Get lost in the maize!

Jonamac Orchard, located at 19412 Shabbona Road in Malta, has opened its third annual corn maze for the fall season.

“Every year we come up with a sketch of what we want the maze to look like and we work with a maze designer who plans it out for us,” orchard owner Kevin McArtor said.

Utah-based designer Brett Herbst sends the plans to Jonamac Orchard along with a few pointers for the easiest way to construct the maze.

“We do all of the cut-outs ourselves in June without any of the designers’ help,” McArtor said. “I didn’t even really know what the design looked like until we saw the aerial photos.”

This year’s maze is shaped like a scarecrow. It is an intricate network of twists and turns carved into a nine-acre field of corn that is 8 feet tall, according to the press release.

The three-mile route is split into two parts with a rest point in the middle where “lost souls” may use the bathroom or warm up with some hot apple cider and a caramel apple.

Passports and maps are given out to help those exploring the maze. The passports are trivia quizzes that, with the correct answer, will help people through the twists and turns. The average travel time from start to finish is between 45 minutes to an hour.

Those who chose to forego the map will risk getting lost in the maze. There are “Corn Cops” patrolling the pathways to make sure that you are safe, well-directed and aren’t misbehaving.

“This year, we are taking a more serious approach to the haunted maze,” McArtor said. “It is surprising how well it has been received in the past, so we plan to take the scariness up a notch this year.”

McArtor has made plans to recruit some drama students from NIU to help with the spooks. His son, 6-year-old Jacob, remembers how much fun the haunted maze was last year.

“We found underwear in there!” he said. “We scared the pants off of somebody!”

McArtor also asks that everybody visiting the maze stays sober.

“We find the most trouble on the night of Halloween,” he said. “We hate to throw anybody out.”

Jonamac Orchard has several attractions in addition to the maze.

“We have 5,000 apple trees and when it is time to harvest, we will offer hay rides through the orchard,” McArtor said.

Jonamac will host the annual Heritage Days on Oct. 5 and 6 as well. The weekend will feature people dressed in authentic clothing and artisans making corn husk dolls and weaving baskets.

All attractions at the orchard are free, except for the corn maze, which is $6 for adults and $4 for children ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and under are free.

McArtor encourages people to see the orchard early this season.

“As we get busier in October, the fields get worn and don’t look as good as they do in September,” he said.

He also added that the earlier you go, the less crowds you have to contend with.

“We spend most of our efforts just trying to handle the crowds. I think we had about 800 people in one hour last Halloween.”

The maze will be open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Halloween. The maze will be haunted on the nights of October 18-20, 25-27, 30 and 31.