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Lone Pine Farms in Junction City announced Thursday that it will not offer a haunted corn maze this Halloween. The decision has drawn ire on the company's Facebook page, with many users balking at the farm's claim that it was too frightening for children.

(Creative Commons photo via Flickr user Austin Kirk)

Junction City's Lone Pine Farms, known across Lane County for its annual haunted corn maze, announced Thursday that the Halloween tradition isn't happening this year. A Facebook post from the farm claimed that the decision was prompted by complaints from parents.

The post said that the event "was too scary for children," and that "This year is for the KIDS!"

People are not taking it well -- the comments on the announcement immediately flared up with folks roasting Lone Pine over the decision.

"Ok, I'll go to the free ones at other farms with the kiddos and save 15 bucks a head," one user wrote.

Another tried to offer a solution to Lone Pines' dilemma: "If it is too scary for kids why do they just not go?"

And yet another let her emojis do the talking:

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What's puzzling to most folks is that the farm has traditionally offered two different corn maze experiences. During the day, the family-friendly trek through the labyrinth was accompanied by hayrides, a petting zoo and confections stands.

At night, Lone Pine employees would dress up and stalk the maze, scaring visitors with fake chainsaws and grotesque masks.

The online commentariat's ire at Lone Pine's decision to forego the event this year eventually spilled into the company's other Facebook posts. An announcement that includes this year's family-friendly maze design saw the worst of it.

The company hasn't announced whether the haunted corn maze will return in 2017. The Oregonian/OregonLive has reached out to Lone Pine Farms for comment.

Here's the company's original post from Facebook:

2016 Corn Maze Info: We DO have a corn maze. We will NOT be haunting the corn maze this year. After much consideration... Posted by Lone Pine Farms on Thursday, September 15, 2016

--Eder Campuzano

503.221.4344

@edercampuzano

ecampuzano@oregonian.com