When summer spirits start to fall as the warm weather recedes, they are revived by the numerous exciting activities that fall has in store. Autumn weather begins the era of corn mazes, hay rides and haunted houses. So, put on your comfy sweater, grab some apple cider and enjoy the sounds of a crackling campfire with friends.
Uncle Shuck’s Corn Maze is a fan favorite amongst the Wesleyan Community. Especially senior Emma Watkins, who has a fond memory of “jumping on her friend’s back to try and see over the corn for the exit and then falling in the mud.” Watkins also said, “The apple cider is fantastic; I would highly recommend.” This year, Uncle Shuck’s is sponsored by the Georgia Forestry Association, so this year’s maze is shaped like the “GFA” logo. The corn maze is within a 12-acre field and has over four miles of trails. The average time for one maze is 30 minutes, but two hours to complete both. Junior Tabitha Conrad said, “I love Uncle Shuck’s because it is easy to hide in the different crevasses in the maze, so I can jump out and scare my friends.”
Another fantastic corn maze in Georgia is Jaemor Farms. The maze is in Lula, Georgia which is at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains. Jaemor has a very family friendly atmosphere that caters to all ages. Aside from the corn maze, they also have hay rides, a wood carving show, fried pies and a pumpkin patch. Freshman Jada Richardson said, “I love going to the pumpkin patch there with my friends. Jaemor is always beautiful and has really good ice cream.” Although this corn maze is an hour outside of Atlanta, the beautiful scenery and exhilarating activities are well worth the journey to Lula.
On the spookier side of fall activities, there are numerous haunted houses located throughout the state. One of these haunted houses is right in Wesleyan’s neighboring city Norcross. Netherworld has been a Wesleyan fan favorite for many years. Junior Savannah Sommer said, “Netherworld is one of my favorite haunted houses. I love going there with my friends and going through the different scare houses.” This year, the house themes for Netherworld are Primal Scream and Mr. Grendel’s House of Horror.
Primal Scream includes Primordial Guardians that are out to get anyone who ventures into their realm. Some of the characters in this house include insects, corpses, a snake woman and even a flesh-eating flytrap. Mr. Grendel’s Funhouse of Horror is a 3D experience that includes camo creeps, carnivorous clowns and, of course, Mr. Grendel along with many other characters. Watch out, because Mr. Grendel kills his victims.
These two themes make for a very haunting sensation that is unforgettable. “One of the reasons that Netherworld is so great is because while you’re waiting in line, the characters will take pictures with you and try to scare you,” said junior Sam Ewing. Netherworld characters vary from clowns to dolls to chainsaw psychos, bound to give anyone who visits a fright.
One more fantastic scare in the Atlanta area is Six Flags Fright Fest. Six Flags straps on its frightening side during the month of October to cater to adrenaline junkies. At Six Flags Fright Fest, there are numerous haunted houses and scare zones throughout the park. The park has different frightening aspects depending on the time of day and location in the park. Fright Night is where the ghouls and demons come out and hide behind the corners of the park to scare anyone who happens to walk by, which is perfect for thrill seekers. Junior Elise Harper attended this year and said, “I loved going to Fright Fest with my friends. The people trying to scare you were really convincing and very spooky.”
Aside from the thrills of haunted houses and parks, fall is also a season for fun festivals. One of these festivals is Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, which is held Oct. 13-21. Located in Hiawassee, the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival has live bands, arts and crafts and many other fall themes activities. The beautiful mountains and changing leaf colors add a cozy and beautiful aspect to this festival.
The Foxfire Mountaineer Festival, that took place on Oct.7, was a must-see attraction for Georgians. The festival was in the cozy town of Clayton, Georgia and included live blue grass bands and traditional Appalachian mountain region demonstrations. The festival also had activities for kids, like arts and crafts and “who can tackle the greased pig?” From the country vibes and the fall weather, the festival was a huge success.
From corn mazes to haunted houses to fall festivals, autumn brings an abundant amount of pleasure to our community. The cool weather allows opportunities to experience nature without being too hot or too cold and take part in enjoyable activities with family and friends. The excitement does not stop after the summer ends because fall brings loads of pumpkin spice and apple cider smelling fun.
