By Kayla Bruch

Cold destroys much of Paintball Paradise’s pumpkin patch

Oct 13, 2014 | 12:15 PM

Freezing temperatures wiped out the majority of the Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins at Paintball Paradise in Prince Albert.

The owner of Paintball Paradise, George Lewko, said there were four or five nights of frost this growing season and their crop really suffered. Lewko said last year they had 24 pallets of pumpkins but this year they couldn’t even fill one palate.

“The Co-op pumpkins last year were our pumpkins and Harold’s Family Foods had a couple of pallets as well, I think the Co-op took 18 pallets and Harold’s took two,” said Lewko.

Typically Lewko’s field would yield 45 pumpkins per pallet. However, when the weather takes a turn for the worst, it’s hard to save such a huge field of pumpkins.

“[We have] 12 rows of pumpkins that are 200-feet long, so it’s half an acre of pumpkins,” said Lewko. “We could cover maybe one row, but even those were damaged because the first night [the pumpkins] didn’t have any protection.”

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Despite the freezing temperatures, Lewko tried irrigation, circulating air and lighting fires by the pumpkins to try and salvage the last of his crop. Lewko said they managed to save a few pumpkins. 

“Small ones we’ve got for sale, we’ve got some whites, some yellows and some oranges,” said Lewko. “[Also] there are a few big ones, [but] not too many.”

Halloween-themed family fun at Paintball Paradise

Halloween is approaching fast and Paintball Paradise wants families to tackle there corn maze. 

Their seven to 14-foot tall corn maze is up and running. The maze runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Lewko said they are also hosting a haunted maze on Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lewko said the maze, haunted or not is for all ages.

“It’s family-oriented, so when we’re spooking people it’s not gory or anything, we just scare people by being there, [and] pop out,” said Lewko.

The maze is about three acres and takes between 30 to 45 minutes in the daylight and over an hour in the evenings.

kbruch@rawlco.com

On Twitter: @KaylaBruch1