Bella Organic Farm is a fun way to celebrate the season

Posted Oct. 26, 2021

By Ethan Donahue

Senior Editor

Bella Organic Farm, located at 16205 NW Gillihan Rd, Portland, OR 97231, has a great selection of seasonal experiences including a corn maze, a haunted corn maze, food, a pumpkin patch, and other fun rides and activities.

The corn maze, which is based on this year’s theme “United Against Hate,” is open every day until Nov. 1. The maze is 2.7 miles and takes visitors an average of an hour to find the exit. Visitors can ask for a map or download one on their phone if they wish. There are scarecrows hung throughout the maze, along with a bridge that can be used to orientate visitors. The October hours are 9 am-5 p.m., Sun-Thur, and 9 am-10 p.m., Fri-Sat. For visitors above 13-years-old, the tickets are $8 Mon-Fri, and $10 Sat-Sun. The maze is fun whether in a group attempting to find the way out or racing with friends. In a group it took me around 45 minutes to find the exit, while racing to the exit took around 25 minutes. The corn maze is at one of the highest points of the farm, so when it rains it doesn’t flood, though it does become muddy. The pumpkin patch, which can be reached by a free hayride, has an expansive number of pumpkin choices. Visitors can, upon coming back from the pumpkin patch, get a cart for their pumpkins. The pumpkins are then weighed and paid for.

The haunted corn maze is different from the normal corn maze, so visitors can go through both and have a different, and scarier, experience in the haunted maze. The haunted corn maze runs Fridays and Saturdays from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Tickets are sold with timestamps for every 15 minutes. The haunted maze tickets are $25 on Fridays and $35 on Saturdays, and there are no refunds. The haunted maze, unlike the normal maze, is on a slant so some parts of the maze can become flooded when it rains. Guests should either wear boots or use the plastic shoe coverings offered at the farm’s entrance. Lights aren’t allowed in the haunted maze, so visitors must use the haunted room lights when they come across them. Visitors should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back, or neck problems, extreme phobias, or any other medical or physical conditions that can be aggravated by strobe lights or loud noises, as the costumed scare actors are prepared to scare and chase visitors throughout the maze. The maze puts visitors on edge, expecting something to jump out at every moment. The best part is the themed rooms spaced sporadically throughout the maze that give visitors an enclosed space to face whatever waits within. The rooms also let visitors know that they are going the correct way. The worst part of the haunted maze, which the normal maze doesn’t have, is the wait. Guests are asked to wait in a large tent for long periods of time. I had to wait around 45 minutes on Saturday for a 7:45 ticket time in a large tent with upwards of 100 other visitors. During COVID this seems like a well thought-out idea. But after entering the maze, it’s easy to maintain distance from other maze goers.

Bella’s Courtyard offers fresh food every day. Its hours match the normal corn maze. Some of the food available includes chicken, lamb, or vegetarian gyros, gyro bowls, cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, curly fries, elephant ears, and caramel apples. While the food is on the pricey side—a cheeseburger with curly fries totals $15—it’s all very good nonetheless. There is also a wine and cider bar for those of age, and homemade salads, food, and charcuterie boards sold Wednesdays through Sundays. The final place to buy food is the farm store, which sells local foods along with crops grown at Bella Organic Farm. The store is decorated with local art, antiques, and is full of farm history. Over 70 seasonal varieties of certified organic produce are stocked in the store, along with annually provided frozen berries. Some items within the store include local handmade pies, organic eggs, organic cheese, local hard cider, organic beer, local drinking vinegar, local ice cream, local non-alcoholic beverages, local art, and Bella branded clothing.

Other activities include the cow train which is available Friday-Sunday, a grain train available Saturday-Sunday, a daily hay maze, duck races, from which visitors can keep a plastic duck, a petting zoo, face painting available Sat-Sun, waterproof tattoos on Saturday-Sunday, and photo opportunities.

All in all, Bella Organic Farm is a fun way to celebrate the fall season with friends and family.