Fender’s corn maze has been a local tradition for many scare seekers for seven years.
This year, Carroll Fender, the owner of Fenders farm, demonstrated his school spirit by molding his corn field into the image of ETSU’s mascot, the Buccaneer.
Fender’s maze has a wide variety of spooky entertainment for everyone, ranging from a haunted barn to the Buccaneer Maze to a field of screams.
Fender’s Farm is owned and operated by Carroll and Bonnie Fender. Every Halloween for the past seven years they have transformed their 10 acres of corn into two labyrinths of spooky fun. It all started with Carroll’s love of the fall season. He was first introduced to the idea of a corn maze by some friends who were part of the University of Tennessee’s agricultural program.
“They were working as “corn cops” in a maze. We started talking to some people about it, and the rest is history.” Carroll Fender said.
“The Maze” is constructed by Brett Herbst who owns the largest corn maze company in the world. Every year Fender and Herbst conspire to give the maze more thrills and chills.
“The first year we had the maze I was trimming up the weeds and it started to get dark, I couldn’t find my way, so I turned the lawn mower off and began walking toward the steeple of the church to find my way out,” Carroll Fender said. “The next day I thought I would never find that mower.”
The maze has two bridges that overlook the field and offer a solution for the lucky few who can find them.
The haunted barn is full of tricks from beginning to end. The haunting begins with a ride on a hay wagon to the barn. Fender’s son, Ricky Fender, might attack at any moment with a chainsaw at your feet.
Guests enter the barn through the vortex, an optical illusion which distorts the senses. They stumble their way through the vortex and into the remaining rooms of the barn. Corpses, clowns and Freddy Krueger lurk around every corner, crack, and doorway. Fender’s granddaughter Hanna Buchanan, 6, will be haunting the barn and is sure to give you the chills as a dead clown on a Friday evening.
Every weekend Kappa Delta of ETSU sends 10 to 15 students to help in the haunting.
Fender’s Farm is located on 245 Highway 107 West in Jonesborough.
Admission is $8 for adults and $7 for children. A combo ticket that admits guests into the barn and maze is $14. Fender’s corn maze will be open through Nov. 3. For driving directions and operating hours, go to www.fendersmaze.com or call 753-4469.

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