Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm sunflower maze back in bloom after hiatus

After a yearlong pause, the sunflower maze at Rottkamp’s Fox Hollow Farm will reopen Thursday. 

The nearly three-acre attraction at the Baiting Hollow farm features about 50,000 sunflowers, a walking trail and photo props for visitors.

Owner Jeff Rottkamp, who started the maze in 2019, said he was too busy to create it last year but brought it back after hearing from eager visitors.

“A lot of people asked, so I decided to bring it back for just a one-time-only thing,” he said.

Visitors can stroll through the maze and take photos among the blooms through early August.

Mr. Rottkamp said he begins planting the sunflowers in mid-May. Once the plants reach about 6 inches, he carves out the walking paths. In past years, he has made multiple mazes on the property, which have attracted “thousands” of visitors over the years, he said. 

“I started it as a small sampler for free, then I realized it was taking off, and there was a lot of demand for it, so I started it again in 2020,” the farmer said. “With COVID, it turned out to be a very fruitful thing that we provided for everybody.”

The sunflower maze will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting, through Aug. 9. Admission is $8 per person, with free admission for children younger than 5. Visitors receive wristbands allowing them to reenter the maze throughout the day.

Guests can also shop for fresh vegetables at the farm stand or buy soft-serve ice cream at the farm’s shop.

“It’s something joyful, something cheerful, it gets people out in nature,” Mr. Rottkamp said. “There’s something calming about being in sunflowers that are 6 or 7 feet tall, and it just makes for nice pictures, even if you’re just coming by yourself, if you just want to photograph just the sunflowers without even somebody in it, or if you want to have a family photo or couple’s photo.”