Kids who grew up on the farm know that a tall corn field can provide lots of fun. Now Rio Grande Maize in Mercedes is proving to the hi-tech world that agri-tainment is fun for everyone... Pumpkins lay ripe in the field, the corn is ready for or past harvest, and Halloween is just a few days away, and the McCutchen family of Mercedes have brought the “MAiZE craze” back to South Texas again this year. The McCutchen Farm has been the site of a fun-filled corn maze for the last couple of years, and this year’s maze is already proving to be bigger and better than ever before with nine acres of corn maze that will take adults and kids through a complicated but fun-filled trek that promises to challenge even the sharpest minds. The overall theme for the 2007 maze is “Remembering Our Valley Soldiers”, a beautifully carved and landscaped maze that, when observed from above, shows a modern day soldier clad in uniform and field gear bowing before a cross, perhaps a grave site of another fallen soldier. But the highlight of the season is the special Halloween “Maize”. It’s the same great maze, but on select dates in October creatures lurk between the stalks and the maze tours are conducted after dark - a real twist for kids of all ages looking for a little Halloween entertainment this season. With nine acres of corn planted and their new mind-boggling design now created, the popular Mercedes labyrinth that drew thousands of visitors last fall is once again getting curious maze-goers lost! Part of an increasingly popular “agri-tainment” trend, this educational and exciting family entertainment venture is joined this year by more than 160 affiliated MAiZE sites across the United States, Canada and Pumpkins lay ripe in the field, the corn is ready for or past harvest, and Halloween is just a few days away, and the McCutchen family of Mercedes have brought the “MAiZE craze” back to South Texas again this year. The McCutchen Farm has been the site of a fun-filled corn maze for the last couple of years, and this year’s maze is already proving to be bigger and better than ever before with nine acres of corn maze that will take adults and kids through a complicated but fun-filled trek that promises to challenge even the sharpest minds. The overall theme for the 2007 maze is “Remembering Our Valley Soldiers”, a beautifully carved and landscaped maze that, when observed from above, shows a modern day soldier clad in uniform and field gear bowing before a cross, perhaps a grave site of another fallen soldier. But the highlight of the season is the special Halloween “Maize”. It’s the same great maze, but on select dates in October creatures lurk between the stalks and the maze tours are conducted after dark - a real twist for kids of all ages looking for a little Halloween entertainment this season. With nine acres of corn planted and their new mind-boggling design now created, the popular Mercedes labyrinth that drew thousands of visitors last fall is once again getting curious maze-goers lost! Part of an increasingly popular “agri-tainment” trend, this educational and exciting family entertainment venture is joined this year by more than 160 affiliated MAiZE sites across the United States, Canada and Pumpkins lay ripe in the field, the corn is ready for or past harvest, and Halloween is just a few days away, and the McCutchen family of Mercedes have brought the “MAiZE craze” back to South Texas again this year. The McCutchen Farm has been the site of a fun-filled corn maze for the last couple of years, and this year’s maze is already proving to be bigger and better than ever before with nine acres of corn maze that will take adults and kids through a complicated but fun-filled trek that promises to challenge even the sharpest minds. The overall theme for the 2007 maze is “Remembering Our Valley Soldiers”, a beautifully carved and landscaped maze that, when observed from above, shows a modern day soldier clad in uniform and field gear bowing before a cross, perhaps a grave site of another fallen soldier. But the highlight of the season is the special Halloween “Maize”. It’s the same great maze, but on select dates in October creatures lurk between the stalks and the maze tours are conducted after dark - a real twist for kids of all ages looking for a little Halloween entertainment this season. With nine acres of corn planted and their new mind-boggling design now created, the popular Mercedes labyrinth that drew thousands of visitors last fall is once again getting curious maze-goers lost! Part of an increasingly popular “agri-tainment” trend, this educational and exciting family entertainment venture is joined this year by more than 160 affiliated MAiZE sites across the United States, Canada and Europe who are showcasing what they call a return to family entertainment, a day when Mom and Pop and all the kids participated in activities together. The real challenge of the maze, of course, is choosing the correct path to take to get you to the end. And while that may sound simple enough, the truth is, once you get into the maize you are required to make many decisions on which path to take. Many of the paths result in dead ends, making it common practise to double back in search of the right path. Of course, the maize isn’t rocket science. The correct pathways can be walked in under 30 minutes, but most directionally-challenged visitors – adults and children alike -- will require about an hour to travel through more than two miles of twists and turns and 85 different decision points. The McCutchen maize project represents a growing trend on the farm, a way for farmers to diversify their property and increase their family income. And worldwide the trend is catching on. Successful maize operations exist all across the nation and are also growing in popularity in Europe. Like mysterious crop circles, these unique and enterprising maizes are proving to be an effective way for farmers to expand their family-owned businesses and supplement their income in a way that both promotes community awareness and helps in developing new ways to use the land in an environmentally-friendly way. The McCutchens say that while families are flocking to their maize as a way of spending time together, they report that the bulk of public interest comes from school groups. The maize provides the perfect opportunity for a school or class to enjoy a wholesome field trip because it offers a great outdoor activity while promoting environmental awareness. The Rio Grande Valley MAiZE caters to school field trips during the day and has created an elementary education campaign that includes: customized ag-in-the-classroom lesson plans and activity sheets for teachers, discounted field trip opportunities, on-site educational displays, and an agricultural “passport” that integrates education into the maze experience and helps guide students along the correct pathway. Teachers can access curriculum materials online at the Cornfield MAiZE website. Interactive 'Passports' are available for groups and the general public. Each contains ten questions that quiz the user on a chosen subject, and those who answer the questions correctly will receive clues that guide them along the correct path to the exit. Subjects include: sports, boy scouting, girl scouting, scriptural, American history, interactive, team building, 4-H, Halloween, tiny tots, movies/music/tv, and agriculture. In addition, they offer a special Texas History 'Passport' that has been developed exclusively for all the Texas mazes. Special events are also an important part of the McCutchen Maize project. Events include: A-MAiZE-ing Race The McCutchens have teamed up with television channel KGBT-4 to offer the 2nd annual amazing race on November 3, with loads of events, many new for 2007. For the Girl Scouts there is a special Scarecrow making contest, and the Boy Scouts can participate in a Pumpkin Launcher contest. Photo Prop Art There is also a contest for Middle School and High School Art students. Plywood board will be provided by calling 956-975-1702 to reserve a 4' x 4' board. All pictures must depict either farm life, farm animals, farm people or anything with a Fall season theme. Veterans Weekend Special - November 9-11 The public is invited to help remember our Valley soldiers who have fought and fallen. That weekend, all active-duty military are invited to a challenging experience at the MAiZE. Any current or former soldier with a valid Military ID can get a $2 discount on one adult admission and a prize for each child. Toys For Tots Sponsored by KTEX 100.3, HotKiss 106.3 and Wild B 104 Radio, this event provides for free maze admission for everyone who brings a new, packaged toy for donation to the "Toys for Tots" program. Hours & Admission Open October 5th-6th, 12th-13th, 19th-20th, 26th-27th, and 31st. Open nightly, 8-11pm. MAiZE Tickets: Adults $7.00 ... Children (ages 4-11) $5.00 ... Seniors (65+) $5.00 Ticket Prices for the Haunted MAiZE $12.00 ... All ages.