In addition to Halloween haunted houses and costume parties, October is also the time to take in the outdoor fall sights, whether they're spooky, colorful - or just plain corny. See what the region has to offer for hayrides - both friendly and frightful - and cornfield mazes.
Hay, hay, hay!
Getting spooked in a haunted house is one thing; soon enough, you know you'll be out the door. But when you're on the back of a haywagon surrounded by unfamiliar woods, it's another story - a scary one.
Local farms take the spooking outside with haunted hayrides, bringing wagonloads of brave souls on tractor-drawn tours through wooded trails lined with ghosts, ghouls and the occasional mad woodsman with a bloody mask and a (fake) chainsaw gone berserk.
Long Hill Orchards in West Newbury is in its 14th year offering haunted hayrides. The expeditions start out friendly enough; guests gather around a campfire and roast marshmallows before the wagon comes by and takes them through a portion of the farm's 150-acre apple orchard. The wagon winds through rows of apple trees and open fields where 50 haunters lurk.
Long Hill's creepiest creature? The Grim Reaper himself, says farm owner Cindy Adams.
"He will pretty much follow a wagon," says Adams, who co-owns Long Hill with her husband, John. "You'll see him roaming the campfire in the beginning."
The "cool crisp nights," Adams says, are the ultimate for these spine-chilling excursions. "You can snuggle right into the hay."
Although they're sure to stir up a scare, Adams assures that the Long Hill hayrides aren't gory and are OK for families.
Not up for a fright, but still want to experience some fall festivities? Some farms steer clear of the woods at night and stick to daytime hayrides through the fields. North Andover's Boston Hill Farm offers leisurely weekend rides.
"It's so pretty out there with all the leaves," says manager Cheryl Farnum.
And while you're taking in the foliage, you can also scope out the jack-o'-lantern material.
"You can get off and pick a pumpkin, and enjoy your time out in the field," she says.
The corn maze craze
This fall, get lost. In a corn maze, that is.
Corn-growers in the region are cutting fun into their fields with labyrinths through the cornstalks, tapping into the growing nationwide fad of corn mazes.
What's the draw?
"It's like a mission you have to solve," says Gina Murphy, manager of J & F Farms in Derry, N.H., which has a corn maze each fall. "It's full of dead ends and detours. I think it's fun to have a challenge. (People who visit the maze) always say, 'Let's go get lost!' "
Murphy's maze, cut on a one-acre plot at the farm, is on the small side as far as corn mazes go. Elwood Orchards in Londonderry, N.H., has a 4-acre maze, and Davis' Mega Maze in Sterling is 8 acres.
J & F Farms started its maze five years ago after hearing about others in the area, and Murphy says it's been a harvest-time hit since. The local farm isn't alone.
"Every year, the number of mazes goes up," says Kamille Combs, marketing director or The MAiZE, a Lake Shore, Utah-based company that cuts and designs cornfield mazes. "I think it's becoming harder and harder for farmers to make a living, and entertainment (on farms) is becoming a major source of income."
Founded in 1996, The MAiZE designed roughly 180 cornfield mazes in six countries this year (including one in Massachusetts at Marshall Farm in Fitchburg), a far cry from the three mazes it built in its first year. The company has cut some pretty intricate designs into cornfields, including an American flag, NFL logos, and famous faces like John Wayne and Oprah.
Creating a corn maze starts with a design. For the bigger ones like Davis Farms', a designer is hired to map out the route and create the shape. Davis' design this year is a star.
After the field is mapped, the corn is cut down mid-summer when the stalks are a foot or so tall. By late summer, when the rest of the cornstalks are tall enough, the maze is ready to go. Combs says the best height is at least 6 feet so the majority of people can't see over the edges and "you can be truly lost."
J & F Farms' field is even taller.
"It's about 8 feet tall," Murphy says. "Way taller than anybody that goes through it."
Haunted hayrides
* Krochmal Farms, Jennie's Way, Tewksbury. Open Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $15 per person, reservations suggested. Call 978-657-5906.
* Long Hill Orchard, 520 Main St., West Newbury. Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $10 ($8 children). Call 978-363-2170.
* Witch's Woods Haunted Hayrides, Nashoba Valley Ski Area, Power Road, Westford. Open Thursday through Sunday and Monday, Oct. 30, and Tuesday, Oct. 31, 6 to 11 p.m. Last ticket sold at 10:30 p.m. Call 978-692-3033.
Daytime hayrides
* Boston Hill Farm, 1370 Turnpike St., North Andover. Open Saturdays and Sundays through October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cost is $3. Call 978-681-8556.
* Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Ave., Amesbury. Open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Call 978-388-5525 for details.
* Smolak Farms, 315 S. Bradford St., North Andover. Group hayrides Fridays through Sundays through December (weather permitting) at 4 and 6 p.m. Cost is $12 per person, reservations required. Call 978-687-4029.
Corn mazes
* Cider Hill Farm, 45 Fern Ave., Amesbury. Open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Call 978-388-5525 for details.
* Davis' Mega Maze, Davis Farmland, Route 62, Sterling. Open Saturdays and Sundays through Veterans Day weekend (including Monday, Nov. 13) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $12.95 for adults, $9.95 children. Call 978-422-8888.
* Elwood Orchards, 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry, N.H. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through the fall. Cost is $5 for everyone except kids 5 and under, who get in free. Call 603-434-6017.
* J & F Farms, 120 Chester Road, Derry, N.H. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Cost is $2 for everyone except kids 3 and under, who get in free. Call 603-437-0516.
