A Maze in Corn near St. Adolphe has added a new activity to its roster, a roster which already includes the annual corn maze, zipline runs, and a snow maze that went down in the Guinness Book of World Records earlier this year as the largest snow maze in the world.
Starting on Saturday, August 17, the venue will host the Sunflower Expo, an opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal with more than 40 different varieties of sunflowers across eight acres of fields. The expo is expected to continue until mid-September, although the exact end will be dependent on Mother Nature’s cooperation.
So who is the Sunflower Expo for?
“Anyone who loves sunflowers!” says Clint Masse, founder of A Maze in Corn. “We will have wine and craft beer available, so it’s a great outing for a group of friends. Or bring the whole family and explore!”
Masse’s entrepreneurial imagination was sparked by the sunflower craze last summer that saw so many Manitobans heading out into fields across the province—often without the farmers’ permission.
“We know it is so tempting to get up close to such gorgeous flowers, but it really damages the farmers’ crops,” says Masse. “So we wanted to put on an event that would help protect local crops and provide a unique experience for all those who love sunflowers! We’ve never actually grown sunflowers before, so this has been a learning experience for us. They are very prone to weeds, and we had a bit of a battle with some hungry grasshoppers at the start of the season. But it is all coming together. They’re looking great!”
Masse says he was selective in the sunflowers he chose, ensuring that all shapes and sizes would be represented.
“Some are smaller, more decorative flowers while others, like the King Kong, can grow up to 15 feet tall,” he says. “In addition to the variety, we also planted them over the span of a few weeks to ensure we’ll have blooming sunflowers throughout the event. Sunflowers only bloom once per season, so we’ve worked really hard to get the timing right!”
The event will offer amazing photo ops, and every visitor will also receive a free sunflower in order to bring home some of the magic. In addition to the photo ops, guests may choose a sunflower to cut and bring home. Additional bouquets will be available for purchase.
At a planned scavenger hunt, guests can try to find all 40 types of sunflowers.
Masse also sees the Sunflower Expo as an opportunity to support craft beer brands and feature live music from local artists, most of which will be featured on weekends.
“We’re working with some great local brands to put together this event,” says Masse. “So far, we have local breweries such as Farmer, One Great City, Two Wolves Brewing, and Dead Horse Cider, as well as Fools and Horses serving iced coffee and iced tea. We’re also thrilled to have local musicians coming out to provide entertainment.”
Although the schedule may be subject to change, so far artists include Joshua Dyck, Prairie Wynd, The Webster Project, and DB and The Deadbeats Duo. The line-up of artists and beer tastings are available on the A Maze in Corn website and the event’s Facebook page.
Throughout the expo, the hours will be 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. in August. Once September comes, the site will open from 5:00–9:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. on weekends. Beer and wine tickets can be pre-purchased either online or onsite.
Sunflower goers should also know they can buy an all-access pass that lets them enjoy both the corn maze and the Sunflower Expo. Ziplines, however, need to be booked separately, since those are guided tours. It should be added, though, that zipline participants will get amazing views of the sunflower fields from the top of the towers.
