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Rural Hill'sAmazing Maize Maze

Special Bulletin - October 2015704-875-3113www.ruralhill.netoffice@ruralhill.net

Full event details at

www.ruralhill.net

THE MAZE IS OPEN NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 1!

Between the summer drought that kept our corn from growing and thenthe recent pounding rains that caused flooding for our Carolina neighbors,the weather has not been our friend this season; however, the 2015 Rural

Hill Amazing Maize Maze is NOW OPEN every weekend. We arealso open through the week by special reservation.

One of the largest in the southeast, the giant seven acre cornmaze features over two miles of interconnecting paths. Admissionis $11 per person, youth ages 5-12 are $7.50 per person, andchildren 4 and under are admitted free of charge. Admission ratesinclude tax. Tickets may be purchased at the gate or in advanceonline.

The Amazing Maize Maze challenges your skills as you look for mailboxescontaining map clues as well as “Kernels of Knowledge." With volunteersand staff available to help when needed, the Amazing Maize Maze isdesigned to be navigated in 1-2 hours. Visitors can also explore ourhistoric site, take a hayride around the farm, play corn-hole, mini-mazes, picnic, hike, pick a pumpkin, and much more!

The Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze isan imaginative use of a corn field socomfortable shoes are suggested.Water stations are on site andvisitors are permitted to bring intheir own food and beverages.Vendors will be onsite with snacks,ice cream, soft drinks and wateravailable for purchase. Hayrides andadditional children’s activities areavailable for a small charge on selectdays. Additional experiences includeLiving History demonstrations inopen-hearth cooking, blacksmithing,

a n d cabin building.

In early September we announced that as a result of the drought this summer, we had todelay the opening of the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze. The Maze has been a fixture atRural Hill since 1998. We have weathered many storms over the years, but this summer hasbeen extremely dry and hot, and our corn that we rely on suffered. We plant a drought-resistant corn each year and do everything we can to keep water on the seven acre field, butall of our efforts were not enough this season.

We planted sewit seed where the corn was very low with hopes that some coolertemperatures and rain would help fill in the hedge. The experience in the Maze will be a bitdifferent this year as the corn will be short, but the Maze will still be the Maze and we will doeverything we can to ensure a great experience.

Rural Hill always relies on the Amazing Maize Maze each fall as our biggest fundraiser. Ourevents raise money to support the farm, preserve the buildings, and help to run theeducational programs year round. With the drastically reduced Maze schedule we are lookingat significant budget shortfall. We are looking at all ideas right now for ways to make surewe raise enough money to meet all of our obligations and any help is always appreciated.

Please stay tuned to www.ruralhill.net for more updates and we hope to see you this Octoberand again in November for the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials.

Sincerely,Jeff FisselExecutive Director

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE WEATHER

I'm sorry the weather has not been yourfriend this year. We will be there...it's nottruly autumn [without] an Amazing MaizeMaze day. - K. Patton via Facebook

THE RURAL HILL AMAZING MAIZE MAZE

From Start to Finish in Eight Easy Steps!

Step One: Purchase tickets from our friendly staff.

Step Two: Graduate from maze school.

One of Rural Hill’s excellent staff members will host a brief orientation to the farm and

maze with you and your group. Be sure to listen carefully as they tell you how to

navigate through the seven acre puzzle. After they’re done, be sure to ask questions if

anything is still unclear.

Step Three: Grab a maze flag for your group.

Each group must carry a flag into the maze. It is important that you keep this

flag with you at all times, in the event that you need assistance, it is often the

only way for us to see where you are. If you have small children who would

like to help, special kid’s flags are available.

Step Four: Start looking for mail boxes.

There are twelve mailboxes. Each box contains a map piece. This mailbox contains piece

seven, which you will tape on the number seven space on your gameboard. As you find

more mailboxes you will slowly build your map and find the way out. PIECES

WILL NOT ALWAYS BE FOUND IN NUMERICAL ORDER.

Step Five: Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Feel like you’ve been walking in circles? You probably have been. Maze staff

are located inside the maze, at the exit bridge, and tower to help you out. We

can give you as much or as little help as you need. Need a break? Just ask and

we can get you from your position to the exit quickly and conveniently.

Step Six: Keep it up!

Each mailbox you find will get you one step closer to having the solution to our game

and finding the way out. Be sure to look at the map frequently, especially when you’ve

attached a new piece. The number that matches the mailbox you’re at is where you arein the maze. Don’t forget to use your pencils - they will “draw out” the

solution!

Step Seven: You found all the map pieces!

CONGRATULATIONS! Now that you can trace your steps throughout the map,

find your way out to the exit and over the Victory Bridge. Remember those

pencils, they can help tremendously. *You may have found the exit of the

maze without all the map pieces. You are always welcome to go back in and

find the rest if you’d like.

Step Eight: You made it out!

Great news! Be sure to check out all you’ve been through from atop the bridge

as you cross over and head out of the maze. Be sure to hand in your flag,make any shout-outs on the loudspeaker, and pose for those victory pictures.

Now head on out for food, hayrides, and more fun; You’ve earned it!

Getting Started: The Game Board

Each group will receive a game board at the ticket tent, as well as a

pencil. This game board contains a lot of interesting and useful

information, as well as a few fun activities for your group to enjoy later.

The twelve blank spaces will be where you tape your map pieces once

you get inside the maze. REMEMBER: always hold your gameboard with

the top of the board facing the WESTERN tree line. This is the tree line

directly across the field when you first enter the maze. Note the in and

out arrows at the bottom of your game board’s map- you will go IN

beside the bridge. You will come OUT across the top of the Victory

Bridge.

In the Thick of it: Making Progress

One of the most common mistakes people make is to look for the map

pieces in consecutive order. As shown here, you may find a map piece

at any time, and walk through several other grid sections before finding

something. You may see a mailbox that contains map pieces through a

hedge but not be able to walk to it for another 30 minutes. The maze

has been constructed in levels (more on that later) - you have to make

certain turns in a certain order to progress further into the maze. If you

find yourself back at the same point more than twice, try asking for

help. The confusion is all part of the fun, but we don’t want you to get

discouraged.

The Completed Map: A Beautiful Thing, But You’re

Not Done Yet

Congratulations, you’ve found all twelve pieces of the map and affixed

them to your game board in the correct order! Now it is up to you and

your group to use those pencils and draw your way out. It’s not as hard

as it looks; remember that all the mailboxes and map pieces

correspond, map piece number seven shows the exact location of

mailbox seven. If you find a mailbox, then you’ll know where you are in

the field at that particular moment. Remembering to hold the map

facing the correct direction, in no time you and your group will have

walked your way OVER the top of the Victory Bridge in style and speed!

One More Thing: Levels? What Levels???

You may remember earlier when we mentioned that the maze had been

constructed in levels. This map has been modified to show you those

levels. Here, we start on the green level, progress to the yellow level,then to orange, and lastly to red. Sound easy? Note that there is only

one path into each level, marked here by white circles. In the maze

itself these levels and paths are not marked in anyway. You may enterand exit these levels several times and never know it. That’s just part of

the fun in one of the most challenging mazes in the Southeast!

NOTE: The images here are from 2010’s Conestoga Wagon

Maze and do not match this year’s design

EXPLANATION OF THE GAME BOARD

Board of Directors

Robert G. McIntosh, Chair

Jim Puckett, Vice Chair

Sam Fuller, Secretary

Brent Lewis, Treasurer

Maurice D. McIntosh

Sarah Belk Gambrell

Beth Eakes Martina

John Cherry

Henry Mummaw

LD Bass

Danny Phillips

Duncan McFadyen

Matthew Cooper

Staff

Jeff Fissel, Executive Director

Zac Vinson, Education Director

Lauren Petervary, Private EventsDirector

Jessica Bustamante, Controller

Freddie Brown, Farm Manager

Eric Ferguson, Farm Operations

Carolyn Campbell,Administrative Assistant

Mission

An educational organization thatprovides for recognizing,celebrating and preserving therich heritage of Rural Hill.

www.ruralhill.net

Historic Rural HillFor more than 250 years in history...Rural Hill is located at 4431 Neck

Road (off Beatties Ford Road) in Huntersville, 28078. The formerhomestead of Major John and Violet Davidson, the 265 acre site is

maintained and promoted by Rural Hill, Inc. and features annual events

such as the Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games,

the Rural Hill Amazing Maize Maze and the Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials.

Rural Hill, Inc. is a non-profit organization supported through membershipand donations, and with proceeds from its events utilized for the

preservation of historic Rural Hill and its education efforts. For more

information on events or for financial support accepted securely online,

please visit www.ruralhill.net.

Rural Hill'sAmazing Maize Maze

www.ruralhill.net

· Open through November 1 - Saturday & Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM.

· Day Maze Tickets: $11 for ages 13+, $7.50 for youth ages 5-12,

and ages 4 and under are free. (Admission includes sales tax)

· The Maze is open through the week by appointment for schooland corporate groups.

Tickets may be purchased in advanceonline or at the gate