The popular MAiZE Maze at Escobar Farm returns for its 16th season with a brand new design celebrating the Pawtucket Red Sox on Friday, Aug. 28. The labyrinth through 8 acres of corn is the largest maze in Rhode Island.

Part of an increasingly popular “agritainment” trend, it will be joined this year by more than 250 affiliated MAiZE sites across the United States, Canada and Europe.

The Escobar family, in partnership with maze designer Brett Herbst (the world’s leading designer of 2,000-plus corn mazes) hope to give even more people a chance to traverse the two-mile labyrinth. Though the correct pathways can be walked in under 30 minutes, most directionally-challenged visitors — adults and children alike — will require about one hour to travel through more than two miles of twists and turns, two bridges and 85 decision points.

The MAiZE will give visitors the chance to get lost from Aug. 28 through Nov. 8. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to dusk and Sundays from 11 a.m. to dusk. After Labor Day, hours are Fridays from 3:30 p.m. to dusk, Saturdays 10 a.m. to dusk and Sundays from 11 a.m. to dusk.

The MAiZE is at 255 Middle Road in Portsmouth. Admission is $8 for ages 12 and up, $6 for ages 5 to 11, and free for kids under 5. Discounts are offered for civic groups and field trips.

Military Appreciation Weekend on Aug. 28 to 30 will honor military families. All active military, retired military and their dependents are invited to get lost at the maze for half price with a military ID.

Interactive “passports” are available for a minimal charge to groups and the general public. Each contains 10 questions on a chosen subject (sports, Boy Scouting, Girl Scouting, scriptural, American history, interactive, teambuilding, Halloween, tiny tots, and movies/music/TV), and those who answer the questions correctly receive clues that guide them along the correct path to the exit.

Other special events will include Grandparents Day on Sept. 13, Harry Potter Day on Sept. 19, a Pumpkin Festival on Sept. 26 and a Halloween Party on Oct. 24. Hayrides, cow train, pumpkin picking and scarecrow-making also will be available later this fall.

Field trip hours, during weekdays, are available by reservation. Customized activities have been added for birthday parties, corporate outings and group rivalries/races.

For more information, or to make reservations, call Lori Clarke at 864-1064 or visit www.escobarshighlandfarm.com or www.cornfieldmaze.com. You can also visit them on Facebook.