Corn Palace

Each year, my college girlfriends and I get together to reminisce about college days and catch up on what's going on in each others' busy lives. This year, we met at Colette's in Mitchell, South Dakota, which just so happens to be the home of the world's only Corn Palace.

Each year the exterior panels of the Corn Palace are decorated with locally grown corn. The complete process of changing the rye, dock, corn and milo starts in June when the rye and dock are torn off and replaced. Each ear of corn is cut in half lengthwise and nailed in place. It costs $130,000 to decorate the Corn Palace each year. The corn murals are replaced beginning in late August with an anticipated completion date at the end of September. A different theme is chosen each year. Everyday Heroes is the theme for 2008.