I go to the Mesilla Valley Maze every year, and I'm never disappointed. I invite friends and colleagues every year, and most of them turn it into an annual tradition. Most of my friends are fellow grad students, and some are from the Midwest and are usually homesick by this time in the semester. They love the corn maze and the pumpkin patch (and the food). When you're out there, you forget that you're in the desert. The view of the mountains from the pumpkin patch is amazing. Every year we end up going to the maze more than once, and leave with at least a dozen pumpkins and tons of little gourds. It doesn't feel like fall or like Halloween if we don't go at least once.
I'm seriously confused by some of the reviews. I'm not entirely sure what people are expecting when they go to a corn maze and pumpkin patch family fun farm, but if upcycled attractions made out of pvc piping, antique farm equipment, giant tires, and bails of hay are disappointing, you might want to reevaluate your expectations of outdoor family fun. The duck races are the coolest contraption I've seen that is made out of pvc pipe and a water pump. Seriously creative!
I must be stupid, because I'm having a difficult time understanding the complaints about the pumpkin patch. If you're concerned about not finding awesome pumpkins, I highly suggest going opening weekend. Otherwise keep in mind that when there are at least 3000 people visiting on any given Saturday or Sunday, and who knows how many school children during the week (each getting a free pumpkin), it might be slim pickings the rest of the time. That's just how it is. The pumpkin patch does not replenish itself overnight, and little pumpkin patch elves don't visit and magically grow more pumpkins. This year, the selection wasn't great when I went, and based on the pumpkins I saw, it probably has to do with too much rain and that hail we got. If you look at the pumpkins, you can see where hail did some damage. But I didn't know that the people who run the maze are responsible for controlling the weather. If I had known, I would have requested a white Christmas this year.
What happened to creativity and enjoying the outdoors? What happened to having fun walking through a pumpkin patch and picking out one nobody else has? Since when do we expect everything for cheap or free? It can easily cost a family of four $50 to go to the movies at the mall. Then you're just paying $50 to sit in the dark for two hours and not interact with your family at all. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but I don't see anyone demanding that we should get free popcorn and sodas because we paid $32 to get in. Seriously?
I love October, I love fall, I love community and happy people, and I love pumpkins. I go to the Mesilla Valley Maze every year because it feels like home and it reminds me of good times with friends who are now my family (and they will be gone soon). If you haven't been to the maze, don't let these bad reviews keep you from going. Is it expensive? Some people think so, but some of those people, including myself, also believe that you can't put a price on spending the day with family and creating memories. read more