New York Farmer Creates Super Mario Bros.-Inspired Corn Maze

Tim Stoughton, owner of Stoughton Farm in Newark Valley, New York, is turning farming into art: According to Business Insider, he and his wife, Deb, have created an elaborate, large-scale corn maze featuring images of Super Mario Bros. characters Mario, Luigi, the Princess, Toad, and Yoshi.

The maze stretches across nearly eight acres of land, and took Stoughton and his employees a few weeks to plant. Stoughton hired a company in Utah to design the maze’s whimsical, video game-inspired layout, but the idea for the design, he told ABC News, came courtesy of Deb.

"She just liked the idea of the Mario brothers because everybody pretty much knows what they are and it’d be fun for the kids to see," Stoughton said.

For the couple, planting a playfully intricate corn maze is an annual fall tradition. They have built a themed labyrinth each year since 2005, and they estimate that their corn creations attract around 10,000 visitors per year. Each one features a brand-new motif: According to Syracuse.com, past maze designs have included a vampire, "Sleepy Hollow"-style horse racing, and a homage to renewable energy.

The maze is fun, but it’s also good for the Stoughtons’ bottom line. Years ago, they began planting the maze because it helped attract attention and visitors to Stoughton Farm. The farm sells freshly grown produce and flowers, and also offers berry picking, autumn hay rides, and other seasonal activities.

Word to the wise: Footage of the Mario maze has already gone viral—thanks in part to an aerial photo that the Stoughtons’ pilot friend, Mike Weinmann, posted to Reddit—but it doesn’t officially open for the season until September 17. After that, the maze will be open seven days a week until October 31. Find out prices, hours of operation, and more at Stoughton Farm’s website.

[h/t Business Insider]

Banner image courtesy of iStock.

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