Story by Alyse Miller

Lucy Miller (left) and Wendy Miller (right) try the giant slide at the Lethbridge Corn Maze on Oct. 18. The girls explored what activities they had to offer with their family.

Wandering through a corn maze is a signature sign that autumn has arrived. As you journey through the trembling stalks, they seem to wrap around you creeping closer with every step. The once clear path begins to morph into a swirling maze of confusion. 

Step by step you begin to question what you’ve stumbled into. The way out dims into the distance as you scramble, eyes scanning desperately for the way out. These twisting passageways are often a delightful challenge and exciting way to celebrate the fall season. 

Every event has a story, fascinating facts and an undiscovered history. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a returning visitor, the Lethbridge Corn Maze never fails to delight. 

Returning visitors know one thing for sure, the corn maze never stays the same. Each year brings a fresh design to the Lethbridge Corn Maze, and this season’s theme pays tribute to southern Alberta. 

The maze features a creative picture of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump that symbolizes elements of a cloud with a Chinook wind symbol and outline of the iconic Chief Mountain. 

In this article, we’ll be discussing the top three things you may not know about Lethbridge Corn Maze. 

History 

Starting off with the history, the Lethbridge Corn Maze has grown into one of southern Alberta’s favourite fall attractions. Established in 2000 it started off as a fun farm experience for family, friends and visitors. Before it became a maze, the Lethbridge Corn maze was known as the Robin Thicke Berry Farm. 

“Not a lot of people knew the corn maze was originally named Robin Thicke Berry Farm, so we had to change it to the corn maze name once we added in the maze,” said Michael Slingerland, employee at the Lethbridge Corn Maze. 

In 1992, Theo Slingerland, owner of the Lethbridge Corn Maze, bought the farm and land where the maze now sits. He started off with a small section and decided to grow Saskatoon berries and strawberries in 1995. After that he started looking for ways to attract and gather more people onto the property. 

“We sold people the berries and sometimes you process and you may sell jam and that kind of stuff. You show that idea fresh or frozen or processed,” said Theo. 

Robin Thicke Berry Farm started with Saskatoon berries and strawberries but later on changed their crop to pumpkins. Theo says the labour of planting the berries was quite intense. There were years where he would make good money, but the average was too much work for the amount of money he got. 

“Pumpkins were a bit easier, and it fit with the theme of the farm. It was just a combination of amazing pumpkins. It’s been great for us,” says Theo. 

When Robin Thicke Berry Farms added a corn maze in the 2000’s, not a lot of people initially knew what a corn maze was thinking it was maze, the Spanish word for corn. 

“They thought that we were selling sweet corn or something,” said Theo. 

As the Lethbridge Corn Maze continued to expand, they had to educate people about the fun of walking through a labyrinth of tall leafy stalks and what they had to offer. 

Maze designs begin as a stretch 

Every winter, Theo carefully plans and sketches the design for the upcoming corn maze. Step-by-step Theo envisions visitors’ perspective, how they’ll navigate the twists, where they might hesitate and which paths will tempt them to turn back. 

“I’ve always designed it myself. I’ve always cut it out myself. I’m an old-fashioned guy. I get a pencil and paper to craft out my designs and I’ll continue to for as long as I can,” says Theo. 

Designing the corn maze begins with Theo drawing inspiration from the everyday sights around him. 

“One time I was just in the bathroom and I saw a beautiful tile. And so I decided, okay, we’re going to make something like that. So that’s how I started on crafting ideas for the maze,” says Theo. 

He encourages ideas and suggestions when creating designs for the next maze and thoughtfully considers every concept brought his way, whether it’s from visitors, family, or staff. In fact, one year, when a cousin suggested designing the maze in the shape of a spider web, Theo made it happen. 

“It worked out really good. Each year we try to create something new. Feedback and suggestions are always helpful as well,” said Theo. 

New attractions are offered each year

Life on a farm isn’t polished, it’s gritty, real, and yes, your boots will get dirty. 

“Well it is a farm, it’s not smooth. It’s not paved. People aren’t used to the smell of the farm animals, but after a while people get used to everything,” says Theo. 

Each year, the Lethbridge Corn Maze expands its offerings with new activities to attract more visitors. This year’s standout new attraction was the corn pits. Imagine a sandbox, but instead of sand, it’s filled with kernels of corn. Some new additions are going into a closed area to pet the bunnies, a revamped giant slide and improvements for the hand sanitization stations. 

“When we first started out the main entrance was an old canvas tent. Some improvements over the years have been upgrading our admission sales area, a full size barn and pumpkin barn, things like that. We try to improve on the overall experience every year as well,” says Michael. 

Upcoming work before winter includes adding in a second jumping pillow and continuing to fix, replace, and upgrade other areas around the farm. The Lethbridge Corn Maze values customers feedback and continually adds new features to enhance the farm experience and welcome more visitors in. 

“Creating the designs is always satisfying, but my other favourite thing like is… the people we meet, the people you get to know over the years, and people who are always nice and friendly when they come out and the reactions I get from them,” says Theo.  

The main reason behind transforming the farm was to attract more visitors, offer a genuine farm experience, connect with the community, and create a sustainable way to earn income for a small farm. 

“That’s basically the biggest reason why we started. We didn’t anticipate it to get as big as it is now,” says Theo. 

The Lethbridge Corn Maze isn’t just rows of corn. It’s a place where creativity meets community, every twist in the path tells a story. Whether you’re chasing clues in the maze, interacting with the animals, or trying the variety of activities, each visit offers something new. With Theo’s passion and the farm’s ever-growing list of attractions, it’s clear this local gem will keep delighting visitors for seasons to come.