Halloween Spooktacular: Madrac Farms

by Tyler Walls

RINCON, Ga. (WTOC) - Madrac Farms marks its 16th season as a pumpkin patch this fall, offering visitors a corn maze, farm animals and several other activities.

A family-run farm

The farm is owned and operated by the Reagan family. Owner Melissa Reagan said the name “Madrac” comes from the names of the couple’s daughters, Madelyn and Rachel. The family started the farm as a way to help pay for their daughters’ college education and other expenses around the property.

Madrac Farms sits on 42 acres. The farm grows its own pumpkins, including the Orange Bulldog variety developed by the University of Georgia to withstand the region’s heat and humidity. The farm also brings in other pumpkin varieties from across the country in a range of shapes, colors and sizes.

Activities included with admission

Admission includes access to the following attractions:

Farm animals — Visitors can feed goats, chickens and ducks, and cows may also make an appearance.
Big slide — Visitors can ride down the giant slide in a potato sack.
Barn Yard Bikes — A home-made dirt track where visitors can race trikes available for toddlers through adults.
Corn Crib — A pit filled with loose corn kernels, similar to a ball pit.
Corn maze — A 3-acre maze.
Jumping pad — A large orange pad to jump on.
Corn cannons — Visitors can aim at targets and shoot corn cobs using the cannons.
Tire playground, hay play and corn pit — Additional play areas included with admission.

Food and beverages are available for purchase, and food trucks and outside vendors are on-site. Visitors may also bring a picnic to the farm’s picnic area. Fall produce, decorations, baked goods are also available.

This year’s season

The farm said this year’s pumpkin crop was affected after owner Melissa Reagan’s father was diagnosed with cancer in early August and died about a month later. Reagan said the family focused on caring for him during that time, which delayed work on the farm. She said the pumpkin crop suffered from heat and weeds during that period, and the farm mowed rows into the field for visitors to walk through this year, rather than its usual full layout.

In honor of her father, a Navy veteran, and the United States’ 250th birthday, the farm is offering a discounted admission rate this year for military members and first responders, defined as firefighters, police officers and EMTs.