Fresh Acres Decorated Hay Bale Contest: More Than Hay Bales

One of our favorite traditions at Fresh Acres Fall Festival in Monticello, Minnesota is our annual Decorated Hay Bale Contest.

Each fall, we invite five local nonprofit and community organizations to transform an ordinary round hay bale into something completely their own. Over the years, those bales have become tractors, firetrucks, hot air balloons, butterflies, a unicorn, a combine, and even The Nightmare Before Christmas.

But the contest is about much more than decorating hay bales.

How Does the Fresh Acres Decorated Hay Bale Contest Work?

Each year, Fresh Acres invites five local nonprofit and community organizations to participate in the contest. We provide the hay bales, and the organizations provide the creativity.

The finished bales are displayed at Fresh Acres throughout our fall festival season, where our guests have an opportunity to see them and learn a little more about the organizations behind them.

Every paid admission includes one ticket to vote for a favorite hay bale. At the end of the season, we count the votes, and the organization whose bale receives the most votes receives a $1,000 donation from Fresh Acres.

There is no panel of judges and no complicated scoring system. Our guests choose the winner.

That makes the competition especially fun because we never quite know which creation will capture everyone's attention!

Supporting Organizations in Our Community

While there is ultimately one winner, the larger purpose of the contest is to introduce our guests to organizations doing good work throughout our local communities.

The groups that have participated over the years represent a wide variety of missions—from 4-H and FFA programs to mental health organizations, veterans and first responders, youth activities, community groups, and nonprofits serving individuals and families.

The hay bales give those organizations an opportunity to showcase a little personality, tell people who they are, and hopefully encourage some of our visitors to learn more about their work.

And they have created some pretty memorable hay bales along the way!

2026 Decorated Hay Bale Contest

This year, five organizations accepted our challenge. Their creations are on display throughout the 2026 Fresh Acres Fall Festival season, and our guests will determine which organization receives this year's $1,000 donation.

Monticello FFA — The Steer

After disappearing from Monticello schools in the 1980s, the Monticello FFA program was brought back to life in 2024. The chapter gives students opportunities to develop skills through agricultural education, leadership, competition, community involvement, and service.

Monticello FFA is also our reigning Decorated Hay Bale Contest champion, having won the 2025 competition with its combine. This year, they are back to defend their title with a steer.

Monticello All Night Graduation Party — The Graduate

The Monticello All Night Graduation Party is a volunteer-run organization that provides graduating seniors with a safe, fun, alcohol- and chemical-free celebration following graduation.

With no paid employees, the event depends on volunteers, donations, fundraising, and community support to provide graduating students with a memorable way to celebrate together.

Appropriately enough, their 2026 hay bale creation is The Graduate.

Just Drive — The Car

Just Drive was founded following the 2013 death of 19-year-old Phillip LaVallee, who was struck and killed by a distracted driver while running alongside a road in Otsego, Minnesota.

The organization works to educate drivers about the dangers and consequences of distracted driving and encourages people to make safer choices behind the wheel.

For this year's contest, Just Drive created The Car.

You're Not Alone — The Dog

You're Not Alone grew from the work of Amy Theisen Walz and her therapy dog, Willow, at Monticello Middle School. The organization focuses on mental health awareness and support, helping remind young people and others in the community that they do not have to face difficult circumstances alone.

Their 2026 creation is appropriately canine-inspired: The Dog.

Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry — The 250th

Established in 1948, the Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry supports local businesses while helping strengthen connections throughout the Monticello community.

The Chamber also participated in our 2025 contest, when they created a train. For 2026, they embraced a particularly timely theme with The 250th, celebrating America's 250th birthday alongside our 2026 corn maze theme.

Past Fresh Acres Decorated Hay Bale Contests

One of the fun things about looking back at the contest is seeing just how different the creations have been from year to year.

Some organizations have also returned multiple times with completely new ideas. Here is a look back at our previous contests and the organizations that helped make them possible.

2025 Decorated Hay Bale Contest

🏆 Winner: Monticello FFA — The Combine

Just one year after the chapter was revived in Monticello, Monticello FFA took home the 2025 Fresh Acres Decorated Hay Bale Contest prize with its combine.

Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry — The Train

The Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry supports businesses throughout Monticello and the surrounding area while promoting economic growth and community connections.

Thumbs Up — The Nightmare Before Christmas

Thumbs Up is an Elk River-based nonprofit dedicated to increasing mental health awareness while providing support and resources to people and families affected by mental health challenges.

Farside 4-H Club — The Hot Air Balloon

Farside 4-H is a Wright County 4-H club. Through Minnesota 4-H, young people have opportunities for hands-on learning, leadership, community involvement, and developing skills through a wide variety of projects.

The hot air balloon marked Farside's third consecutive year participating in our contest.

Rivers of Hope — The Clock

Rivers of Hope supports adults, youth, and families impacted by domestic violence through advocacy, crisis intervention, safety planning, legal-system support, and connections to community resources.

2024 Decorated Hay Bale Contest

🏆 Winner: Across All Lines — The Firetruck

Across All Lines is a Minnesota nonprofit helping veterans and first responders with PTSD gain access to psychiatric service dogs and service-dog training. Their firetruck took home the $1,000 prize in 2024.

Monticello Monarchs 4-H Club — The Monarch

Monticello Monarchs is a Wright County 4-H club. Minnesota 4-H provides young people with opportunities for hands-on learning, leadership development, community involvement, and exploring their interests through projects and activities.

Farside 4-H Club — The Cowboy

Farside returned for its second year of our contest in 2024, trading the previous year's winning tractor for a cowboy.

STMA Bands — The Band

STMA Bands provides instrumental music opportunities for students in the St. Michael-Albertville school community, including middle school, high school, and marching band programs.

Rivers of Hope — The Purple Butterfly

Rivers of Hope returned to the contest in 2024 with a purple butterfly.

2023 Decorated Hay Bale Contest

🏆 Winner: Farside 4-H Club — The Tractor

Farside 4-H Club became our 2023 contest winner with its hay bale tractor. They must have decided one year of hay bale decorating was not enough, because they returned for both our 2024 and 2025 competitions!

Minnesotans for Health & Parental Rights — The Unicorn

Minnesotans for Health & Parental Rights brings Minnesota families together through community support, education, practical resources, public policy, and grassroots advocacy.

STMA Trap Team — The S'more

The St. Michael-Albertville Trap Team provides students opportunities to participate in competitive shooting sports while emphasizing safety, sportsmanship, teamwork, character development, and responsible participation.

A Night to Remember Prom — The Mummy

A Night to Remember Prom creates a free prom experience for teens and young adults with special needs, pairing honored guests with peer student hosts for an evening designed to be safe, welcoming, inclusive, and memorable.

More Than a Contest

One of the things we love about owning Fresh Acres is that the fall festival gives us opportunities to support our community in ways that go beyond simply providing a place for families to spend an afternoon together.

The Decorated Hay Bale Contest has become one of those opportunities.

It is fun to watch the organizations arrive with paint, fabric, props, lumber, and sometimes ideas that leave us wondering exactly how they are going to turn a giant round bale of hay into what they have envisioned.

Then, somehow, they do.

Even better is watching our guests walk through the display, debate their favorites, and decide where to cast their votes.

At the end of the season, one organization receives the $1,000 prize. But we hope every organization leaves with a little more exposure, a few more people who know its name, and perhaps some new supporters who discovered its mission while spending a fall day at Fresh Acres.

Come See the Decorated Hay Bales at Fresh Acres Fall Festival in Monticello, Minnesota

If you are looking for fall activities in Monticello, Minnesota, come visit Fresh Acres and make sure you stop by the Decorated Hay Bale Contest and check out this year's creations.

Take a look at all five, learn a little about the organizations behind them, and then use your voting ticket to choose your favorite.

We cannot tell you which one to vote for. We have to live around here after the contest is over. 😉