Community Corner

Sunflowers Attract Giant Butterfly To Lyman Orchards' Maze

Annual event helps raise money for Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

An amazing three-acre butterfly has been created in a sunflower field at historic , one of Connecticut’s most visited family destinations. But the appearance of this colossal winged creature is no cause for alarm. It’s all done for good fun, and also for a very good cause.

Lyman’s 5th Annual Sunflower Maze opens in Middlefield on Saturday, July 30 and will continue daily through August 28. Don’t miss this popular and challenging summer activity. Everyone in the family will enjoy a walk along picturesque and deceptively disorienting pathways, shaded by thousands of towering blossoms.

Like Lyman’s previous Sunflower and Corn Mazes, this year’s Butterfly Sunflower Maze is the work of noted professional agricultural maze designer artist Brett Herbst, founder of The Maize, LLC. Recognized in the Guiness Book of World Records, Herbst has designed and built close to 2,000 agri-mazes since starting his maze-building business in 1996. It is now the largest business of its kind in the world.

Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Getting lost is all about finding fun,” Herbst explains, “It warms my heart to see families and friends enter into our mazes and encounter an unfamiliar yet inviting place, an all natural yet unique, environment… then come out after 30 minutes or an hour, up-lifted by the challenge, and always in a happy mood.”

In coming up with this year’s maze design, Lyman Orchards has relied again upon the impressive and irrepressible imaginations of many of the young patients at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford. The children were asked to suggest design themes for the maze, and then the favorite themes were voted on in an online contest. The butterfly, elegant symbol of happiness and beauty was chosen as the winner.

Find out what's happening in Durham-Middlefieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For every Sunflower Maze ticket sold, Lyman supports the fight against childhood cancer by contributing $1 to the pediatric cancer unit at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. To date, Lyman Orchards has donated more than $25,000.

This year, a special highlight has been added to the Sunflower Maze opening weekend events on Saturday, July 30 and Sunday, July 31. If weather and wind conditions allow, the Remax hot air balloon will be at the Sunflower Maze both days from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., offering tethered balloon rides with spectacular aerial views of the butterfly maze, Lyman’s thousand plus acres of orchard fields, and an awesome sweeping view of the scenic Connecticut River Valley. Balloon rides will cost $5 each, and all proceeds will be donated to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, dedicated to improving the physical and emotional health of children effected with cancer through family-centered care, research, education and advocacy.

Sunflower Maze

Hours: Daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Ticket sales close at 4:30pm.) 

Prices: Ages 3 years and younger are Free. 4–12 years, $5. 13 years and up are $10. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here