With the fall season come many annual delights - cooling weather, football season, pumpkins and now, corn mazes.
The Double K Farm on
From overhead, the maze appears to be the handiwork of extraterrestrials with a sense of humor, but the image was actually carved out by a professional maze consultant who used a GPS system to map out the lines, said Kevin Mitcham, whose family has owned the farm for more than 100 years.
This year's maze theme is in keeping with the upcoming election, showing a donkey and an elephant holding a sign urging people to vote.
Kevin's father, Tommy Mitcham, decided to try a maze in 2002 after reading about it in an article. Their first maze was drawn with geometric patterns by locals, but was only about knee high because of the stormy hurricane season.
The following years were more successful, and Kevin estimated last year the farm received over 10,000 visitors. This year, with the corn at head-height, he anticipates an equally busy season.
As part of the kickoff, the farm is waiving the entrance fee for all military, law enforcement, firefighters and teachers with identification for the first three weekends.
"You want to give back to them what they've given to the community," Kevin said.
The farm, recognized as a Georgia Centennial Family Farm, was founded by Kevin's great-great grandfather, Henry James Boggus, in 1884 and continues to be worked by Kevin, his brother Keith and father Tommy Mitcham and their families.
The maze is open Sept. 12 to Nov. 9, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The corn maze is $8 per person and the farm offers other activities such as hayrides, bonfires, play yard and pumpkin sales for various prices.
For more information, visit www.colcobscornmaze.com or call (770) 855-1530.
