It was a record year for attendance at Dell’Osso Farms in Lathrop.
The October-long agricultural attraction featuring everything from a massive corn maze and signature pumpkin blasters to zip lines, a ropes confidence course, haunted house and more drew just over 200,000 visitors.
Susan Dell’Osso noted it was “perfect weather” as it did not rain all month. There was only one dicey day with high winds.
Dell’Osso Farms is the state’s most successful ag-tourism site. A trade organization notes only one other ag-tourism operation — a corn maze in Nebraska — that tops Dell’Osso in attendance. 
The October attraction in its 19th year provided more than 500 jobs. That is in addition to a small army of volunteers from 20 non-profits that earned in excess of $100,000 combined to help staff various attractions.
Holidays on the Farm — compete with the popular snow tubing hill and ice skating — opens Dec. 12 for a three-week run.
 
Spiffy new Santa
Hut is downtown
Santa’s Hut is already in place in downtown Manteca at Yosemite Avenue and Main Street waiting for the arrival of the jolly old guy on Saturday, Dec. 5, when he brings up the rear of the Manteca Chamber of Commerce’s twilight holiday parade that starts at 5 p.m. in downtown Manteca.
The hut was updated in 2014. The previous Santa Hut — part of a nearly half century Manteca holiday tradition — had dry rot, a  failing roof, and access issues.
Stan Luciano earned his Eagle Scout by coordinating the hut’s replacement in time for last Christmas.
A team from Elite Roofing volunteered their time and materials. In addition to Elite Roofing other donations came from Great Western Building Materials of San Francisco and DEVCO Engineering in Oregon