UNION GAP, Wash.- The weather is cooling down as we approach October, and all the harvest season festivities are kicking off. The Union Gap Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch opened for the season on September 28 with plenty to offer this fall.
Opening weekend included all the staples, from pumpkin picking to the 13-acre corn maze. The first two days of the Union Gap tradition brought out a crowd, ready for the season.
“The weather’s been amazing, crowds have been good,” says Co-Owner Lewis Gress. “It’s a lot of fun. Looking forward to another great October.”
September 28 is the earliest the location has opened, normally waiting to turn the calendar to the next month. With the weekends working out, the maze opened early, but fans will still have to wait a couple days for the one of the most popular sections.
“Our biggest attraction is the haunted maze,” says Gress. “That’s the main attraction, but for the people that don’t want to be scared, we have the campfires where you can roast smores, we have the hayride, we have a kid’s area.”
The Haunted Maze takes over at 7 p.m. starting Oct. 4. Employees in costume will hide throughout the maze, hoping to bring spooky season to life.
“They’re not allowed to touch you,” says Gress. “If you run, they’ll chase you. If you don’t run, they can’t. It’s just a lot of jump scares, guys with chainsaw and clowns and fun stuff like that to give people a good haunt.”
If the horror simulation isn’t your cup of tea, Fridays also feature a PG and PG-13 movie on the grass, with popcorn and snacks available.
Lewis points out the price of admission is good all day, so you can pick your pumpkin in the morning, and come back at night for the haunted maze.
The co-owner played a big part in growing the near 12-foot-tall corn maze, so he won’t get lost in the corn. But he says there’s a simple trick if you do get lost.
“If you just generally turn the same way, you’ll get out eventually,” says Gress. “We try to make it mid-level so it’s not too tough. But to make it a little bit of a challenge for people.”
Halloween will mark the end of the season for the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch.
