Spaceship Found In North Valley?

Being lost will come naturally at the third annual Rio Grande Community Farms’ Maze. The theme this year is The Lost Alien, designed by Maze Master Dave Phillips of Maryland. “We think the sky is the limit on the fun everyone will have,” said Vikki Ratliff, Maze Educator and Coordinator.

The Maze begins Saturday, September 2 and is open every weekend until Sunday, October 15.

It is hard to say whether Kevin Malone, son of storyteller Sarah Malone and Rio Grande Community Farms director Jim Malone, is pulling our leg, but he said that the theme started out to be about oceans and fish until one morning when he and a friend were there to work on cutting the maze path with a sickle mower and they found a crashed alien ship in the sorghum field.

Where that ship or the lost alien are now, no one knows. Maybe when you come to the Maze, you will find this ET or at least see the alien crop circles left in the field.

Entrance to the Maze is off Montano Rd., just one mile west of 4th Street in the North Valley. Besides looking for the lost alien, you might see rufus hummingbirds, morning glories, birds and insects in the two miles of path cut into a 6-acre sorghum field.

After the Maze is closed in October, the sorghum will become forage for wildlife around the farm, including geese and sandhill cranes.

Besides Opening Day, other big events at the Maze will be the Moonlight Walks at dusk on Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13 and the annual Fall Harvest Festival sponsored by La Montanita Co-op.

For more information on these special events, please call 345-4580.

On Saturdays, the Maze is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; on Sundays, hours are 12 noon to 6:00 p.m.

Cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children ages 5 to 12.

The Maze is also available weekdays for school and other groups.

Please call 761-4050 to make reservations for weekday groups.