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Up to your ears and getting lost: Data helps navigate U.S. corn mazes as Halloween nears
With leaves turning, autumn sweaters out and Halloween approaching, the question arises: How does one take a data-driven approach to their fall plans?
The CBS News Data Team asked Yelp for data on businesses with corn mazes, and they provided data where business reviews mention corn mazes.
While not a comprehensive list of all the nation’s corn mazes, the user reviews allowed the Data Team to map out corn mazes with satellite photography, offering a bird’s eye view of the nation’s most elaborate corn mazes.
There were more than 500 businesses where corn mazes were mentioned in user reviews in the U.S., according to Yelp data.
California, New York and Washington lead the nation with businesses with corn maze mentions, but when adjusted for population, Oregon leads the nation with about five corn mazes per one million people.
The businesses likely to have corn mazes range from farms, festivals, and petting zoos to haunted houses and wineries.
Corn mazes fall under other so-called agritourism activities such as apple-picking, hayrides and wine-tasting at vineyards. And while farmers can attempt to shuck their own labyrinths, there are companies that pave a-maize-ing patterns.
Companies such as The Maize and Maze Play can use tractors to paint pictures of sports teams, celebrities and cartoon characters in corn. Some corn mazes even support local causes, cancer awareness or milestones such as the 50th anniversary of Star Trek.
We also grazed through Google Earth satellite imagery, digging into the most “a-maize-ing” and unique corn mazes from the past few years, based on the data provided by Yelp.
One standout was a Dolly Parton-themed maze at Honeysuckle Hill Farms in Tennessee.
Another maze depicted a Wonka Golden Ticket at Dull’s Tree Farm in Indiana.
See more of our favorites below:
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Democrats and Republicans in tight races seize on comments stemming from “garbage” joke at Trump rally
In the home stretch of the 2024 election, after a racist comment at a Trump rally comparing Puerto Rico to garbage, both parties are trying to fan political flames to burn the opposition on congressional races, in addition to the presidential contest.
In the hours after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe told a racist joke about Puerto Ricans at a rally for former President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Democrats circulated a list of competitive U.S. House races in which people of Puerto Rican descent make up large percentages of the electorate.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Republican operatives have tried to seize on a gaffe by President Biden, in which he used the term “garbage” to describe the Trump supporter who made the racist joke. But Republicans have accused Mr. Biden of instead referring to all Trump supporters as “garbage” and are trying to tie Democratic congressional candidates to their accusation regarding the president’s words.
The dual controversies are being amplified and shifting the closing messages in the final few days before Election Day, amid highly competitive contests for control of the Senate and House.
According to a memo obtained by CBS News from Democratic campaign operatives, more than 10% of registered voters in Pennsylvania’s competitive 7th District House race are people of Puerto Rican descent. The memo also said at least 4% of registered voters have ties to Puerto Rico in a three competitive House races in New York, two more in Pennsylvania and at least one each in Florida and Connecticut.
Leaning into the Madison Square Garden rally controversy, Rep. Susie Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat defending the battleground 7th Congressional District in and around Allentown, has already raised the issue. Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I am hearing more on this than I’ve heard on almost any other issue this entire campaign season.”
On Long Island, in New York’s competitive 4th District House race, Democratic candidate Laura Gillen amplified the firestorm over the racist joke Tuesday. Rep. Nydia Valazquez, a New York Democrat who was born in Puerto Rico, who was speaking at a Gillen campaign event for small businesses, referenced the controversy and joke.
Fighting to hold a competitive seat in Western Connecticut, Democratic Rep. Jahanna Hayes posted on social media, “Every person, not just the Puerto Rican community, should be saddened and upset by the behavior of the Trump rally at MSG.”
Republicans meanwhile are seeking to magnify President Biden’s potential gaffe from Tuesday.
“The President of the United States just smeared half of the country – House Democrats can speak up now to disagree, or their silence will say everything voters need to know,” GOP North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson, who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.
Rep. Marc Molinaro, a first-term Republican who’s trying to defend his New York 19th Congressional District seat, posted on social media about Biden’s statement. Molinaro wrote in part, “Biden says if you don’t support Kamala Harris, you are garbage.”
CBS News
The Climate Election: Natural disaster recovery, explained
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Behind efforts to appeal to 2024 women voters
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