Local attraction offers family-friendly fun

BUFORD — While the name Buford Corn Maze highlights this local business’s main attraction — a five-acre corn field with a maze of twists and turns through corn stalks towering over maze-goers’ heads — there’s much more to do and see here.

“The maze is a given,” said Tina Beggs, co-owner of the Buford Corn Maze along with Jerome Beggs and Rodney and Kendra Miller.

The maze include six checkpoints along with maze walkers — employees who can help those who get lost find their way back to a checkpoint.

Getting through the corn maze successfully?

“It all depends on how good you can read a map,” Tina Beggs said. “Some people love getting lost.”

But the fun doesn’t end with the corn maze, she added.

Activities at the Buford Corn Maze include attractions in the Kids’ CORNer, which features two popcorn jumping pillows where kids and adults can jump and a corn box filled with kernels where kids can dive in and play.

New to the offerings in the Kids’ CORNer this year are the Cornball Slider, two slides off a combine where kids can race to the bottom; a Barrel-in’ Along train ride for younger children who can take a ride along in buckets pulled by a small tractor; a duck racing game with hand pumps kids can operate to propel their ducks to the finish line; and a two-player basketball game with goals attached to a grain wagon for older kids.

Adjacent to the Kids’ CORNer is the animal area where guests can interact with calves, pigs and chickens. Pony rides are available on weekends.

Guests can also enjoy a hay ride circling the maze and traveling through the woods, purchase pumpkins for carving and decoration, sample concessions offered for purchase at the Barnyard Grill and browse a selection of locally made and grown products in Corner Store.

“We are a family-friendly business, and we want kids of all ages to be able to come out and enjoy,” Beggs said. “We want it to be a family outing, we want people to make memories.”

In addition to the corn maze and Kids’ CORNer, guests can take about an 18-minute stroll through the Haunted Forest. This year’s theme for the attraction is Camp Wyndego — where guests walk through a twisting labyrinth of dilapidated cabins with who knows what waiting to catch them off guard.

“Wendigos, psychos, witches, you name it. If it can stalk campers, it’s probably out there,” said James Scott, who manages the haunted attraction. “We try and pack in as much thrill, as much emotion, as much action as possible to give (guests) the best 18 minutes of their life out here.”

The recommended age for children to go through the haunted forest alone is age 10. Children younger than 10 must be accompanied by an adult.

In light of health and safety concerns surround COVID-19, the Buford Corn Maze has instituted temperature checks for all visitors, while face masks are recommended and physical distancing is encouraged.

“COVID has brought so many more people out than any of us could have ever imagined because we’re an open air venue and there’s not a lot of open air venues that have the space to entertain people,” Scott said, “so we’ve just had surges of people dying to get into the place.”

IF YOU GO

• What: Buford Corn Maze

• When: 10 a.m. to midnight Friday, Oct. 23, and Saturday, Oct. 24, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; hours for the week of Halloween are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 through Thursday, Oct. 29, and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31 — The Haunted Forest will be open from dark to close all week

• Where: 4470 Bennett Road, Buford

• Cost: $15 for admission to the corn maze and most activities, with kids 3 and younger admitted for free; $15 for admission to the Haunted Forest; and $25 for a combo ticket

• For more information: bufordcornmaze.com