CUISINE
Clockwise from top left: The corn crib at Godfrey’s Fall Corn Festival is the event’s second most popular activity after the Great Corn
Maze. Picking apples at one of three Eckert’s Family Farms is a tradition that’s become an annual event for countless families to enjoy.
Pumpkins from mini- to monster-size are the main attraction at the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival near Columbia, Missouri.
Acres of corn at Brookdale Farms in Eureka, Missouri, are transformed each fall into St. Louis County’s largest corn mazes.
Sept. 14 marks the opening of Eureka’s Brookdale Farms Corn Maze.
With 26 total acres, Brookdale is the largest corn maze destination in St.
Louis. Owner Jerry Kirk reports this year’s family-friendly maze theme
is “Thank a Farmer.” After the sun sets, the farm gets haunted with
Brookdale’s creepier attractions. brookdalefarmsinc.com/corn-maze
Harvest crops, corn stalks and nontraditional mazes add to fall
activities at Stuckmeyer’s Farm, Market and Greenhouse and Eckert’s
Family Farms. Eckert’s, whose family began farming in 1837, includes
farms in Millstadt, Grafton and Belleville, Illinois. Each location has its
own twist to its annual Applefest and Pumpkin Jamboree. “And it’s the
first year for the sunflower maze at the Belleville location,” said Angie
Eckert, vice president of retail operations. eckerts.com
Stuckmeyer’s Farm, located near the intersection of Highways 141
and 21, counts four generations working the farm. Representing the
third generation is Linda Beckmeier. “For nearly 40 years, we’ve had
fall festivals, which started with straw mazes built on the parking lot,”
Beckmeier said. “After the straw maze, we added hayrides and Fort
Spooky for the kids, and there’s always plenty of pumpkins and Indian
corn, along with the last of the fresh vegetable harvest.” stuckmeyers.com
Covering 28 acres, Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois, has
the title of the largest corn maze in the county. While the scale is
intimidating, you won’t get lost.
“We don’t think people enjoy feeling lost,” owner Robert Richardson
said. “That’s why we design our mazes with no dead ends and why
everyone gets a map.” richardsonadventurefarm.com
Back in Missouri, just 15 miles south of Columbia, is the tiny village
of Hartsburg, population 108. During the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival
(Oct. 13 and 14), thousands come to pick pumpkins and maneuver
through the straw maze. After traversing the maze, chow down on local
baked pumpkin goodies. Before heading home, pick a pumpkin to take
home, and plan to make a pie. hartsburgpumpkinfest.com
Corbett is the author of “The Gilded Table,” “Pushcarts & Stalls: The
Soulard Market History Cookbooks” and “Unique Eats and Eateries of St.
Louis.” She can be contacted at [email protected].
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