Indiana's Goebel Farms chooses Charlie Kirk image for corn maze

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — If you fly over Indiana's Goebel Farms and look down, you'll see a face staring back at you. It's Charlie Kirk's.

The visage of the slain right-wing commentator has been planted into the fields at Goebel Farms for the business' annual corn maze. Goebel announced the decision, complete with flyover pictures and video, in both a Facebook post and a lengthy statement to its website on Wednesday.

The tribute comes a few days before the anniversary of Kirk's killing. The 31-year-old was shot and killed while speaking to college students at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, 2025.

Goebel owner Jeremy Goebel used the maze to pay tribute to celebrities before — Carrie Fisher in 2017; Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a year later — but none carry the political divisiveness of Kirk.

The founder and leader of Turning Point USA called the passage of the Civil Rights Act a "mistake" and an "anti-white weapon," while dismissing Martin Luther King Jr. as a "bad guy." He also claimed the true goal of gay and transgender rights has "always been about grooming kids."

After his death, conservative media and supporters lauded him as a champion of free speech. Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that neo-Nazi groups saw Kirk's killing as an opportunity to recruit new members.

In a statement to the Courier & Press, Jeremy Goebel said the choice of Kirk "was not to provoke a political debate or suggest that everyone in Evansville should share Charlie Kirk’s views."

"We hoped the maze might encourage people to reflect on the importance of continuing to talk with one another, even when disagreements are serious," he stated via email. "We recognize that Charlie was a polarizing public figure and that many people strongly disagreed with his statements, methods and political positions."

The statement on Goebel's website said the business "chose to honor Charlie Kirk because he believed that disagreement should lead to conversation, not violence."

"He spent much of his life bringing political debate into public spaces, inviting people who opposed his views to challenge him and encouraging young people to examine important questions for themselves," it read.

Reaction

The decision drew online attention immediately. Within four hours of unveiling the maze on Facebook, the post had already garnered about 1,000 reactions and more than 200 shares. About 450 people hearted or liked the post, while around 480 people responded with a laughing emoji.

The business limited who could comment. Of the ones that made it through, one person called the design "awesome," while another person suggested Goebel should have gone with Dolly Parton instead.

Three hours or so after the initial post, Goebel wrote another, this time to "provide some additional context about our decision to feature Charlie Kirk." It echoed some of the same points Jeremy Goebel made in the statement to the Courier & Press.

"Charlie was killed while publicly expressing and debating his convictions. In a country founded on the principles of free speech, no person should lose his or her life for participating in political discussion," it stated. "People are free to challenge ideas, criticize them and reject them – but violence must never become the response to speech."

Kirk shooting

Kirk's shooting unfolded in front of about 3,000 people in Orem, Utah.

Kirk was staging one of his signature college events in which students line up to debate him. Sitting under a makeshift awning branded with the words "Prove Me Wrong," Kirk was arguing with a Utah Valley student about the prevalence of transgender people among mass shooters when a dull crack sounded out.

A bullet, which police believe was fired from a nearby rooftop, entered Kirk's neck. He slumped over and was rushed to a hospital. Officials later announced his death.

On the evening of Sept. 11, 2025, authorities arrested then-22-year-old Utah man Tyler Robinson and eventually charged him with aggravated murder. Almost a year later, in a Utah court on Tuesday, Judge Tony Graff ordered Robinson's case to go to trial. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.

Sadness, anger and recrimination erupted in the wake of Kirk's death. A Gibson Southern High School teacher resigned after reposting social media posts criticizing the late commentator, and others around the country lost their jobs for similar comments or posts, igniting a multitude of First Amendment lawsuits. This May, a judge ordered Ball State University to pay $225,000 to an ex-employee it fired for a critical Kirk post.

Jeremy Goebel said he designed the maze using a variety of computer programs. He then uploaded the resulting image into a computer system installed in his tractor, which uses GPS to plant corn in the exact shape. So far, it's sparked both support and disagreement.

"We understand that some people may decide not to visit our farm because of this choice, and we respect their right to make that decision," he told the Courier & Press. "The maze was not intended to dismiss the concerns of people who were hurt or offended by things Charlie said, nor was it intended as an endorsement of every statement he made."