© PA Wilds Center
Across the United States, families eagerly anticipate fall festivities that bring communities together. Hayrides, pumpkin patches, apple picking, and sprawling corn mazes offer a nostalgic way to celebrate the season. In South Avis, Pennsylvania, one local farm has turned these traditions into an annual attraction that now blends classic autumn charm with modern drone technology. This year’s Pine Creek Corn Maze drone show adds a new twist to the celebration.
Pine Creek Seed Farm hosts the Pine Creek Corn Maze, a 19-acre labyrinth that winds through 3.6 miles of paths. Located in Jersey Shore, PA, the maze opened for its fifth season in 2025 and welcomes visitors every weekend through October 26. Owned and operated as a nonprofit, the maze raises funds for a variety of community groups that supply volunteers to help run the attraction.
Blending Tradition with Innovation
Each season, the farm selects a new theme to keep returning visitors engaged. This year’s theme celebrates Pennsylvania’s PA Wilds region, showcasing the area’s natural beauty. From above, the intricate layout features images of kayaking, hiking, camping, and other outdoor adventures, centered around the PA Wilds logo of a bull elk inside a keystone. On the ground, guests can explore a pumpkin patch, visit farm animals, enjoy live music, and sample local food and drinks from rotating vendors. Each weekend offers different activities, ensuring no two visits are the same.
“We love to see people come back to the maze again and again, so we try to offer something unique each weekend” explained organizer Jennifer McCracken.
This weekend, visitors will be treated to a nighttime drone light show at the Pine Creek Corn Maze, bringing a new layer of excitement to the fall tradition. “We use drones in our seed farm operation,” McCracken said, “so we started looking into drone performances and were able to book Star Flight Drone Shows out of Slatington, Pa.”
Star Flight Drone Shows Lights Up the Sky
The performance is scheduled for Saturday at 8:30 p.m., lighting up the skies above the maze with coordinated aerial animations. The event is sponsored by Miller’s Gun Shop and Bill’s Happy Camper RV Sales & Service. For Pine Creek, this marks the first time they have incorporated a drone show into their seasonal festivities, joining a growing number of farms and towns across the country that are turning to drones to enhance their public events.
Star Flight Drone Shows is a Pennsylvania-based drone performance company operated by Celebration Fireworks, a well-known pyrotechnics business founded by the Doran family in 1997. The company launched its drone division, Star Flight, to provide environmentally friendly, precise, and customizable aerial light shows that can operate in places where traditional fireworks may not be practical or permitted. A perfect example being over a field of highly flammable dried corn stalks.
The team’s expertise allows them to create complex shows that combine hundreds of drones into choreographed formations, telling stories in the sky through color, movement, and light. Their transition into drone entertainment reflects a broader industry shift toward drone light shows as communities seek safer and quieter alternatives to fireworks that reduce environmental impact and minimize fire risk.
Growing Demand for Drone Entertainment
Star Flight earned its reputation by initially providing free drone light shows to select clients. When Phillipsburg, New Jersey, was looking to replace an annual fireworks show with something new, they turned to Star Flight. “Phillipsburg became the first official client to showcase our drones,” Jake Doran said. Since then, the company has delivered performances for schools, municipalities, and large community events throughout the region. Each show is custom designed, with months of planning and flight programming involved to ensure a flawless execution on the day of the event.
Autumn Nights and Aerial Lights
The Pine Creek Corn Maze is open from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of the month. Admission is $10 per person, with children three and under admitted for free. This weekend’s Pine Creek Corn Maze drone show is included with admission, making it an accessible experience for families looking to enjoy both traditional fall fun and cutting-edge aerial art. Visitors can enjoy food from The Gamble Farm and other local vendors, watch live music performances by acoustic duo Bubby & Swales, and explore the maze under the stars before the light show begins.
As drone light shows become more common at festivals and community events, farms like Pine Creek are finding creative ways to blend technology with tradition. The upcoming performance by Star Flight Drone Shows promises to be a highlight of the season, bringing a futuristic flair to a beloved rural celebration.
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