The field south of Highway 36, where Country Sun Farm used to plant its corn maze, is becoming a stormwater retention pond. Washington County took about 6 acres of the farm for the new Lake Elmo Avenue interchange and compensated the Bergmann family for the land. The maze went with it. This summer, crews also took down the farm's billboard, and some customers worried the farm was closing. The Bergmanns have owned it for more than 40 years, and they say it isn't.
Nearly everything Lake Elmo does in October is running this year. What changed is the drive. The town's best-known fall stop sits right next to a $43 million work zone. The rest of the calendar is spread along Manning Avenue, inside the Park Reserve and out on Hudson Boulevard, and the construction affects each of those in a different way.
The farm next to the work zone
Country Sun Farm, at 11211 N. 60th St., reopened for fall on Sept. 16. Its visitor page lists the season as Sept. 16 through Oct. 31. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, and the outdoor ticketed attractions run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During MEA break, Oct. 15 and 16, the farm is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free, and most attractions are ticketed individually.
Getting there depends on which way you're coming from on Highway 36. Here is the access plan Keith Bergmann described to the Pioneer Press:
- Eastbound on 36. A separate turn lane takes you straight into the farm.
- Westbound on 36. Exit at Hilton Trail and loop back. Bergmann also mentioned a J-turn, a reduced-conflict median crossover, at Demontreville Trail.
- Leaving. The driveway feeds onto a separate stretch of road that works as an acceleration lane for eastbound 36.
The farm's own page warns that traffic patterns may change. Check it the day you go.
Once you're there, the farm says the fall program is the same as always, except for the maze. That means weekend hayrides, the decorative haunted house, the free petting zoo, the corn pit, gem mining and the bounce houses. Weekend concessions include mini donuts, caramel apples and pumpkin-spice cappuccino. The Bergmanns plan to plant a new 4-acre corn maze next spring, south and east of the greenhouse.
"There might be some difficulty in getting in here, but other than that, we think we'll be able to put on the same fall festival that we always do." Keith Bergmann, Country Sun Farm, to the Pioneer Press
What the county is building, and why next fall will look similar
The project replaces the stoplight at Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue with a grade-separated interchange that uses buttonhook-style ramps. About 45,000 vehicles go through that intersection every day. Washington County expects access between Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue to stay closed for about two years, with substantial completion in fall 2027.
The county's closure notice says County Highway 17 traffic has no access to Highway 36 from the north or the south. Its Sept. 28 detour map highlights Manning Avenue, Stillwater Boulevard, 75th Street North and 40th Street North. If you normally use Lake Elmo Avenue to get to 36, those are the roads you'll be on. Check the map itself before planning a route in a particular direction.
Here is where the work stood in the city's Sept. 29 update. The eastbound bridge's wing walls and girders were done. Crews were building road base for the South Frontage Road, eastbound Highway 36 and County Road 17 south of the highway. Stormwater and watermain work were also underway west of 17. For winter 2026–27, the county's plan puts eastbound traffic on the new eastbound pavement and bridge, with westbound traffic on the existing westbound lanes. It hasn't published a date for that switch. The year-one plan also closes the median opening at Keats Avenue and bans left turns from 36 onto Keats.
The schedule shapes your fall plans in another way. Bergmann said all Highway 36 traffic is set to move to the south side of the highway next year, so the farm expects access to stay difficult through the 2027 season too. He also noticed one upside. With the stoplight gone, trucks no longer use loud jake brakes coming down the hill, and he says he doesn't hear the highway from his house anymore.
The rest of October is along Manning Avenue and in the Park Reserve
Most of the season's other stops don't involve the interchange at all. The Lake Elmo Farmers Market moved to the Washington County Fairgrounds this year and now sets up in the west lot off Manning Avenue. A few minutes up Manning, Aamodt's Apple Farm at 6428 Manning Ave. N. in Stillwater has a new food court on fall weekends. It brings the brat trailer, snack shack and kettle corn together in one spot.
| Stop | Where | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Elmo Farmers Market | Washington County Fairgrounds west lot, off Manning Ave. | Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through Oct. 17 | New location this year |
| Aamodt's Apple Farm | 6428 Manning Ave. N., Stillwater | Pick-your-own on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through about the second week of October | Apple varieties change with the harvest |
| Fall Night Hike | Lake Elmo Park Reserve Nordic Center, 1515 Keats Ave. N. | Thursday, Oct. 8, 7 to 8 p.m. | Free, vehicle permit required |
| Spooky Stories | Same Nordic Center | Friday, Oct. 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m. | Cider, marshmallows, crafts, lighted trails open until 9:30 p.m. |
| Country Sun Farm | 11211 N. 60th St. | Through Oct. 31 | Westbound drivers loop back from Hilton Trail |
Pick-your-own at Aamodt's is the stop with the shortest window. The farm says it runs only on weekdays and only through about the second week of October, so this week and next may be your last chance. The Park Reserve evenings are both free, but you need a vehicle permit to park.
The city's Sept. 18 newsletter covered the honey-extraction demonstration at the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center, which came back on Sept. 26. The center's own hives hadn't made enough honey this year, so beekeepers brought frames over from Oakdale.
Hudson Boulevard got a new anchor in July
On the south side of town, the I-94 corridor added something new this summer. Ironwood Lodge opened July 15 at 8511 Hudson Blvd. N., on the former Machine Shed site, with 99 rooms. Next door, the ParT Barn has nine virtual-golf simulators and restaurant service, and The Pavilion at Lake Elmo adds event space. As October gets colder, those simulators are one of the few golf options in town that don't depend on the weather.
That corridor has had its own lane closure. The city's most recent notice said the westbound lane of Hudson Boulevard between Jade Trail and Julia Avenue was expected to stay closed "through September." That window has passed, and no October update has been posted, so watch for signs.
After Halloween, the calendar shifts
Country Sun closes for a few weeks after Halloween to get ready for the holidays. It reopens the week before Thanksgiving and stays open through the end of December, or "until we run out of Christmas trees, whichever comes first." The access plan above will still apply then. Here are the other dates to put on your calendar:
- Oct. 6. The City Council agenda includes a resolution supporting a single-lane roundabout at 10th Street N., Lake Elmo Avenue and County Road 17B, with new pedestrian-trail connections. Construction is planned for 2028.
- Oct. 26–28 and Nov. 9–11. Sunfish Lake Park closes to visitors for managed deer hunts.
- Nov. 13. This is the scheduled final completion for the city's 2026 street work on 26th and 27th Streets N. and on Imperial, Innsdale and Inwood Avenues N. The parking-lot improvements at Elmo's Pup Park have the same target date.
- Nov. 21. Krueger's Christmas Tree Farm, at 10920 43rd Street N., opens for the season. Reservations are required.
In the Old Village, two restaurant projects are still in progress. Tap & Ladder is going into the former fire station at 3510 Laverne Ave., and Machete Cocina Mexicana into the former parks building at 11200 Upper 33rd St. The latest public forecast in Finance & Commerce, published in October 2025, said "late 2026 or early 2027." No newer opening date has been announced.
If you own a home along the Lake Elmo Avenue corridor and want to know how two years of interchange work could affect timing, showings or buyer questions, Reidell-Estey & Associates keeps track of this project closely. Schedule a consultation or ask us for a free home valuation, and we'll go over what the construction schedule means for your street.
