What: A-Maze-ing Days for Autism at Treinen Farm – night tour of the corn maze with a bonfire and S’mores.
When: October 2, 2010 (Saturday), 7:00 – 9:00 pm (We’ll be doing the corn maze in the dark – spooky!) (A-Maze-ing Days continues on Sunday from 11 – 5)
Where: Treinen Farm 5 miles west of Lodi on Hwy 60. See web site/map below
Cost: Each AUsome member gets 1 free corn maze ticket – Additional Corn maze tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for age 6-11, age 5 and under free. You don’t have to go in the maze. Sitting around the bonfire and making S’mores is FREE.
This is our 4th annual ASGM activity at Treinen Farm! A big thanks to Alan and Angie, owners of Treinen Farm for volunteering their location and working so hard with the ASGM board to make this exciting event happen. The picture in the corn maze is different every year. This year the corn maze is a giant Gecko.
The rest of the A-Maze-ing Days activities (raffle, games, food stand, wagon rides, etc.) actually end at 5:00 pm, but the corn maze is open until 9:00 pm. Like last year, we’ll have a big bonfire going. It’s kind of fun to try to find your way through the corn maze at night. Bus loads of people actually come out to the farm after dark just to do this. If you want to just hang out at the bonfire, you can join me there. If you want to go in the corn maze, Remember to bring a flash light with fresh batteries!
Gecko Corn Maze Details – This is the centerpiece of the farm activity. As you enter the maze you get 2 things, the first is the 1st of 8 pieces of the maze map and a stapled shut “cheat” copy of the whole maze map. You have to follow the clues on the 1st piece of the map to find the 2nd piece. If you make it back with all 8 map pieces without opening your “cheat” map, you win a piece of candy. There are 8 special places in the maze where you can find paper punches to punch holes in your map. If you find and punch 4 of them you win a bag of popcorn. Find and punch all 8 and you win more popcorn.
We’ll have an AUsome gathering around a bonfire with or without a trip through the corn maze. I’ll provide the fixings for the S’mores and sticks to roast marshmallows. This activity will go on rain or shine. If it looks like rain, bring an umbrella. If it rains too hard, we’ll eat the chocolate bars in the barn!
You can find directions and more details about the farm at http://www.treinenfarm.com/. The basic directions to get there are pretty simple. Take I90/I94 north of Madison to the Hwy 60 exit to Lodi. Follow Hwy 60 West through Lodi and out the other side. The farm is about 5 miles west of Lodi on Hwy 60 on your right.
A BIG thanks to Capital Times Kid’s fund for buying the S’mores fixings and paying for some of the corn maze tickets. You can find more details about the A-Maze-ing Days for Autism at the ASGM web site http://www.autismmadison.org/.
There will be a lot of things to do at A-Maze-ing Days if you want to come before 5:00 either Saturday or Sunday:
- Raffle – We have an incredible number of raffle items available including a entire week’s stay at a condo in the Colorado Rockies. Other prizes include $300 in cash, Badger Homecoming football game tickets and a free year of movie passes. You don’t have to be present to win. Some tickets for the 5 biggest items will be sold in advance as well as at the farm.
- Horse Drawn Wagon Rides to the pumpkin patch – Pick out and buy your own pumpkin for Halloween. Ride to and from the patch in a horse drawn wagon.
- Pond Slingshot – buy 3 gourds for $1 and then use the giant slingshot to try to hit the inner-tube target in the middle of the pond. If you hit the inner-tube, you win a free pumpkin.
- Food – The food has not been finalized yet, but we think we’ll have Hot dogs, chips and drinks available plus popcorn.
- Volunteer Opportunity – Contact ASGM at http://www.autismmadison.org/ if you would like to help ASGM at this fun event.
Important Items and Sensory Issues:
The maze may be crowded, even after dark.
Bring a Flashlight with fresh batteries
Bring an umbrella if it looks like rain
Dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes.
Bring a coat or heavy sweatshirt just in case. It can get quite chilly after dark.
This Year’s maze picture.
The AUsome Social Group
Teen/Young Adult Recreation/Social Group
Sponsored by the Autism Society of Greater Madison (ASGM)
Contact: Nancy Alar, 3802 Gala Way, Cottage Grove, WI 53527
(608) 222-4378 or ausome@huges.net
