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2026 corn murals to feature patriotic theme
MITCHELL, S.D. (KELO)– Next year marks the 250th anniversary of America.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th, 1776.
The Corn Palace in Mitchell is getting ready for the milestone.
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Next year's murals will be all about the U.S.
'They're really representative of what our country's been through,' Corn Palace Director Dave Sietsema said.
The patriotic theme of the 2026 designs coincides with the 250th anniversary of the country.
'We have some recruiting posters from the WWII era, we have the Wright Brothers aviation, we have the American eagle, the American flag, symbols like that that our country draws itself to to celebrate our patriotic side and who we are as a country,' Sietsema said.
While the current murals will still remain up for months, work is underway to replace the material surrounding the murals.
'We've got a crew of high school and college kids who come back, we go out to any particular farmer's field and pick sour dock, like this right out of the field, and then we come back and we put in it a bundle like this,' Field Director Clark Mickelson said.
The rye will also be replaced.
Later this year, it will be time to add the new murals.
'Probably in October, November when the corn is harvested. It takes about 60 acres of corn to cover the corn palace,' Sietsema said.
The murals were designed by Dakota Wesleyan students studying digital media and design.
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