LEXINGTON, Ky. — Floods in eastern Kentucky are still emerging as people and places start to recover. Luckily, that means a Prestonsburg tourist stop is returning after taking a year off.
Throughout the year, Dwight Slone is a multi-record-breaking giant pumpkin grower. He also grows giant squash, all for several causes and his passion for cultivating land.
“We do a fundraiser for the local animal shelter and would generally make $3,000-4,000 every year for the shelter,” Slone said.
From the summer to fall, he adds to his agenda growing and carving a clear path through tall corn fields for his “Corn Fusion Maize.” Slone opened the multi-acre Halloween attraction in 2021 after he retired.
He said the maze brings family fun to a rural area.
“It’s a small part of our community, trying to give us things to do,” he said. “Hopefully, people will come in from out of town and maybe stop and eat at some of the restaurants or stay the night.”
Last year’s massive flooding in eastern Kentucky forced Slone to sideline his attraction. Before he could start cutting an intricate trail into the field, rain pummeled the region.
Three times in one week, four to five feet of water covered the corn stalks, completely washing the crop away. That’s why Slone and his team are eager to welcome crowds back to the field for their weekly hauntings and walks through the maze.
“In the past when we did the hauntings, there were a lot of people there with some pretty good comments,” Sloan said. “Lots of people were scared, and it was a very fun night.”
Since the water dried up, the “Pumpkin Man” said he is looking forward to another season of the corn trail.
“We have made the corn maze a little bigger this year,” he said. “It’s got a lot more twists and turns than it had in the past, so it’s new and exciting this year.”