Boy, what a difference October 31st makes! Prior to Halloween, Mapleside is jam-packed with people milling about. Now that it's November, I could almost hear crickets!
This year they expanded the children's play area so it now includes this amazing bouncing pillow and more things to crawl over. Plus, there is a real corn maze to try!
There are big differences between this year and last year. I heard there was new ownership and it seems like they're doing an excellent job. The store is a little less packed with trinkets no one needs anyway, but they offer the same pumpkins, apples and pies that you'd normally expect.
I also stopped into the bar for happy hour. We had some great Xmas ale drafts for $3.50 (not Great Lakes) and normal drafts are just $2. We ordered the pulled pork nachos which were really very impressive for $5! I wasn't especially hungry and they came piled high. Near the end, every chip I ate I kept saying out loud "I'm so full...but I just can't stop!"
So I left Mapleside with Xmas ale in my belly and a delicious peck of apples. No complaints here!