Although El Paso and its surrounding cities might not be home to grand attractions like Disneyland or Six Flags, the area is still known to have many great forms of entertainment. La Union Maze, located at 1101 Highway 28, is mostly known in the borderland area for its fall festivities, but this time around La Union is inviting everyone to spring into the fun a little bit earlier.
Every year around October, the business is open for visitors to try their luck at making it out of the towering corn maze, meet some furry friends or go pumpkin picking. Though it can be quite a drive for El Pasoans, La Union Maze is another staple in the city’s culture and worth the drive for its limited operating hours.
This year, the normally fall maze is trying its hand at extending its opportunities into other months. With spring having arrived, La Union Maze opened for its first annual Spring Fling.
The business was open March 22 through April 5 for field trips, then April 1, 2, 8 and 9 to the general public. Different vendors including those selling beer, wine, coffee and flowers were advertised as well as many outdoor activities for the whole family to participate in.
While The Prospector team did anticipate some more “grown-up” events due to the vendors being hosted, it did not stop any of us from having a good time. Some aspects of the maze were definitely more appropriate for young children including certain playground activities, the Easter egg hunt and pony rides, but there were also bigger setups for older visitors and entertainment for everyone.
There were large slides that people could ride down on with fabric potato sacks or plastic tubes. Visitors could go two at a time and without any sort of monetary or ticket-based limit, which was especially convenient considering that most amusement parks charge for each ride. While the big corn maze was not open, La Union Maze still offered rides around the empty pumpkin patch as well as a tractor ride with cow shaped carriages attached to the back.
The food at the venue was great too, from their fresh chicken and brisket sandwiches to their papas locas and roasted corn. There were menu options for everyone. However, this selection was heightened due to the coffee vendor that was invited for the first time, and the wine and brewery section added to the event for adults.
These things aside though, the absolute highlight of the afternoon was the pig race, which was held at multiple points of the day. Both the Easter Bunny and several kids got to accompany the animals on the track and cheer them on as they ran. The pigs, Charlie, Clyde and Georgie competed twice. Even though I was expecting a hog race, the pigs were just as cute and hearing the announcer comment on their race like a real athletic event was hilarious.
Even if the Spring Fling has passed, La Union Maze will remain a set entertainment spot to bring friends and family for a day of fun. I was able to experience a beautiful day out in the sun with my other Prospector friends and reminisce on certain outdoor childhood experiences. Although the event was more kid-riendly, I still had a blast and would rate the experience at seven out of 10.
For more information on La Union Maze’s hours of operations visit launionmaze.com
Meagan Garcia is the arts & culture editor and may be reached at [email protected].
