A central Alberta farm is paying tribute to Dolly Parton in a big way, carving the country music legend’s likeness into its sprawling cornfield.
Located between Lloydminster and Kitscoty, Alta., Maizex Corn Maze is part of Hedge Haven Farms, a 160-acre working farm that has featured an eight-acre corn maze for the past three years.
This year, Parton is taking centre stage, as the corn maze celebrates her music, personality, and legacy—including the work she has done through the Dolly Party Imagination Library, which provides books to children.
“Whether you’ve loved Dolly for decades or simply want a great family adventure, this year’s maze is about dreaming big, reading more and making memories together,” the farm’s website says.
The Headon family near Lloydminster, Alta., has operated an eight-acre corn maze for the past two years, while also offering other family friendly activities. Photo courtesy Rhonda Zuk Headon
Rhonda Zuk Headon, who operates the farm with her husband, Brian Headon, told The Epoch Times that the couple began discussing a corn maze two years ago after some of their sheep wandered into the field and went missing for several days before reappearing.
“I thought, ‘Yeah, you know what? If the sheep are having fun in there, maybe people would like to have fun in there,’” she said.
The Headons hired The Maize Company in 2024 to create their first maze, which included images of sheep, cows, pumpkins, and corncobs. Last year, the company etched the face of country musician Lainey Wilson into the field.
The Maize Company contacts celebrities each year about featuring their designs in corn mazes and also creates designs based on current themes or farm owners’ requests. This year, the Headons had a choice between Parton and a design celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The Headons seeded the field in early June. Once the corn had emerged, The Maize Company used GPS technology on a tablet to carve Parton’s likeness into the field, a process that took nearly six hours.
Zuk Headon said she was excited about Parton being this year’s celebrity because she was known for her fun-loving personality. The Headons had also planned to put life-size cardboard cutouts of celebrities around the maze and had posted a video of one shortly before Parton passed.
Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80, in Nashville, Tennessee, after a brief battle with cancer.
“It was unfortunate to hear that … she’s no longer here,” Zuk Headon said.
The Maize Company created 20 Parton-themed corn mazes this year, including two in Canada and the rest in the United States, all with Parton’s approval, according to Zuk Headon.
Before her death, Parton encouraged participating farms to support her Imagination Library program. The Lloydminster Learning Council runs the program locally, so the Headons made an initial donation to help the organization and are also collecting books for its activities.
“It’s nice to be able to contribute to that,” Zuk Headon said.
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to honour her father, who never learned to read or write. The program has since gifted more than 300 million books worldwide, including five million in Canada. Eligible children can receive one free book per month until age 5.
Nearly 1,000 people have visited the corn maze since it opened in mid-August, with the site also offering games and other family activities. The Headons hope more people will visit before the maze closes in late October, and are planning activities for Dolly Parton Day on Sept. 25.
As for next year’s design, the Headons have no plans yet—but Zuk Headon already has a favourite. She hopes the next maze will feature country musician Dwight Yoakam, saying she’s a big fan.
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