Intricate pleasure in New Boston
To err is human. Unfortunately, we have to live with this weakness and its more or less disastrous consequences. But it gets worse: this flaw can even affect our peers collectively! Thousands of our kind demonstrated this impressively in 2005. Even in the pouring rain, they were drawn in droves to the "Irr-Land", a 2.5-kilometre-long labyrinth that ran through a 30,000 square meter cornfield and also surrounded a sunflower labyrinth. To ensure that no wrong turn was missed, stamp stations and quiz questions lured visitors into even the most enchanted corners. Chattering and giggling in the midst of the towering plants from all directions of the maze announced the unbridled fun of getting lost without getting lost. For many guests, a corn maze like this is enough of an attraction and destination to make the trip to New Boston, about an hour from Berlin and just 15 minutes from Storkow/Mark train station.
The hosts, on the other hand, were inspired by the once fallow land in the middle of the beautiful Oder-Spree lake district to do more. After all, they have long been known not only for their original ideas, but above all for those that unleash unexpected creativity in their guests and encourage them to get involved. For years now, the non-profit children's and youth association LOLLYPOP has gained a considerable fan base with bathtub regattas, soapbox races, crate climbing - in short, with children's parties that go beyond the mainstream.
In 1999, the LOLLYs thought it was time to finally spin straw into gold and organized a straw festival together with Storkow/Mark Tourism. This fragrant and, especially in Brandenburg, abundantly renewable raw material was to cut a good figure, at least temporarily, in the form of dolls, animals and other creatures and objects before it disappeared forever into stables and animal stomachs. In fact, 58 of them were grouped around a large straw castle, which broke an existing record at the "1st Brandenburg Straw Festival" and earned the straw artists around LOLLYPOP a place in the "Guinness Book of Records".
When, in the following years, countless forage maize plants and sunflowers grew into a labyrinth in place of the lovable and by no means dumb figures, the site with its high creative potential was finally given a suitable name: IRRLANDIA, the MitMachPark.
As if by chance, it grew continuously to include attractions large and small to create a sizeable adventure park with a hop castle, ship swing and roller slide, water ballet made from sprinklers, hoses and watering cans; a marble run with pitfalls, traps and flaps; a channel for digging and panning for gold; giant soap blowing, fun cane cake baking and much more. One enthusiastic visitor summed up the varied fun as follows: "You can retreat (in the straw or at the picnic on the meadow) or go all out (throwing water bombs or on the swing boat)."
All of this was and is only possible because many Storkow tinkerers and craftsmen as well as numerous tradespeople and friends of LOLLYPOP support this unique, nature-loving, ever-growing leisure park with fun and generosity.
