‘We all love Charlie Brown’: Robinette’s corn maze features nostalgic design

GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A Grand Rapids-area corn maze is returning this fall with a nostalgic twist.

Robinette’s Apple Haus and Winery on 4 Mile Road NE near the East Beltine is one of about 75 farms across North America — and one of three in Michigan, alongside Gull Meadow Farms near Richland and Uncle John’s Cider Mill in Mid-Michigan — that will create a Peanuts-themed corn maze.

It’s all in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Charles Schulz’s iconic comic strip.

“It’s a really exciting thing,” Allan Robinette, operations manager for Robinette’s, said. “We all love Charlie Brown, and it’s a great thing for families to come and visit on the farm.”

Robinette told News 8 that the farm chose to depict Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin, from the 1966 Halloween special, on its 6.5-acre maze.

“We just wanted that iconic look to it….It looks a little better than Pig-Pen,” he joked. “That one’s hard to do in a corn maze.”

Robinette’s works with corn maze consulting company The MAiZE to design and cut its mazes. The corn is planted in a grid and cut while it’s young, Robinette explained, so that it grows in the shape of the design.

He said the excitement for this year’s maze, which opens Sept. 3, has been palpable.

“It really just goes to show how popular Charlie Brown still is. Even with adults, they say, ‘Oh, that’s so exciting, I really can’t wait to try it,'” Robinette said. “I’ve found that after so many decades, families still resonate with it. It’s still shown on TV, and people still love Charlie Brown. And so that’s been just something that’s been a constant through every child’s life, it seems, is Charlie Brown. There’s people of all ages who love Peanuts.”

This year, the farm is also trying something new: a GPS game that will track your progress through the corn maze.

“We don’t want to just send you off into the wilderness and say best of luck. So really, it’s a system to help guide people through the maze so they’re not too lost, because it is a 6.5-acre maze,” Robinette said. “And if you were to just wander, it might take up to an hour.”

You’ll start by scanning a QR code at the maze’s entrance, the operations manager said.

“It will track your progress through the maze so you can follow where you are. And there’s checkpoints throughout the maze, and when you scan each one, it’ll walk you through the story of the Great Pumpkin,” he explained. “We’re really excited to debut that this year.”

Signs with fun facts about Peanuts will also be sprinkled throughout the maze.

‘FALL TRADITION’

The Robinette family bought the farm over a century ago, in 1911, but its corn maze was introduced far more recently.

According to Robinette, the farm has had horse-drawn hayrides since the ’80s — but not much else in the way of activities.

“Really, apart from that, there wasn’t much to do on our farm. So you’d come and buy apples, you’d come and buy cider, but then you’d go home,” he said. “And so we did see an appetite for agritourism and for doing things while you’re on the farm.”

In 2006, Robinette’s added its winery.

“That was a really big hit with people coming to do wine tastings. And we saw a desire from our customers to add activities on the farm. So we’ve added U-pick apples, we’ve got our corn maze, we’ve got our bounce pillow (jumping area for kids),” Robinette said. “It’s a way to stand out. It’s a way to offer value to our customers who are looking for something to do on a nice fall day.”

The corn maze was introduced in 2009.

“It’s been a big hit so far, especially having a new design every year. That keeps it fresh,” he said. “So we’ve got customers that I’ll see every year. I’ve had people come since 2009, every year. So it’s really wonderful to see people make that part of their fall tradition, and we’re really grateful for our customers.”

Robinette noted that autumn is making an early appearance this year.

“Everything is about two weeks early on fruit this year,” he said. “A lot of the apples that you might be waiting for, like Honeycrisp and Gala, they’re coming very soon.”

He told News 8 he’s still picking peaches, but early apple varieties like Premier Honeycrisp and SweeTango are ready, too.

“Fall is here quicker than you know it, so don’t wait to come on out and visit us. We’ll be pressing cider here probably before Labor Day,” Robinette said. “So all of your fall favorites, we’re already going to be neck-deep in by the time you might be ready.”

The corn maze at Robinette’s is open Sept. 3 through Nov. 2. Tickets cost $10 per person, and entry is free for kids ages 2 and under. To learn more and plan your visit, click here.

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