Emma Wallace Happy Day Farm, located at 106 Iron Ore Rd in Manalapan Township, is no rookie when it comes to complexly carved corn mazes. For more than a decade, roughly eight acres of corn have been transformed into intricately detailed, head-spinning designs, including Super Mario Bros., Wonder Woman and Curious George. However, this year, the farm’s corn maze took on an entirely different meaning. The Manalapan-based agritourism destination is paying tribute to American icon Dolly Parton, who died on August 25th, 2026. Owner Tim Stockel chose Parton as this year’s maze theme back in February, unaware of what was to come later in the year. Read on for more details about the tribute to American icon Dolly Parton.
A Tribute to Dolly Parton
Tim and his wife, Olivia Stockel, had an affinity for the country singer before corn mazes were in the picture. The couple had visited the Dollywood DreamMore Resort and Spa located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee around two years ago.
Read More: Remembering Dolly Parton: A Look Back at the Country Icon’s New Jersey Connections
“I was maybe nine years old when ‘9 to 5’ was in the movie theater. I also remember (her) music being played in the house,” Tim told NJ.com.
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Happy Day Farm is one of more than 300 farms nationwide, and six in New Jersey, that partnered with The Maize, an agritainment company based in Utah. The business specializes in corn maze designs that help farmers transform their fields. When The Maize got licensing approval for her image this year, 20 farms chose to turn their cornfields into Dolly Parton’s unmistakable depiction.
From Design to Depiction
All patterns are created by a team of designers, including The Maize founder and owner Brett Herbst. For Happy Day Farm, its field will feature Dolly Parton’s face with her iconic flowy hair and infectious smile. Butterflies and stars will accompany Parton’s visage in addition to words saying “Dolly” and “An American Treasure.”
Work on the maze began in July, when the corn was about 3 inches tall and designers divided the field into a grid to determine which stalks needed to be cut. After that, it is up to farmer Tim to maintain the pathways as the corn grows. Visitors will enjoy 3 miles of pathways that are split into two routes, a shorter trail that takes about 15 to 25 minutes and a more challenging one that can take up to an hour. Along the way, guests can enjoy a lookout bridge and answer Dolly Parton themed trivia questions to help find their way out.
See More: Almost Home Pays Tribute to Iconic Jersey Shore Cafe with New Long Branch Spot
Happy Day Farm is currently closed for the season but will open on September 19 and will run until November 8th, 2026. Its hours are from 10 AM to 5 PM with the last entry at 4 PM. General admission tickets cost $27.20 for ages two years and older. In addition to a corn maze, Happy Day Farms offers an animal zoo, flower fields, pig races, fair games, tractor ride and other fall festival activities. Before her death, Parton was even aware of the maze. Happy Day Farm shared a video on social media of the country star encouraging visitors to check out the attraction.
“Grab your friends, gather up the family and come on out to one of my favorite farms for a little fun, laughter and a real good reason to get lost,” Parton said.
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