In its testing phase, the corn maze triumphed after fickle ice-cream mazes melted too quickly, and messy honeycomb mazes kept attracting migrating bears. Pick a winner with today’s Groupon to the 11th Annual Keller’s Corn Maze at Keller’s Farm, held every Saturday and Sunday from Sept.17 to Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Columbus Day. This Groupon is valid at the location in Oswego. Children 3 years old or younger receive free admission. Choose from the following options:
- For $6, you get two tickets (a $12 value).
- For $11, you get four tickets (a $24 value).
- For $16, you get six tickets (a $36 value).
Tickets includes admission to:
- 12-acre corn maze
- Hay-wagon rides
- Pedal tractors
- Kid’s straw maze
- Grain sandboxes
- Large kids’ play area
- Farm-animal area in October
Each year, Keller’s Farmstand lights up Oswego with festive corn- and hay-lined fall activities. Groups can traverse 12 acres of cornfield as they stalk through a perplexing maze that evokes nostalgia for roaming in bands of cornfield-dwelling ragamuffins. Following the tangled trek, maze conquerors step aboard a hay-wagon ride for a scenic victory lap, and tykes test the acceleration of pedal tractors or deposit youthful energy at the kid’s straw maze.
During October, farm animals graze around fenced-in fields, basking in the luxury of fur-ruffling hands or sifting through tall grasses for stray Lilliputians. To further capture kids’ attention, the staff fills sandboxes with grains and constructs a large kids’ play area that offers a pirate ship, castle, train, tractor, and truck for junior exploration.
Keller's Farmstand
Keller's Farmstand was established only 25 years ago, but its roots run all the way back to the 19th century. Since emigrating from Bavaria in the mid-1800s, the Kellers have produced four generations of green-thumbed farmers, most of whom answered to the name Frank. It was during the reign of Franks I and II that the Kellers' first roadside produce stand opened, and the family's crop of grapes, raspberries, and potatoes helped their homestead survive the Great Depression. In the 1960s, brothers Frank III and Ray took over their father's farm and expanded the scope with corn, soybeans, oats, and hay grown on fields in Plainfield and Oswego. In 1991, Frank IV opened his first vegetable kiosk, and Kellers Farmstand was officially inaugurated.
These days, the three farmstands are open during the spring, summer, and fall, welcoming guests with fresh-picked seasonal offerings and annual harvest festivals. Depending on the location and the time of year, guests might find heirloom-tomato plants and flowers in finely wrought hanging baskets, ears of the family's specialty sweet corn, or homegrown pumpkins, gourds, and winter squashes. Their news page keeps shoppers up-to-date on the latest goings-on, with regular updates on flower sales, rain delays, recipes, and more.