BEDFORD COUNTY, Va. – Charlie Brown and his pals, Snoopy and Woodstock, are hanging out in a field along Route 608 in the Huddleston section of Bedford County.
Beth Bays is the architect behind the nostalgic hay display.
“Charlie Brown was so all-inclusive, way before its time; and so I thought it’s important that everyone still gets to enjoy it,” Bays said.
Stacked hay bales make Charlie Brown about 15-feet-tall, while Snoopy and Woodstock are built with wood frames, hay and chicken wire. They’re around six and four feet respectively.
Bays says it’s a sign of her love for the cartoon characters, while protesting the holiday classic being taken off TV.
“It’s like the quintessential memory, watching Charlie Brown at the holidays. So, I didn’t think it was fair that not everyone had access to it,” said Bays.
She even added Snoopy’s doghouse and Charlie’s Christmas tree.
Neighbor John Coulahan joined in the fun by donating the single tree ornament.
“It’s a great sense of community. It puts Huddleston on the map. It’s something to be proud of, and we’re proud of her creativity,” Coulahan said.
It took about a week to make, but Bays has been creating hay displays for nearly a decade after noticing a post for a hay-bale-decorating competition.
Previous creations include a teddy bear, “Dumbo,” the “Wizard of Oz” and even country-music legend Willie Nelson.
“I feel like every year I do this, people think, ‘what is she up to again?’ Do they think it’s ridiculous?” Bays said about letting her imagination run wild.
From what 10 News saw, people were going nuts for the “Peanuts” gang.
Drivers slowed down, even stopping and getting out of their vehicles to snap a photo.
“I don’t have a lot of access to the rest of the world, but I could at least make this area happy,” Bays said.
And get them in the holiday spirit, too.