The West Michigan fall tradition is joining farms across North America in celebrating the country music icon—and supporting local kids along the way.
For Grand Rapids-area kids and families, the arrival of fall has long meant a trip to Robinette’s: apples, cider, wagon rides, baked goods and, of course, getting a little lost in the corn maze.
This year, one of country music’s biggest icons is joining the tradition.
Robinette’s is one of 20 farms across North America creating corn mazes honoring Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library, the early-childhood literacy program the singer founded in 1995.
The Robinette’s maze opens Sept. 1 at 10 a.m., with admission priced at $10.50. A portion of each ticket sale will support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Michigan, Early Bird Books.
The maze will include Dolly-themed photo opportunities alongside the usual fall fun at the fifth-generation, 125-acre agricultural destination in northern Kent County.
“She’s a true American treasure who shares our passion for farming and families and, as exemplified through her Imagination Library, has devoted her life to helping others achieve their dreams,” Robinette’s says.
That connection is part of what makes the collaboration more than just a new corn maze design. Parton’s Imagination Library was inspired by her father’s inability to read and write and began in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. The program provides children with one free, age-appropriate book each month from birth through age 5.
Since its launch, the program has gifted more than 300 million books to children in communities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. Today, more than 3 million books are mailed to children each month.
Parton says she hopes the corn maze gives families a chance to have some fun while supporting that larger mission.
“I think getting a little bit lost can be a whole lot of fun and I hope everyone has the best time wandering through the maze, making memories, and enjoying a little country magic,” she said.
For a place that has become part of the fall rhythm for so many West Michigan families, this year’s maze brings a little extra star power—and a reason to think about the local kids who will benefit from it, too.
Robinette’s corn maze opens Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. Admission is $10.50, with a portion of each ticket sale supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Michigan, Early Bird Books.
For more information, visit www.robinettes.com.
