BELFAST, Maine — From the outside, Fiberglass Farm doesn’t announce itself as the birthplace of some of the largest bobbleheads and fiberglass sculptures in America. There is no flashing road sign, no grand showroom filled with oversized mascots.
Yet from this small workshop in coastal Maine come some of the most recognizable large-scale figures in sports, public art and civic spectacle — pieces that now stand in ballparks, stadiums, downtown corridors and campuses across the country.
Founded by Mike Hurley, Fiberglass Farm traces its roots back more than two decades to a moment of inspiration far from Midcoast Maine. In 1999, Hurley attended the National Hardware Show in Chicago, where he encountered the now-iconic Cow Parade exhibition. Hundreds of fiberglass cows, painted by artists, had been placed throughout the city, transforming public space into a playful, walkable gallery. Hurley remembers the moment clearly. “They had 400 fiberglass cows in Chicago, painted by artists,” he recalled. “I saw it, and the next year we did Belfast Bearfest.”
Credit: Courtesy of Fiberglass Farm via Midcoast Villager
Bearfest became a defining moment not just for Belfast’s downtown, but for Hurley’s future work. Dozens of fiberglass bears were decorated by artists and displayed throughout the city, drawing visitors and sparking community engagement. What Hurley could not have predicted at the time was how quickly the idea would travel. Cities around the country began adopting similar “parade” concepts, commissioning custom fiberglass animals and forms to animate public spaces and support economic development. Hurley found himself fielding calls from municipalities and organizations looking to replicate the magic, often ordering dozens of pieces at once.
From those early commissions, Fiberglass Farm began to take shape as a business built on scale, logistics and creative collaboration. Over the years, Hurley and his network of partner shops and artists have produced cats, dogs, dinosaurs, cars, eggs, sturgeon, light bulbs and countless other forms, each tailored to the needs of a specific community or client. For Augusta, Hurley produced dozens of fiberglass sturgeon for a downtown art initiative, further cementing his reputation as a go-to source for durable, outdoor public art.
In Maine, they made the elephant that tops the Colonial Theater in downtown Belfast, the giant L.L. Bean Boot that sits outside the company’s flagship store in Freeport, an enormous loon for a lakeside park in Lincoln and, most recently, the new sea captain statue in Searsport.
Credit: Courtesy of Fiberglass Farm via Midcoast Villager
While Hurley is reluctant to name a favorite project, he readily admits that some stand out. “Making the world’s largest longhorn steer for the University of Texas, that was pretty cool,” he said. He has also fabricated statues inspired by Andy Warhol, which he described, with a laugh, as “really weird.”
As Fiberglass Farm’s portfolio expanded, professional sports organizations began to take notice. What started with public art soon crossed into the world of stadium spectacle, where size, durability and visual impact are paramount. The first professional sports bobblehead Hurley delivered went to Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles. That project opened the door to an entirely new line of work, giant bobbleheads, often standing more than six feet tall and mounted on massive concrete bases.
Hurley discovered quickly that sports projects brought not only higher visibility, but significantly higher profit margins. “I like doing the sport stuff,” he said, acknowledging the financial upside, before adding, “it’s fun to work in Dodger Stadium or Fenway Park.”
In 2015, Hurley personally delivered one of Fiberglass Farm’s most recognizable creations: a towering model of Wally the Green Monster for Fenway Park. The bobblehead was designed for the ballpark’s Kids Concourse and immediately became a magnet for fans and families.
For Hurley, the installation carried personal weight. He brought along a friend, Rick Cronin, whom he described as a “huge Red Sox fan,” sharing the moment when a piece made in Belfast found a permanent home in one of baseball’s most storied venues.
The company’s giant bobbleheads are feats of both artistry and engineering. Each sits on a six-foot concrete base, often weighing well over 1000 pounds. In some cases, Hurley has incorporated memorabilia from fans of the honored team into the concrete itself. On rare occasions, even cremated ashes have been added at a family’s request, creating a deeply personal and permanent connection between fan and franchise.
In the sports world, time sensitivity — and even top secret confidentiality — can be paramount. For instance, Hurley and his collaborators produce giant replica championship rings, which have to be designed and fabricated long before the rings are revealed publicly or the winning team is known.
“The ring ceremonies they do for these teams are a really big deal,” Hurley said. “The rings are totally secret, nobody knows what they look like until it’s presented. We’re some of the only people who know what that ring looks like.”
Credit: Courtesy of Fiberglass Farm via Midcoast Villager
Projects typically begin with a digital CAD file, followed by a 3D scan that is translated into physical form by robotic carving equipment. Some details are refined by hand, while finishing, color and surface treatment are often handled by specialized artists. “They have to look like jewels,” Hurley said.
Although Fiberglass Farm is headquartered in Belfast, the business operates as a distributed studio. Hurley works with shops and artists across the country, assembling teams tailored to each project’s size, timeline and complexity. “It’s a real team effort,” he said.
Today, Hurley estimates that Fiberglass Farm’s work is displayed in at least 15 stadiums and ballparks nationwide. His latest high-profile project — a creation for the Los Angeles Dodgers — was unveiled as part of the team’s celebration of its 2025 World Series win.
Despite the national reach and millions of visitors who encounter Fiberglass Farm’s creations each year, the company remains rooted in the same spirit that launched Bearfest. What began as a local art experiment has evolved into a one-of-a-kind enterprise that blends civic imagination, industrial fabrication and pop-culture spectacle.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.