The Frobisher Threshermen’s Reunion committee is known in the southeast for hosting an event each year that celebrates agricultural history.
And they continue to do that. This year’s event on Aug. 19 and 20 will offer numerous activities in the village.
But the committee has added a new wrinkle to the activities that it offers: a corn maze in Frobisher that opened during the Saskatchewan Day long weekend.
The corn maze is located on three acres of land near the Refresh Grill and Convenience Store. Braden McKnight, who is part of the committee, said the people who have been through the maze have loved it.
“It rained on Saturday, so it was pretty slow on Saturday, but Sunday kicked it off, and we probably had 30 people through,” McKnight said in an interview with Lifestyles.
Monday was Saskatchewan Day, so it was another busy day, with an estimated 30 people finding their way through the maze on the holiday.
“Everybody had their families out,” said McKnight.
The committee didn’t know what to expect when the corn maze launched. Members opened the maze on trial and error, and the numbers thus far have proven to be a lot better than expected.
“We did a little bit of research online on the best ways to draw your map and mow the land, and when we started mowing, we didn’t look at the map,” said McKnight. “We just started doing our own thing.”
McKnight said the genesis for the corn maze came when committee president Steven Ward brought the idea forward to the committee. Then the committee members started seeking donations.
Several donors stepped forward with the supplies needed to make the corn maze a reality.
When Ward brought the idea forward, the other committee members knew it was a good idea.
“It’s something different that we don’t really have a whole lot of in the province of Saskatchewan, or in this corner of the province,” said McKnight.
Committee members have been learning about the corn maze on the fly. None of them have been involved with one in the past, and in the case of McKnight, he doesn’t remember going through one previously.
But he believes it turned out great.
“The corn is probably 10 feet high already, and it’s still growing,” said McKnight. “It can grow up to 12 feet high.”
It takes about 30 to 45 minutes for a person to find a way through the maze, but he noted some people have done it in about 15 minutes.
McKnight said he doesn’t know how long the maze will be open. Because it’s been a dry summer, there’s a chance the corn could dry up and die in a month. But they also don’t expect to harvest the corn, so if it doesn’t shrivel up and die, the corn should last until the first snowfall.
At the very least, the maze should be open until the Threshermen’s Reunion later this month, and the maze should still be open when school resumes in September.
If it does survive, then McKnight said they might not be finished when school is back, as they have already had some requests to keep it open until the end of October, so that it could be the site of an event for Halloween.
Proceeds from the corn maze will be directed towards the Threshermen’s committee, which is a registered non-profit in Frobisher that runs the athletics facilities and the museum in Frobisher, in addition to hosting the Threshermen’s Reunion.
The Threshermen’s Reunion will feature a variety of activities. McKnight said they have some work to do at the museum and the grounds to get them ready. A barbecue at the community hall at 6 p.m. on Aug. 19 will kick off the activities. A dance will follow.
The following morning will open with a pancake breakfast. Then there will be a trade show at the museum at 11 a.m. A parade, featuring a variety of antique tractors and other historical items, will make its way through the streets of the village at 1 p.m.
Many activities will take place in the grounds, including the threshing demonstrations, a blacksmith demonstration, children’s games, a concession, a food truck, a ball tournament and much more.
