Von Thun’s Country Farm Market reveals 'Marvelous Superhero' maze theme

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – "Zounds!" It's that time of year again and Von Thun’s Country Farm Market will open their maze for the fall on Saturday, Sept. 22, kicking off the first of six Fall Harvest weekends. For 2018, their effort — a "Marvelous Superhero Maze" — will be based on beloved superhero characters and their best-known symbols.  

"As an avid superhero fan, I was excited we chose to pursue this maze theme this year," said Timothy Von Thun, fifth-generation farmer at Von Thun’s. "With new superheros movies coming out, there's been a lot of noise around it. You see the kids coming to the farm wearing superhero t-shirts and we thought it would be a great theme that kids would like. It's a lot of fun coming up with the designs and then seeing it come to fruition."  

In operation for more than 100 years, Von Thun's has been welcoming families to the farm every fall for a corn maze, hayrides, apple, berry and pumpkin picking and more than 25 other family-friendly activities for 30 years.

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The "Marvelous Superhero Maze" is created out of more than six acres of corn by The MaiZE CompanyThe maze’s design includes a large spider, a hammer, a star-studded shield and a well-recognized helmet which create more than three miles of twists and turns to keep visitors on their toes. So, think Spiderman, Thor, Captain America and Iron Man as the Avenger fan favorites being depicted this year. 

As visitors walk through the corn maze, they have the opportunity play some games. In the Passport Game, they answer a series of questions testing their superhero knowledge. If they get the answer correct, they will be provided with a directional hint to keep them on the right path. If not, there's a chance maze-goers might just be wandering around for a while. There is a maze map with landmarks on the back of the booklet given to participants, but typically it is only used as a last resort.

"Over the years, I have only had to talk to about a half dozen people on the phone needing help getting out of the maze," said Von Thun, who is the oldest of the youngest Von Thun generation. "Mostly, people are pretty good about getting out."

Keeping in mind that some visitors may not want to walk the full three miles, Von Thun’s has designed two phases within the maze. Phase I offers a shorter, less challenging trail, often popular with school tour groups. Within Phase I is a storybook that tells an anti-bullying message. Phase II contains a majority of the twists and turns as well as the superhero trivia questions. Upon entry, visitors choose which of the two phases to follow .  

There also is a new game called Maze-opoly. According to Von Thun, there is a game board and visitors search for different signs throughout the maze to punch out on their booklet. If enough are found, players "earn" money and can become "Farmer of the Year."

The fall festival has grown over the years. Von Thun recalls in the 1990s, his parents had hayrides, a moon bounce, family fun activities and a small maze with a design that his father would cut out of the corn field himself.

"Dad would go out there on a little tractor and just drive and try to not run into a path he already made. He would drive around an make some zig-zags. We've added a lot since then," Timothy Von Thun said.

Now, The MaiZE company designs and creates the mazes. Past years' mazes have included an homage to New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter in 2014, the year of his retirement; Mets catcher Mike Piazza in 2016 to honor his Baseball Hall of Fame induction; East Brunswick American Idol finalist Jax in 2015 and last year featured a Minion from the "Despicable Me" movie series. Von Thun’s first maze in 2008 — which was also the first in Central Jersey — benefited the New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger Program.

As part of the MaiZE family, VonThun's has a network of other maze members that support each other during the harvest season. 

"People view us all as competitors, but we really are a family," Von Thun said. "We call each other up for advice and bounce ideas off each other. It's a community."

Since Von Thun’s offers a one-price admission, visitors have their choice of plenty of activities once they have completed the maze. They can to hop on a hayride to the pumpkin patch, where there is an ample amount of photo-opportunities or meander around the activity area and take part in more than 25 activities including jumping on the inflatable moon bounce, playing barnyard mini golf, competing in rubber duck races and racing on the pedal kart speedway. 

The maze will open for the season on Sept. 22 and will be open daily through Oct. 31. Weekday hours of operation are 1 to 5 p.m. and is $8 and on weekends, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for $12.99. The general farm admission provides unlimited access to the maze and most of the farm’s other activities and attractions all day.

Von Thun’s Country Farm Market is at 505 Ridge Road off of Route 130 in the Dayton section of South Brunswick. Go to www.vonthunfarms.com/sb/fall-fun/ for additional information and a list of fall activities and events.

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@gannettnj.com