The Corn Palace Festival celebrates Mitchell, South Dakota's Moorish Revival Corn Palace, whose exterior murals are rebuilt entirely from corn and other grains each year, with the citywide festival historically timed to the September harvest and now generally held in late August across downtown Mitchell.
Few buildings anywhere reinvent themselves as literally as the Mitchell Corn Palace does every year.
The Mitchell Corn Palace is the only surviving example of dozens of corn and grain palaces built across the Midwest between 1887 and 1930, and its exterior murals are redesigned annually using twelve naturally occurring shades of corn, split lengthwise and nailed cob by cob onto tar-paper patterns in a process locals call corn-by-numbers
Native American artist Oscar Howe designed the murals from 1948 to 1971, giving the building's yearly reinvention a documented artistic lineage that predates most other regional festival traditions by decades
The complete redesign and reconstruction of the Corn Palace's exterior murals each year
using locally grown corn in a dozen natural colors nailed cob by cob onto the building's facade
is the festival's foundational tradition and the reason the Palace draws visitors as a year-round attraction as well as a festival destination
Dates TBA · Usually August
For Corn Palace Festival, plan transport around the exact Mitchell venue, route or gathering point rather than the city name alone.
Casual clothing suited to an outdoor Midwestern summer festival, with sun protection for daytime hours and a light layer for cooler evenings in late August.
Keep valuables light, follow local instructions, and watch how residents use the space before joining in.
For Corn Palace Festival, stay near the part of Mitchell you will actually use, with reliable return transport.
Check official or local sources for ticketed areas, paid stands, and same-year access rules.
USD
unknown
External travel services to turn the plan into a trip — each opens in a new tab.
We may earn a small commission from trusted travel partners at no extra cost to you.
Corn Palace Festival is listed for August · Summer. Always re-check the official or local source close to travel.
The festival is listed in Mitchell, United States. The map coordinate is a planning reference, not a guarantee of a ticket gate or exact venue.
Summer is the listed festival span. Add time for arrival, local transport, queues, and any route changes during the event.
Official source linked. Eventisimus separates source confidence from travel suggestions, so check final details before booking.
Mitchell, SD
unknown
This guide is independently written by Eventisimus using publicly available information, official event and organiser sources where available, local tourism references, and additional editorial research. Eventisimus is not the official organiser of this festival and is not affiliated with it unless explicitly stated.
Festival dates, schedules, ticket conditions, access rules, and local arrangements can change. We aim to present useful and accurate information, but travelers should confirm important details with the official event source before booking transport, accommodation, or tickets.
Found something inaccurate or outdated? Email hello@eventisimus.com with the festival page link and the correction.
Spotted something out of date? Submit a correction →
