Day 313 – The Corn Palace (Mitchell, SD)

The Corn Palace

The Corn Palace is a concert hall / sports center in Mitchell, SD, that is decorated with elaborate murals constructed from different colors of dried corn. Each year a new theme is chosen and murals designed to match the them. This year the theme was “homegrown” with murals featuring people and events that originated in South Dakota.

In the late 19th Century, a number of cities on the Great Plains constructed “crop palaces” (also known as “grain palaces”) to promote themselves and their products. As the idea succeeded, it spread, including: a Corn Palace in Sioux City, Iowa, that was active from 1887–1891; a Corn Palace in Gregory, South Dakota; a Grain Palace in Plankinton, South Dakota; and a Bluegrass Palace in Creston, Iowa. From 1887 to 1930, at least thirty-four corn palaces were built across the Midwest United States; only the Mitchell Corn Palace has remained intact. [wikipedia.com]

Each year it costs $175,000 to create the new art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Chislic

I had never heard of this dish before. It’s apparently a very local dish to southern South Dakota. Essentially cubed meat, usually game, lamb, or beef, that’s been cooked briefly in a deep fryer, then seasoned with garlic salt. There isn’t a real authority on its origin but seems to have originated in the later 1800s from Turkish decent from shish kebab type dishes. It was perfect for our low carb diet and tasty!
 

 

   

Random bull and bison statues.

On the way to the Corn Palace we ran across these two huge statues in Mitchell. Quite a bit larger than the Rialta, we had to grab a few snaps.