MANSFIELD – Thursday, Sept. 22 marked the official first day of fall, and what better way to celebrate than a brand-new venue for fall fun in Mansfield?
Tucked away in the countryside at 1149 Kings Corner Rd. East is The Barnyard, a family-friendly fall destination with more than 15 attractions, including a corn maze. The Barnyard hosted its official ribbon cutting on Thursday.
It’s the newest project of Matt and Kim Haring, husband and wife who recently returned to the Mansfield area after almost two decades away.
“We moved down to help out my husband’s parents as they get older, and we were ready for a change,” said Kim Haring. “We really didn’t plan on doing this again, but the family convinced us to.”
It’s is the first year for The Barnyard in the Mansfield area, but it’s not a new venture for the Harings – Matt and Kim hosted their own corn maze and fall festival destination for more than 13 years in Canada.
“We’ve been gone from this area for 19 years,” said Kim Haring. “To come back and see that the area is a little economically depressed, there’s not a lot for families to do.”
That changed with the addition of The Barnyard. The fall experience includes a four-acre corn maze, gemstone mining, a pumpkin cannon and pumpkin slingshot, train and wagon rides, hillside slides and inflatables, barnyard games, a petting farm and even a “corn” box.
“Kids love the corn box, it’s a real sensory thing. We opened for church on Sunday and we had kids burying their face in it. I’m sure the parents loved that,” Haring said with a laugh.
The Barnyard’s corn maze is a work of art in itself. With the help of The MAiZE company, the world’s leading designer of nearly 3,000 corn mazes, the Haring’s corn maze pays homage to the 50th anniversary of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
The correct pathway of the corn maze can be walked in 15 minutes, however most maze-goers will probably be gone much longer traveling through more than a mile of twists and turns. The maze is designed in the shape of Linus in the pumpkin patch, and the rest of The Barnyard features Great Pumpkin artwork perfect for photo ops.
“Corn mazes are all about providing a fun and interactive experience for our visitors – even the adults feel like kids again,” said Matt Haring. “And that’s exactly what Peanuts does, because aren’t we all kids again when we see Snoopy and Charlie Brown? This is the perfect match of holiday traditions.”
The Barnyard will officially open for the season on Saturday, Sept. 24 and close on Oct. 23. Special events are scheduled for every weekend of the season, including hometown heroes weekend, superhero and princess day, Western day, the Great Pumpkin celebration, and a Halloween extravaganza.
Kim Haring said she still thinks of this opening season at The Barnyard as a stepping stone, with plans to offer activities for kids year-round. Still, it’s nice to sit back and enjoy the fall fun.
“We’re excited to see something we worked on come to fruition,” she said. “That’s always a nice feeling, and to see that it’s accepted so well by the public.”
For more information about activities, pricing and location, visit http://www.thebarnyardpark.com/.Â
