During the day, the Carlsbad Strawberry Company is filled with bunny pens, pumpkin patches, food trucks, and many more activities. You will see a smile plastered on everyone’s faces. However, once 7 p.m. rolls around, the regular corn maze closes, and the scare actors take their places in the labyrinth, concealed by the darkness of the night and the shadows between the stalks of corn. Welcome to the Haunted Corn Maze!

When spooky season comes around, Carlsbad may not be the first place that comes to mind. With its vibrant flower fields, beaches, and Legoland, this city is known for its daytime activities and charm. Starting on Sept. 20, the Carlsbad Strawberry Company replaces their strawberry picking fields with pumpkin patches, tractor rides, and the main attraction: their annual corn maze. 

After paying the entrance fee of $15, you have access to the marigold and sunflower fields, pumpkin patches, tricycle races, and food vendors. If you want to challenge yourself in the 1.5-mile-long regular corn maze, that’s an additional $10. Although we considered these events, my friends and I decided to challenge ourselves with the ultimate Halloween test: the Haunted Corn Maze.

From Oct. 4 to Nov. 2, Carlsbad Strawberry Company has teamed up with Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation to create this scary twist on their classic maze to celebrate spooky season. This adventure is open every Friday and Saturday night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is an additional fee of $25 for this haunted maze, which can be pricey, but there are still crowds of people lining up to enter.

As my friends and I waited in line, we noticed warning signs that read, “Beware of clowns, scarecrows, rats, spiders, snakes, tasers, zombies, Kens and Karens, dolls, politicians, and chainsaws.” While my friends’ fear levels ranged from screaming to nonchalant and unaffected, we were all alarmed by the thought of chainsaws.

We approached the front of the line and were directed to the entrance. Seven-foot-tall stalks of corn stood in front of us, creating a dark pathway into the maze before we took a left turn. I felt like Harry Potter entering the labyrinth in the Triwizard tournament.

My advice to you is: if you are easily scared, the last thing you want to do is run — that’s what happened to my friend right in front of my eyes. As one of the scare actors approached my friend’s side, she let go of her iron-tight grip on my arm and sprinted down the maze with the actor on her heels. I lost sight of her and could only hear her screams echoing deep into the maze. The rest of us got a good laugh out of that before karma hit us with a scare actor silently creeping up behind us.

The scares that frightened me the most were when actors blended in with the statues; you never knew which ones were real people. An honorable mention goes to the actors shaking rattle boxes who got up close and personal at a volume that vibrated through my skull. I found out that day that loud noises were my weakness. I had to constantly remind myself that they were not allowed to touch me, no matter how much they invaded my personal space. Once we hit the chainsaw part of the maze, I mentally had to stress that fact even more. Although there were no blades in the chainsaw, the sound and sight alone were enough to make my hair stand on end.

As we finally neared the end of the maze, we thought we were safe, so we lined up for the photo booth. This was a strategic move; everyone was relaxed and thus oblivious to the handful of scare actors loitering around. My friends and I fell victim to their antics: we barely noticed the actor uncomfortably close behind us.

While deciding whether to attend this event, the crowd I anticipated made me skeptical about the quality of the scare. The high foot traffic did take away the maze aspect of the experience, as everyone was on the same path and there was not much space to explore and get lost inside; the maze staff were directing traffic, with very few splitting paths. However, the maze actors roamed the area as opposed to being glued to a spot and made everyone’s experience unique and unpredictable between each group. After delivering their scare, they retreated back into the maze to reappear in another section, seemingly knowing the layout like the back of their hand. As a result, even with the crowd, the overall experience was scary but memorable. 

While the experience was pricey, the adventure was long and the crowd was well-controlled. If the price is the only factor that I am chastising, then Carlsbad Strawberry Company did a splendid job. So, if you’re looking for a scare, head on down to the Haunted Corn Maze … before it’s too late!