Vermillion’s Ribs, Rods & Rock n’ Roll knows how to host a barbeque. Enjoy a KCBS sponsored BBQ cookoff, with approximately 30 teams from across the Midwest, as well as many local teams. Mouth-watering ribs, cold drinks, live music, street dance, classic cars, kids activity area, cornhole tournament, and vendors who line the streets and draw thousands of visitors to historic downtown Vermillion each year. Come for the ribs, the Classic Car Show & Shine, and two great days of music on Friday and Saturday in early September. 2024 marked the 20th anniversary of Ribs, Rods & Rock n' Roll.
The Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon is a point-to-point course beginning at the Visitors Center at Crazy Horse Memorial. The first three miles are within the Memorial grounds on both paved and gravel roads. At mile 3, the course becomes the Mickelson Trail. For the Half Marathoners, the last 10 miles are a mixture of downhill and flat terrain. Miles 3-16 of the Full Marathon will be an out and back mainly on the Mickelson Trail. Outside of Crazy Horse Memorial, marathoner runners will turn south on the Mickelson Trail to the turnaround in Custer. At Mile 16, it will be downhill back into Hill City to finish on Main Street. The five-person Marathon Relay will follow the same course as the Full Marathon. The relay exchange points will be between 5-7 miles apart. Other races include a fast 5K and a kids 1K. See website for more information and registration details. 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of the event.
Held at the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, the Sanford International is an official PGA TOUR Champions event. The field typically features 80+ professionals and is a 54-Hole Stroke Play event. There is a pro-am event open to the public on Thursday. The first round of the Sanford International is on Friday, the second round is on Saturday and the final round and trophy presentation is on Sunday. Find the full schedule of events and ticket information on our website.
The annual Sidewalk Arts Festival in downtown Sioux Falls is a free, outdoor event with more than 230 vendor booths featuring the region's best fine art, folk art and craft artisans. Enjoy activities for kids, live entertainment, food vendors and more on the streets surrounding the Washington Pavilion. This festival is a fundraiser for the Washington Pavilion of Arts & Science and is the region's largest one-day arts festival. Join us 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The annual Sioux Empire Fair is the largest fair in South Dakota and the best source for family fun, national headline concerts, carnival rides, commercial displays, and agricultural activities. All centrally located in Sioux Falls at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. The grandstand features top musical entertainment and the Sioux Empire Championship Rodeo. There are more details listed on our website, including admission information.
Come one, come all goode lords and ladies, merchants, yeomen, players, musicians, and peasants. Let us present to you the Siouxland Renaissance Festival! Travel back in time to the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth I. See the sights, hear the sounds, and taste the food. Learn what it was like to live over 400 years ago as you take part in our historically flavored festival. The festival takes place at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds/W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds in Sioux Falls. Admission at the gate is $15 for adults (13-65), $6 for seniors (65+) and children (4-12), and free for children 3 and under.
SiouxperCon is a fan convention that celebrates several mediums: Comicbooks, Sci-fi, Fantasy, Anime, Board games, and Video gaming. SiouxperCon is dedicated to promoting literacy and valuable life skills in an inclusive and friendly environment. The vision is to engage individuals, cultivating their interest of comics and various popular art forms through workshops, panels, seminars, exhibitions and hosting conventions. Join in the fun at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Admission: Tickets are available online and range from $10 to $150. The 10th anniversary will be celebrated in 2025.
Since 1945, traditions of the Old West come alive at the PRCA-sanctioned Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo every July 2, 3 and 4, 7:30 p.m. nightly. Featured are top-name professional cowboys and cowgirls, top animals and top rodeo entertainment. In addition to the rodeo action, there is a carnival, two big main street parades and a huge fireworks display on the night of the 4th after the rodeo. The annual Sitting Bull Stampede in Mobridge is the major event of the year, with its parades, carnival and rodeos.
Head to Freeman, the heart of the “Chislic Circle,” for the annual South Dakota Chislic Festival. Enjoy a chislic-day filled with food, beverages, activities, and entertainment for all ages. Vendors offer a variety of chislic, meats, sides, desserts, drinks, and South Dakota-brewed craft beers. There will be live bands at the Prairie Rose Amphitheater, bouncy castles, and entertainment for everyone. Held 10 a.m.-9 p.m. at the Freeman Prairie Arboretum. Free admission; food, beverages, and merchandise available for purchase.
More than 1,500 miles of snowmobile trails exist in South Dakota. Whether you have the need to cross the open prairie east of the Missouri River or lose yourself in the one million acres of ponderosa pine in the Black Hills, South Dakota has it all. Based on trail conditions, the season runs December 15-March 31 each winter. Trail conditions are available via the Game, Fish and Parks website (linked), the GFP mobile app (SDGFP Outdoors) and Twitter accounts for Black Hills (@BlackHills) and East River (@SDSnowEast) trails.
