SHIPSHEWANA — The award-winning Giant Straw Bale Art Trail is returning to Shipshewana and surrounding northern Indiana Amish Country communities from September 1 through October 24, 2026.
Now entering its third year, the free, self-guided public art installation will feature 33 distinct sites scattered across four local towns. Sightseers following the map will encounter 22 displays in Shipshewana, seven in Middlebury, three in LaGrange, and one in Howe.
This year’s installation turns 139 locally grown straw bales into oversized works of art, incorporating a variety of sizes:
- 63 large round bales
- 8 large rectangular bales
- 21 small round bales
- 45 regular rectangular bales
- 2 mini rectangular bales
Local artists team up with participating area businesses to paint the bales and transform them into pop-culture icons, animals, and imaginative scenes. Among this season’s featured designs are Raggedy Ann and Andy, Old Glory, a giant firecracker, an all-American burger, oversized bingo balls, characters from The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland, Mini Minions, Highland cows, and original characters like “Louise the Grilled Cheese” and “Poppy the Popcorn.”
Building these large-scale sculptures requires significant preparation and manual craft long before the straw reaches the display sites. Artists construct prop elements—such as hats, candles, flippers, and facial features—out of plywood and other weather-resistant materials, securing them into the bales with heavy-duty rebar. Painting a single five-foot round bale can take two to three hours depending on the complexity of the design, with many locations using multiple bales to build out a complete multi-piece scene.
“You never know what you’ll find around the next corner,” said Sonya Nash, CEO of the LaGrange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “One minute you’re traveling past cornfields and buggies, and the next you’re face-to-face with a larger-than-life character made from straw. The trail is creative, surprising, and something you can only experience here in Amish Country.”
Recognition and Visiting Details
The trail earned broader critical acclaim when it received the 2025 Arts United Award for Outstanding Artistic Endeavor, honoring the initiative’s creative direction, community impact, and cross-sector collaboration between local farms, small businesses, and regional artists.
How to Explore the Trail
- Dates & Hours: September 1 – October 24, 2026; viewable daily during daylight hours. Shipshewana, IN
- Admission: Free and open to all ages.
- Maps & Info: Free physical trail maps can be picked up at the Shipshewana Visitors Center (350 S. Van Buren Street, Shipshewana, IN). Digital maps, artist bios, and event information are available online at the Visit Shipshewana Website.
- Social Sharing: Visitors sharing photos online are encouraged to tag @VisitShipshewana and use the hashtag
AutumnAdventure26.
Funding and operational support for the Giant Straw Bale Art Trail are provided in part by Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and the Indiana Arts Commission, alongside federal support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Exploring Indiana’s Amish Country
LaGrange County forms the hub of Indiana’s Amish Country—home to the third-largest Amish population in the United States. Shipshewana serves as the primary commercial destination for the region, drawing visitors year-round for its traditional food, handcrafted furniture, and countryside scenic drives.
The Straw Bale Art Trail runs alongside the broader regional “Autumn Adventures” seasonal programming, which includes local farm stands, fall craft fairs, and the Autumn Adventure Shop Hop across LaGrange and Elkhart counties.
