BRUNSWICK, Ohio — It may not officially be fall yet, but Mapleside Farms is kicking off the season early with its Pumpkin Village.
Apple cider donuts, pumpkin and apple picking, the corn maze - all of the attractions families know and love are back for the season at the farm but, there are some new COVID-19 guidelines in place to keep everyone safe.
Families flocked to the farm for its first themed Pumpkin Village weekend, called Princesses and Pirates. Kids dressed up in their favorite costumes and could take advantage of the more than 20 attractions at Pumpkin Village, including the 311-foot super slide.
This year, to keep families safe, the farm has implemented an 11-point safety plan. Some of the new guidelines include a reduction in capacity limits and timed ticketing. Masks are not mandatory, but families are being asked to mask up when social distancing cannot be maintained.
Marketing Director Jason Kolodziej says the turnout for this first weekend has been beyond their expectations.
“More than anything, it's a sense of just getting back to some kind of normalcy right? I mean we're blessed to have over 100 acres, opened up so we can spread people out outside, you know, and just to see families getting out of the house and spending some time together,” Kolodziej said. “I think one of the things that happen, you know, is we're plugged in as a family, right? Everyone's on their social media kids are on their phones playing video games. Well this COVID, you know, being in quarantine exponentially you know now they're even more on. So this is a great way to unplug, come out, get out of the house, get away from those devices and screens, get off that ZOOM meeting and zoom down, our 311-foot super slide.”
The farm is also introducing a new, drive-up, multimedia light show called the Magic of Halloween to give families another option to enjoy the farm and stay completely socially-distanced.
That’s expected to open on September 25.
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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