PUEBLO, Colo. – A giant PBR (Professional Bull Riders) corn maze will open to the public in mid-September, highlighting the upcoming local Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour (RVT) event in Portland, Maine on September 14 and 15.

The corn maze at Pumpkin Valley Farm in Dayton, Maine depicts a cowboy on a bucking bull with the PBR 25^th anniversary logo over 6.5 acres, using approximately 325,000 corn stalks.

The design was the brainchild of Keith Harris, who runs Pumpkin Valley Farm. Harris has attended several RVT events in Bangor and immediately fell for the sport. Harris heard PBR was coming to Portland in September when his maze opens each year. He contacted the organization who loved the idea; the project was immediately fast tracked with PBR’s full cooperation and marketing support.  

The field was planted over two weeks in mid-June. Guided by computer-generated blueprints, Harris then marked off the planted corn with small flags and ground paint. The design was carved out on July 1 and 2 when the corn was 6 – 8 inches tall.

“It’s a simple process, but you really have to be focused and paying attention,” said Harris, who grew up on a dairy farm, learned the sweet corn business from his grandfather, and has been making mazes for 18 years.

His previous mazes featured sports icons like Tom Brady and fun designs like a spider web and the American flag.

Harris calls it “agri-tainment farming,” and the PBR is thrilled to be the center of the show.

“We’ve had some great marketing stunts like Bulls on the Beach in Huntington, CA and bucking bulls in Times Square, but I can’t remember one as unique as this,” said Sean Gleason, CEO, PBR. “It’s a long way from the days when we were ecstatic around the office in hearing Tommy Lee Jones was going to wear a PBR t-shirt in the movie Space Cowboys.”

When the maze closes, the grain will be harvested and used to feed Harris’ herd of beef cows. 

PBR has scheduled a media day for September 13 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Media will be invited to come out and watch a PBR bull rider, Bryan Titman  and members of the brand-new Maine Mariners hockey team (ECHL) run the maze as well as participate in other fun activities at Pumpkin Valley Farm.

Pumpkin Valley officially opens September 22 and runs through October 28. The maze can be visited Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as well as Monday, October 6 on Columbus weekend. For more information, visit www.pumpkinvalleyfarm.com