SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — For eight years, Concho Valley residents have flocked to Circle S Acres in Wall during fall to wander through a labyrinth of corn and enjoy other fall festivities. This year's maze has more than just corn, however — it has "Peanuts" growing in it.

Circle S Acres unveiled the design for its 2024 corn maze on Sept. 8, revealing that the maze this time around is "Peanuts"-themed to commemorate a major milestone for the iconic comic strip. Etched into the sea of corn is Snoopy on top of his doghouse, several pumpkins, the current year and the phrase "75 years of 'Peanuts.'"

"'Peanuts' is celebrating their 75th anniversary this fall, and they're doing a nationwide campaign, and we decided to jump on," Lindsey Schaertl, owner of Circle S Acres, said.

The corn's comic strip design joins the farm's gallery of increasingly ambitious designs that has grown since the maze and pumpkin patch first started in 2016, with previous layouts including a thank you to first responders, a picture of Noah's ark and even a portrait of famed country singer and actress Reba McEntire. Schaertl stated that she hopes this year's maze will resonate more with younger audiences.

"We really think that the 'Peanuts' and having Snoopy lying on his doghouse, that's something that the younger kids will know and get a kick out of and maybe connect with a little bit more than with the Reba one from last year," Schaertl said.

There's more to the fall fun than just the corn maze, though. The farm also features a pumpkin patch, a field of flowers for patrons to pick while blooms are available, a battery of corn cannons, a barrel train, concessions and plenty of photo opportunities.

Also returning this year is the "mega-slide," which Schaertl said proved to be very popular when it was first added in 2023. For those looking for something spookier, the corn maze will be converted into a haunted maze on Oct. 19 and Oct. 26, the last two Saturdays before Halloween.

"Each year we, as a business, try to add something and try to make something better about our business, and every year more people and more people came," Schaertl said.

Schaertl said that the prices for food and drink items sold on the property may be adjusted due to rising costs. Despite this, admission prices for the maze and pumpkin patch are expected to remain the same and optionally independent of one another, something she said is one of the things she and her staff admire about the business.

"You can come and, if you just want to get onto the property and walk around, it only costs you $2 to get onto the property, and if you only want to do the corn maze, you only have to pay for the corn maze," Schaertl said. "That's one of the things that we love about our place. You can pick and choose what you want to do and pay for the things that you want to do."

Altogether, Schaertl said that the best part of the pumpkin patch and corn maze is seeing how the venue can get families to disconnect from their devices and enjoy quality time with each other.

"You go to restaurants these days, or even the parks, and you just see everybody on a cell phone. They're all stuck to a screen!" Schaertl said. "When you get out to our place, the only time you see a screen is if they're taking pictures. They're out there, they're making memories, they're laughing together, they're playing together, they're having a good time as a family unit, and that's one of the things my husband and I love the most about our corn maze, is just getting to see these kids and these families be a family."

According to Circle S Acres, the pumpkin patch and corn maze's 2024 season will last from Sept. 28 to Nov. 2. For more information, including hours of operation and admission prices, visit the Circle S Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch Facebook page or circlesacres.com.

News Source : https://www.conchovalleyhomepage.com/news/local-news/circle-s-acres-reveals-2024-corn-maze-design/