To get families closer and have fun, Merrymead Farm in Lansdale, Pa., hosts hayrides, provides food and offers other enjoyable activities every fall.
According to employee Joel Snyder, one of the most popular attractions is the five-acre corn maze, which changes annually.
It is designed each winter by a cousin who works in set design.
“He uses GPS to map the design, then he cuts it once the corn is knee-high,” Snyder said.
This year’s theme, “Bee Merry,” includes trivia questions hidden throughout the maze. It is a process Synder describes as “high-tech,” turning a hand-drawn design into a full-scale field puzzle.
According to Snyder, there is plenty to do outside the maze, too. Younger children enjoy the corn stalk tunnel.
“[My daughter] went through the tiny maze too many times to count,” Souderton resident Katie Peppe said.
Merrymead also features a large bounce pad and hay rides.
Snyder feels activities like the challenging maze and hayrides are more popular for older kids and teens.
According to Snyder, the five-acre maze can take 45 minutes or even up to an hour to complete, especially with the questions throughout the maze.
For Snyder, he feels the food is also a major attraction. Snyder said the cider donuts are a long-time favorite.
“The donuts were just so good, I love apple cider,” Pepper said
Merrrymead also offer different fall flavors of ice cream, which include pumpkin and apple caramel.
According to former owner Carol Snyder, other food options include pulled pork and mac and cheese from their barbecue menu.
Merrymead also offers apple cider slushies, which are “a combination of an apple cider slush with vanilla ice cream,” Carol said.
For Pepper, her daughter Cecelia loved the slushie and could not stop drinking it.
Snyder feels one thing that sets Merrymead apart is the fact that all the offerings are created and managed by the farm’s own staff.
“We don’t have vendors because we are the vendor,” Joel Snyder said.
Snyder said while other festivals have more of a vendor-market setup, Merrymead’s experience is focused on the farm and its traditions.
“I think it’s a great place for families to have to create memories,” Snyder said.
That mission, started by his grandfather and carried on through generations, has turned Merrymead into a yearly event many families look forward to.
Merrymead Farm was originally a dairy operation, and began shifting focus in 1972 when the family opened their on-site store. “We were a regular farm that did dairy and field work,” said Carol Snyder.
Carol Snyder feels the second generation had a vision to do more than just milk cows.
According to Snyder, they opened a dairy store, sold ice cream, and eventually launched Harvest Days as a way to celebrate the season and keep the farm financially sustainable.