Popular Temecula Corn Maze Cancels Amid Heat Waves, Drought

TEMECULA, CA — The annual Big Horse Corn Maze in Temecula is canceled this year due to heat and drought that stunted the corn's growth, owners announced this week.

A heat wave in early September brought extreme temperatures of over 105 degrees for two weeks across Temecula Valley. More heat forecast to begin this weekend will bake the area enough to halt the corn's growth, according to Maureen Corona, owner of Big Horse Feed and Mercantile.

"The corn's only grown to our hips. Whatever sprouted will likely just go to feed the cows and other animals," one of the store's employees said.

Other events at the venue will still happen, including the Harvest Festival — which features a pumpkin patch and other fall-themed activities. The festival runs Oct. 1-31 at Big Horse Feed and Mercantile, 33320 Temecula Parkway.

The Big Horse Corn Maze, touted as the largest in Southern California, is grown annually on 11 acres of the Corona family's property behind the store. For years, eager kids would grab tall flags and navigate through the intricate turns and twists of the elaborate maze.

Each year, the Corona family plots out the elaborate maze as the cornerstone of the store's fall festivities. The last year the event ran smoothly was 2019. Since the pandemic closures, little rain and extreme heat have rendered the corn too short to be maze-worthy.

Families can still expect bounce houses, the popular pumpkin patch, face painting, a pillow jump and other typical fall fun this season, Corona said.

Fans expressed both disappointment and understanding about the cancellation on the corn maze’s Facebook page.

One commenter noted, “The cornfield appeared stunted.”

"We had hoped to get the maze back for this year," Corona said. "Between Covid and the weather, I guess we will have to wait another year."

Nearby Peltzer Pumpkin Farm in Temecula and Kenny's Strawberry Farm in Fallbrook are also getting ready for fall festivals, however, neither mentioned a corn maze among their activities. Patch reached out to organizers of both events to confirm if they also had trouble growing corn this season but did not receive an immediate response.

Follow Big Horse on Facebook, where more information will be released in advance of the Harvest Festival's opening day.