!
Miller owns Maple Lane Farm in Cumberland County, which opened to the public this week for fall festivities. And while pony rides, a corn pit and pumpkin picking are enough to get anyone into the autumn mindset, that's not what attracts most people.
Instead, community members come for the custom corn maze, the design of which is a surprise every year.
"About March I start getting the question, 'hey what are you gonna do this year?'" Miller said.
But no matter how intense the curiosity gets, community members can always rely on the knowledge that the design will honor the town's roots.
"My wife picks out the design every year that has something to do with the community," Miller explained.
This year, Miller says, "Newville had a trolley system that ran through town. And if you look on the design, it is the trolley."
And while Miller says it only takes about 45 minutes to cut the design into the six acre field, the fun lasts for months. The farm is open to the public on weekends now through Nov. 3.
"It's all family and we do it every single year. It takes the whole team, the whole family, to pull everything together and make sure all the pieces work," said Jeff's son, Jeremy Miller. This includes Jeremy's two sons.
"Benedict, he's 4 years old, he loves the tractor so he sometimes comes and helps me steer the tractor for the hay ride," Jeremy said.
Miller says his 9-year-old grandson helps take care of the kids corn maze, which includes hiding the clues for the scavenger hunt and, "if somebody gets lost, he goes in and finds them," he said.
And while keeping up with fall festivities on the farm may seem like a handful, Miller, who was sporting a summer-themed Hawaiian shirt at the time, says it's the opposite.
"The kids just love it, I love it, I started it for my grandsons," he said.
He said Maple Lane is a very laid back atmosphere where everyone can have fun with their friends and family while celebrating the arrival of fall.