Visitors to corn mazes across the country are finding a familiar and joyous figure in the winding labyrinth of tall stalks. Snoopy.
More than 80 farms in the U.S. and Canada have teamed up with Peanuts Worldwide to create 含羞草研究社淧eanuts含羞草研究社�-themed mazes to celebrate the beloved strip含羞草研究社檚 75th birthday this summer and fall.
A massive Snoopy rests on top of his doghouse in a maze at Dull含羞草研究社檚 Tree Farm in Thorntown, Indiana, and he含羞草研究社檚 depicted gleefully atop a pumpkin at Downey含羞草研究社檚 Farm in Caledon, Ontario.
含羞草研究社淎ll of these events helps keep my dad含羞草研究社檚 legacy alive,含羞草研究社� says Jill Schulz, an actor and daughter of 含羞草研究社淧eanuts含羞草研究社� creator Charles M. Schulz.
含羞草研究社淎s someone who can含羞草研究社檛 even keep houseplants alive, the fact that they can do that with a corn maze and get the artwork right and create a fun experience for all ages is pretty incredible,含羞草研究社� she adds, laughing.
The mazes 含羞草研究社� which span 35 states and provinces, from California to New York, Ontario to Texas 含羞草研究社� are expected to attract more than 2 million visitors. Farmers are signing up for the free service because the mazes are part of the customer lure, in addition to things like hay rides, fresh produce and pumpkin carvings.
Each maze is designed for the size of the farm 含羞草研究社� from 1.5 acres to 20 acres 含羞草研究社� and are mostly corn but also sunflowers. They含羞草研究社檙e custom created by the world含羞草研究社檚 largest corn maze consulting company, The MAiZE Inc.
The Utah-based Brett Herbst, who leads the company and who launched his first corn maze in 1996, says technology has only somewhat changed the way corn mazes are made.
含羞草研究社淭he first year we did it, we just used a weed whacker with a saw blade on it when the corn was fully grown,含羞草研究社� he says. 含羞草研究社淣ow we do it when it含羞草研究社檚 short and we go in and either mow it or rototill it. We design it all on a computer, but most of it we actually just go draw it out on the ground by hand.含羞草研究社�
He and his team have over the years designed mazes with everything from the faces of presidential candidates, Oprah Winfrey, zombies, John Wayne and Chris LeDoux. This year marks the first time they含羞草研究社檝e committed so fully to Charlie Brown and Co.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 very nostalgic and just seemed like a very natural fit from the get-go to embrace that with 含羞草研究社楶eanuts,含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫 he says. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 harvest time. Its kind of become this iconic thing.含羞草研究社�
There含羞草研究社檚 an art and a science to maze building, a balance between maintaining the integrity of the image, but also making it a true maze where people can actually get lost in. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 definitely a challenge there,含羞草研究社� says Herbst. 含羞草研究社淵ou want to accomplish both as much as possible.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淧eanuts含羞草研究社� made its debut Oct. 2, 1950. The travails of the 含羞草研究社渓ittle round-headed kid含羞草研究社� Charlie Brown and his pals eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries.
The strip offers enduring images of kites in trees, Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, tart-tongued Lucy handing out advice for a nickel and Snoopy taking the occasional flight of fancy to the skies. Phrases such as 含羞草研究社渟ecurity blanket含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社済ood grief含羞草研究社� are a part of the global vernacular. Schulz died in 2000.
There含羞草研究社檚 something timeless about corn mazes and that含羞草研究社檚 what excites Jill Schulz so much. They offer kids a chance to disconnect from their online life and celebrate something their parents did.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 great to have an opportunity to just bring kids to events that are old school, because it含羞草研究社檚 also important for parents and grandparents to introduce something they loved to do as a child,含羞草研究社� she says.
含羞草研究社淚 think we all need a little innocence for our children right now with all the technology out there. We need a little 含羞草研究社檖ut down your phone and go out and have some good old fashioned, old school family time.含羞草研究社� I think that含羞草研究社檚 important.含羞草研究社�
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
