Staheli Family Farm, founded in 1892, still raises cattle in Washington Fields, even with retail planned across the road and traffic that won't wait for a tractor. The family has stayed in farming through agritourism, and its best-known agritourism event is the fall season: a corn maze, a haunted trail and a crew of costumed witches. The witches make their last visits on Oct. 30, and the maze and haunted trail close after Saturday, Oct. 31.
Thirty-two acres, down from 215
According to the farm's own history, Swiss immigrants started the farm in 1892, and seven generations have worked it since. It grew sugar beets and raised turkeys first, then moved to cattle and alfalfa in the 1960s. Burke Staheli came up with the corn maze in 2001, and the first one, called "Go For the Gold," opened that fall.
That same year, Ralph and Katherine Staheli were farming 215 acres. St. George News went back 24 years later, in 2025, and found the farm at 32 acres. The same story described homes and shopping districts closing in on the fields. Co-owner Sherrie Staheli Tate told the paper that her family chose to keep farming but runs the business differently than earlier generations did:
"We do agri-tourism. Our farm is open year round now. We have a silo that we have renovated into a farm store where we sell our beef that we raise, and eggs that we raise, and local honey, cheese, and other locally grown products."
She told St. George News that the practical problem is the road. "No one wants to get behind a tractor," she said. "Everyone is in a hurry." According to the paper, she said selling would be the easy choice, and agritourism is how her family has managed to stay in the farming business.
Only one landowner has asked for the agritourism zoning
The farm's situation also has a zoning side. Tate told St. George News that Washington City created an agritourism overlay zone in 2012 with her help. She said it protects the farm if a new neighbor complains about cattle smells or crowing roosters.
City Attorney Thad Seegmiller told the paper that the overlay is something a landowner has to request. The city doesn't apply it on its own. He said only one property has used it: Staheli Farm, which applied on March 26, 2025. He also said that none of Washington City's farm landowners has ever requested or agreed to a conservation easement.
That leaves the decision with each landowner, and what's planned nearby shows how much land is changing. A 20-acre commercial project called Corner Post, with a grocery anchor and retail space, is planned for the northwest corner of George Washington Boulevard and Washington Fields Road. On Feb. 25, 2026, the Washington City Council voted 4–1 to create the Corner Post Public Infrastructure District. A regional growth tracker lists that corner, across from Staheli Farm, for retail, restaurants, gas and offices.
Neither the developer nor the tenants have been named publicly.
What's left of the 2026 season
The season ends Saturday, Oct. 31, and the farm is closed on Sundays. From Thursday, Oct. 22, the dated events left are below. The Field of Screams nights come from the farm's fall page. The event times and the Lights On Tour and witch-visit dates come from the STG Newsletter's 2026 guide.
| Date | What's on at the farm |
|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 22 | Field of Screams, 7 to 10 p.m.; Meet the Staheli Witches, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Lights On Tour, 4 to 6 p.m.; Field of Screams, 7 to 11 p.m.; witches, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Breakfast with a Witch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Lights On Tour, 4 to 6 p.m.; Field of Screams, 7 to 11 p.m.; witches, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | Closed |
| Mon., Oct. 26 | Witches Light Parade, 6 p.m.; witches, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Field of Screams, 7 to 10 p.m.; witches, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Lights On Tour, 4 to 6 p.m.; Field of Screams, 7 to 11 p.m.; witches' last night, 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Trick-or-treating, 3 to 5 p.m.; Lights On Tour, 4 to 6 p.m.; final Field of Screams, 7 to 11 p.m. |
The Lights On Tour walks the same Field of Screams trail in daylight with the actors and animatronics turned off. The STG Newsletter guide describes it as the option for kids who want to see the sets without being scared. Field of Screams itself is listed as too intense for children under 12. Costume masks aren't allowed, and every guest needs a signed waiver before arriving.
Saturday the 24th fits a full day; Monday the 26th has two events at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24, has the most going on. The Washington Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Veterans Park, 75 E. Telegraph St., and admission is free. Breakfast with a Witch starts at the farm at 11 a.m. The farm opens to general admission at noon, the Lights On Tour starts at 4 p.m., and Field of Screams runs until 11 p.m. The same pattern works on Oct. 31, when the market is open again and the farm holds trick-or-treating from 3 to 5 p.m.
Monday is harder to plan. Washington City's Trunk or Treat runs Monday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Washington City Community Center parking lot. Mayor Kress Staheli's October message expects hundreds of costumed kids at that event. One entry on the city calendar says "Monday, October 27th," but the 27th is a Tuesday. The mayor's message and the community center page both list the 26th. At 6 p.m. the same evening, the Staheli witches lead families through the farm in the Witches Light Parade. Families who want both will have to pick one for the start and arrive late to the other.
Before you drive out
- Check the hours page first. The farm closed on Oct. 12 because of mud and let that day's tickets carry over to another visit. Weather can change plans late in the season.
- Weeknights end at 9 p.m. The farm's official hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Weekday daytime is reserved for field trips and private events.
- Know what admission covers. General admission includes the corn maze, entry to the pumpkin patch, and Farmland: the hayride, jumping pillow, Bee Line zip line, cow train, pig races and dirt mountain slide. Pumpkins, food and Field of Screams cost extra.
- Prices, as of late September. The STG Newsletter guide, updated Sept. 28, lists general admission at $12.99 to $18.99, Field of Screams at $26.99, VIP expedited entry at $40.99, and the Lights On Tour at $5.99 on top of another ticket. All sales go through the farm's SimpleTix listings.
- The Zombie Rampage bus is gone. The farm's FAQ says it was retired as of 2025.
The food is caramel apples, apple cider, hot donuts and kettle corn made daily, with a Grit + Grind Coffee cart near the burger grill. Sunset gets close to 6:30 p.m. by Halloween, according to the STG Newsletter guide. On weeknights, the maze is mostly in the dark by the time you'd finish dinner.
After Oct. 31
The farm has a winter season too. Its winter page says the farm's winter events return Dec. 10, 2026. The Holiday Light Display is part of that season, but its dates, hours and prices are still listed as TBA. The page's general description mentions wagon rides and driving through the lights, but the 2026 event listing describes the display as tractor-drawn wagon rides only, so check before you go. The farmers market at Veterans Park continues on Saturdays through Dec. 19.
Until then, the corn maze opens at 5 p.m. on weeknights and at noon on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 31.
Questions about farmland in Washington Fields or what Corner Post could mean for the area around George Washington Boulevard? Basalt Realty follows those changes closely and is happy to talk them through with you. Schedule Free Consultation.
