StrawBelly’s Straw Maze returning for second year
Actors in make-up and costume at StrawBelly’s Haunted Maze in 2022. Haunted Maze Director Woody Rowley said he and his crew are turning up the scares this year.
COURTESY PHOTO/WOODY ROWLEY
The 2023 StrawBelly’s Straw Maze in Moses Lake, pictured, is much bigger than last years, said event organizer Kyle Palmer.
Event organizers set up the 2022 StrawBelly’s Straw Maze in Moses Lake.
MOSES LAKE — StrawBelly’s Straw Maze returns Oct. 6 to Moses Lake one mile east of State Route 17 on Wheeler Road, and the event will be running every Friday and Saturday evening.
The maze was started last year by Kyle Palmer and his brother Shane Palmer, whose wives, Janelle Palmer and Vanessa Palmer respectively, are also co-organizers of the event.
“Me and my brother, we've been talking for years about starting something or doing something in the Moses Lake area because there hasn't been for 10 to 15 years it seems like," Kyle Palmer said. "For the past four or five years, we've been kind of just talking about it and dreaming about it. And then last year, we had some straw lying around and we were like, 'Let's just do it.' So we had two or three weeks to put it together last year.”
Palmer said they are hoping for an even bigger turnout this year.
“We've expanded quite a bit. Last year was kind of just testing the waters out. We met our goal, which was kind of surprising, to do it within like two weeks time, putting it together," Palmer said. "People definitely wanted it and people were asking us throughout the year, 'Are you guys going to do it again? You have to do it again,' So we are married to it now I think, but we love it."
Last year’s straw maze event featured a pit of corn kernels for kids as well as a small movie theater playing mostly Halloween movies, cornhole, food vendors, and a hay bale pyramid. This year’s event includes these events and more, and Palmer said the pyramid was three times the size this year and would include a giant slide as well.
Other additions to the event include a basketball hoop made out of farm equipment, pedal carts on a racetrack for adults and children, and other activities.
Tacos El Rey will be the primary food vendor every night at the straw maze, said Palmer, but other vendors include Sips N Stuff drink trailer and Batch Cookies.
Palmer said there is no age minimum for the haunted maze, and it is up to parent or guardian discretion.
This year’s haunted maze is directed by Woody Rowley, a longtime horror and scare attraction actor and director who has lived in Moses Lake since 1994.
“There will be actors throughout the entire maze and we'll have certain themes like a zombie area, and clowns and a loony bin and then certain 'boo' spots where the actors will come out of nowhere and scare you," Rowley said.
Rowley and his crew set up the haunted portions of the event and he produces the scares. Rowley said most of the actors are between the ages of 13 to 15 and involved in drama at their respective schools.
“We've had three acting classes because I want to make sure my actors put on a good show," Rowley said. "People are paying money to go through, they want to see a good show, so we have had actor training and a lot of great young actors…we're planning on turning the scare level up to 13 this year.”
Rowley said that last year’s event went very well and that he was very impressed with what the event organizers were able to implement for their first year holding the straw maze event.
“I'm hoping the public will come out and support this. I really want this to become a yearly event because they have a lot of good ideas.”
Palmer spoke about why they want to keep StrawBelly going and why they are putting it on in the first place.
“We want to like just, you know, have the whole community just aware of it and give their kids or them something to do," Palmer said. "Some good, wholesome family fun. We grew up on the farm. We like to work hard and play hard…So I think it's mostly just providing something for the community, for the kids to enjoy and come out and get a little taste of the farm.”
Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.
Join the fun
Hours and Tickets:
Open every Friday and Saturday through October.
Straw Maze:
Fridays: 5-7 p.m.
Saturdays: 3-7 p.m.
Tickets:
5 and under: Free
6 to 11: $8
12 and up: $12
Haunted Straw Maze:
Fridays and Saturdays: 7-10 p.m.
Tickets: $15
Tickets sold at the door.
Cash or card accepted.
