The staff and owners of Paintball Paradise have put together plans to make their 14th annual Haunted Corn Maze bigger and better than it was last year.
The event will be taking place on the Oct. 17-18, and Oct. 24-25. Owner George Lewko said the local attraction has found a devoted fanbase.
““It’s been going good. Unless snow comes, we’re doing pretty good. The snow kind of messes things up and people don’t want to come out so much, but if the snow stays away we’ll have good crowds.”
The event runs from 7-11 p.m. on Fridays and 2-11 p.m. on Saturdays. Family time runs from 2-7 p.m. on Saturdays. From 7-11 p.m., the attraction targets adults, with the really scary stuff starting after 8 p.m.
Lewko said they started their traditional corn maze years ago with only a night or two of “haunted” fun. That changes when they saw how popular the scary nights were.
“It’s turned into something fun,” he said. “We started with just the corn maze and realized for three months we ran the corn maze—we did two scary nights—that over half the people came out on the scary nights. That seemed to be where people were interested … so we’ve concentrated on scaring people.”
This year’s event includes a new attraction based on a local legend. Paintball Paradise has added a Phantom Light attraction based on the phenomenon observed on the old railway tracks near St. Louis.
The lights have drawn national and international attention in the past, as has the local legend that the lights belong to a conductor or brakeman who lost his head, and continues to search for it along the tracks.
Guests visited the Pumpkin Barn at the Paintball Paradise Haunted Corn Maze during the VIP Night on Oct. 11.
Guests were greeted by frightening Scarecrows at the Paintball Paradise Haunted Corn Maze during the VIP Night on Oct. 11.
“We always try to add something new every year,” Lewko said. “The Phantom Light, I think, will be very popular, especially since it’s our local lore. That’s pretty cool.”
Residents who want to enjoy the crisp autumn air without the Halloween scares can still enjoy the attractions. Lewko said they try to keep the 2-7 p.m. hours light and fun for families.
Attractions include old tractor rides, paintball shooting games, and the giant checkerboard.
Attendees can also visit the Pumpkin Barn. Lewko said it hasn’t been a great year for pumpkins, but they’ll still got plenty available.
Paintball Paradise is located southwest of Prince Albert.
–with files from Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald
