BANGOR, Maine — Many traditions have been postponed, canceled, or altered in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt daily life.
During the first weekend of fall, some traditions were followed at farms across Maine. Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant and Thunder Road Farm in Corinna have been open all season and both are seeing a surge in visitors.
“A lot of people have to give up on things they’ve done year to year and this is one of those things that people look forward to every year and they’re glad to be able to be out here still," Treworgy CEO Jonathan Kenerson said.
Those traditions include strolling down the apple orchard, the pumpkin patch, exploring the corn maze, or grabbing dozens of apple cider donuts.
“A lot of people have to give up on things they’ve done year to year and this is one of those things that people look forward to every year and they’re glad to be able to be out here still," Kenerson said.
Kenerson was helping out with parking on Sunday as the weekend brought hundreds to his farm. He said this year he may see the most customers the farm has ever had.
“We’ve figured out how to do this in a safe way and we’re just thrilled to serve the community in this way.”
In Corinna, Thunder Road Farm lowered its ticket prices to help local families enjoy fall traditions despite the current pandemic.
“We’re just trying to make it safe, affordable, for families to come out and have fun, especially for kids," Owner Barbra Peavey.
Peavey added due to the safety measures put in place, the farm is not offering its hayride and other activities this year but has added more games for kids to enjoy.
“We’re seeing a lot of people come by, we’re seeing a lot of new people come in that have never been to the corn maze before," Peavey said.
Despite the summer weather, these two farms allowed for fall traditions to continue on Sunday and offered an opportunity of normalcy during a not so normal year.