Sever’s Corn Maze and Fall Festival hopes to attract larger audience with longer hours and new activities.

Sever’s Corn Maze and Fall Festival has boasted numerous autumn activities since 1997. From pig races to live music, Sever’s has a variety of activities to choose from, and this year, they’ve added more.

Starting this year, Sever’s will be home to pumpkin blasters, a canary filled tent, a goat petting zoo and a tire mountain. The festival will now also be open Fridays.

According to Sever’s manager Nicola Peterson, Sever Peterson first discovered corn mazes in 1971. What started out as a family owned corn maze has expanded into a fall festival complete with 20 activities, live music, food and drink.

One of this year’s additions to the festival is longer hours. Sever’s is now open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 p.m. on Sundays. With the new hours, Peterson said she hopes students will become more commonplace at Sever’s.

“We get a lot of high school field trips, but with our new later hours we’re hoping to attract teenagers looking for something to do with their friends,” Peterson said.

Freshman Harry Steffenhagen said he enjoys Sever’s maze because there is a fresh, challenging design each year.

“I like that they make the maze in different shapes every year,” he said. “It makes it interesting and new.”

The 2012 design is a tractor surrounded by two large ears of corn. Hidden in the maze are six pictures of Farmer Sever. If all six are found, the participant can enter to win $500.

“We decided to do a farm theme this year, because we’re an agricultural family,” Peterson said. “We have 26 educational signs throughout the maze that teach people about agriculture.”

Although the main attraction at Sever’s is the corn maze, junior Evan McManus said he appreciates the many other activities.

“The massive pit of corn is my favorite part,” he said.

Peterson said the pit is the second most popular attraction at Sever’s.

“It’s a huge pit filled with 10,000 bushels of corn kernels. It really appeals to all ages,” she said.

Admission to Sever’s is $13. Sever’s is open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays