Fall is a season for celebration and rest. As the days get shorter and colder, communities come together to share the bounty of the harvest and give thanks for family.

The Fritz family has been sharing the spirit of fall with the community for the last 10 fall seasons. The Fritz Corn Maze, owned and operated by Chris and Heidi Fritz, opened in 2007 as a small experiment on the family’s farm. It has grown into an autumnal tradition in the Flathead.

“It’s nice for people to be able to get out and get some fresh air,” Chris said. “And there’s a lot to do here.”

The largest attraction is the namesake cornfield maze. Heidi estimates that this year’s maze covers somewhere between 9 and 10 acres.

But the Fritz family offers much more than the maze out on the property, located on Birch Grove Road East off U.S. 2 between Columbia Falls and Kalispell.

“We try to add new things every year,” Heidi said. “The first year was really small and we didn’t really have anything except the maze. I think people like that.”

In 10 seasons, the Fritz Corn Maze now includes a scavenger hunt inside the maze, the “cow train,” culvert slides, a hay bale maze for smaller children, yard games and picnic tables. Groups can rent space for meetings, classes or parties.

“We get a lot of families and groups,” Heidi said. “It’s just an opportunity for everyone who likes to be outside.”

In addition to the regular features on the farm, the Fritzes are also hosting a Family Fun Fall Kickoff event this weekend, Oct. 1 and 2, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The weekend will include Halloween crafts, a coloring contest, farm activity sheets, pedal tractors, family sack races, calf roping practice and “bouncy cow races” for children younger than 3. All of the extra family fall events will be offered at the same price — $5 for anyone older than 5 — as a normal weekend.

“This is a chance for people to come enjoy not just the stuff we have out here, but to enjoy time with friends and family, too,” Chris Fritz said. “It’s real interaction versus text or online.”

The fun continues next weekend with a Scarecrow Building Workshop on Friday, Oct. 7, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. For the second year in a row, there will also be a Scarecrow Contest on site, giving people the chance to display their creations and have a chance to win prizes.

The highlight of the season comes at the end of October with the Haunted Trail and Haunted Barn. On Oct. 21, 22, 28, 29 and 31, from 7 to 10 p.m., the property will be transformed into a haunted Halloween event, featuring zombies, ghosts, spiders and maybe even a chainsaw man sighting.

“It’s pitch dark out there, with no power, and it’s windy ... It’s an experience in itself just being out in the middle of nowhere in the field in the dark,” Chris said.

Heidi added that the entire event is still family-friendly, offering additional concessions and movie showings in the field.

“Everyone enjoys it and has a good time,” she said.

The Fritz Corn Maze is open to the public on weekends through Oct. 31: Fridays from 3 to 6:30 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The maze is available for groups to schedule time during the week.

Admission is $5 per person; children 4 years old and younger are free. The Haunted Trail and Haunted Barn events are $7 per person.

For more information, visit www.fritzcornmaze.weebly.com or www.facebook.com/fritz.maze, or call 406-755-4210.

Entertainment editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.