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It Happens Here: Sterling's Mega Corn Maze

STERLING (CBS) – It Happens Here in Sterling. This central Massachusetts community is said to be the setting for the poem, Mary Had a Little Lamb. It is also the home town of Ebenezer Butterick, who revolutionized home sewing with the invention of the tissue paper pattern.

A pattern of a different sort makes Sterling a hot destination each fall. We are talking about the Mega Maze at the Davis Mega Farm Festival. It's a massive corn maze that is carefully designed and planted in a different shape each year.

"Our's was the first, the largest and originally the only world-class maze in New England," explained co-owner Larry Davis.

This farm land has been in the Davis family for 7 generations, and the maze design is a lot more high-tech than you might think. Computer programs come up with the maze pattern, and a special automatic planter places the seeds in the ground. This year's shape is a pondering Albert Einstein.

sterling corn maze Albert Einstein
The Albert Einstein Mega Maze in Sterling. (Photo credit: Davis Mega Farm Festival)

Davis and his staff agreed to give us a sneak peek into the maze before it opens to the public. They helped us find our way in, but getting out was tricky. Davis says it takes most people a little more than an hour to make their way through. But not to worry, there's a snack bar and bathrooms inside the maze.

Sterling Corn Maze
Corn Mazes can be confusing - just ask Chris McKinnon. (WBZ-TV)

What started out with just the maze across the street from the Davis Farmland petting zoo, has now grown to include 50 attractions.

"This broke out into a festival in 2017 since then it keeps growing and growing," Davis said.

There's a zip line, a slide, and a huge bouncing pad. One of the most unique features is a corn blaster. Where corn cobs are loaded into small air-powered cannons that you can fire at several targets. Like the maze it's trickier than it looks. It took me a few tries to get the hang of it, but I was finally able to both the shark target, and the small car that is elevated about 20 feet in the air.

Chris Zipline
Chris McKinnon tries out the zip line at the Davis Mega Farm Festival. (WBZ-TV)

There is also live music, beer and wine, and food, lots of food. I got to try the Kansas City BBQ ribs and burnt ends as well as the bacon, lobster mac'n'cheese that is served in a waffle cone.

The Davis Mega Farm Festival opens September 13 and runs weekends through October.

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