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Published: Tuesday, Oct. 02, 2012 / Updated: Friday, Oct. 05, 2012 08:29 AM

Anne Springs Close Greenway launches month-long celebration

FORT MILL -- 

The Anne Springs Close Greenway begins five weeks of fall activities this weekend. On Saturday, the third annual fall festival begins and will run each weekend until the end of October.

The festival will be held around the Nature Center on the Greenway, off Hwy. 21 across from Coltharp Road. It will include favorite activities from years past, such as the corn and hay mazes, pedal carts and pick-your-own-pumpkin patch. The four-acre corn maze, a frequent favorite of festival-goers, opens this weekend and will be open throughout the month.

Among the new attractions will be a corn crib, similar to a sand box, where kids can dig into cracked corn. A cow train made out of 50-gallon metal drums with wheels will give young children an opportunity to see the festival grounds from a fun viewpoint, as they are pulled along. Farm animals, including pigs, chickens and a calf, will also be at the festival for kids to view.

“I just love all the families that come out. Kids are running around and they’re all having a ball, the best day ever, because they get to have fun, get a pumpkin, run around the mazes,” said Special Event and Volunteer Coordinator Mina McLean.

Food vendors will be set up each weekend. Corn hole boards will also be set up for festival-goers who want to play a pick-up game. A DJ will provide music.

While the corn maze will open immediately, the haunted cornfield and haunted trail won’t open until Oct. 12. It will be open on Friday and Saturday nights. McLean has been working on the haunted corn field for several weeks, coordinating props and volunteers. More “Scream Team” volunteers are needed, she added.

“Getting the haunted cornfield ready to go is a lot of fun,” she said.

Festival entry is $12. Kayaking, canoeing and horseback rides are not included in the entry fee.

Each weekend the Greenway will offer discounted rates for special groups, including Greenway members, grandparents, military and teachers.

For more information go to www.ascgreenway.com.

“The crisp air and vivid fall colors make this one of the Greenway’s most popular times of the year,” said Events Coordinator Mina McLean. “When you add food, music and all kinds of outdoor activities, we draw in families from across the region in both Carolinas.”