Maple Lane Farms, located in Greenback, Tennessee, opened for its 24th year this fall and it’s the epitome of a Hallmark movie.
The farm initially began in 1993, when owner Bob Schmidt grew his own pumpkins in the fall and sold them to the public. With such a successful event, Schmidt made the event annual and implemented the Maple Lane maze in 1999, which was Greenback’s first.
Maple Lane Farms is a great spot for an area full of plentiful activities. So far this year, every corner of the property has had returning visitors and new residents who were prepared for fall time in Tennessee. Families of all ages were lined up around the corner with their personally picked pumpkins in hand, ready to be checked out after a leisurely hayride.
While parents patiently waited, dozens of children kept themselves busy in inflatable bouncy castles as they heard the faint country singing of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” coming through the speakers on the farm.
GREENBACK, TN - The Farm Market where you can buy pumpkins and other souvenirs at Maple Lane Farms. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.
Marcus Webb, farm manager, said that this is their busiest year yet. He believes it’s partially because of the large population of newcomers moving to the East Tennessee area, and also because the weather has been perfect.
Along with the return of bouncy castles, there are some new food vendors and a newly designed corn maze. The haunted maze is sure to bring some scares for the spookiest time of the year.
GREENBACK, TN - A tongue-in-cheek warning before you enter the maze at Maple Lane Farms. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.
Webb predicts the haunted maze will be even better this year because of the new layout. This year’s design, sponsored by Visit Knoxville, is based around the 40th anniversary of the World’s Fair – naturally, it’s the Sunsphere.
“A lot of students at UT in years’ past have come out for that (the haunted maze),” Webb said. “There’s a lot of new little props this year, mostly a lot of jump scare stuff. This maze is actually set up really well for us, as far as haunting. There’s a lot more little nooks and crannies for us to hide in. It’s a little more complex.”
GREENBACK, TN - The front of the corn maze at Maple Lane Farms. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022.
The haunted maze starts Oct. 21-31 from dusk to close. The farm will let the last visitors come in at 10 p.m. For those that don’t care for a good scare, there are still some night hayrides if people cannot make it during the day.
Webb has also found more people talking about how little the light pollution is by the farm at night.
“I hear a lot of buzz of people saying, ‘I’ve never seen this many stars before’ because we don’t have the city lights,” Webb said. “So that’s a big thing on the tractor rides is people not realizing how many stars were out in the country.”
Even the employees at the farm have found their little moments of joy throughout the duration of the autumn season.
“The little kids that come up with their faces painted, and they’re liftin’ their big pumpkins up, that’s just the coolest part. They’re just so excited … Their joy is just so natural and just so fun. It’s the people that make you smile,” Lindsay Tobin, one of the pumpkin cashiers, said.
“I think we ooh and ahh over kids more than anything,” Casey Tyler, another pumpkin cashier, said.
Webb ensures that this is a safe place for friends and family, and the haunted maze will also have security on standby for extra protection.
If you’re looking for some local fun at an affordable price, Maple Lane Farms will be open until the end of October on Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 12-6 p.m. For more information visit their website https://tnmaplelanefarms.com/
