The Brown County Fair is a family-friendly, week-long event held every August in Aberdeen. The grandstand is packed with big name entertainment. There is a carnival midway as well as two Expo buildings full of vendors for your shopping pleasure. The Fair also hosts the largest 4-H program in South Dakota and many open class livestock and arts and crafts events. There is a rodeo, tractor pulls, food vendors, children's events, chili cook-off and much more. Open daily, 8 a.m.-12 midnight. Ticket prices vary based on each day's events. The 90th Anniversary will be celebrated in 2026.
First held in 1991, the annual Burke Stampede Rodeo became a PRCA-sanctioned event in 2021. It features bareback riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, ladies breakaway roping, team roping, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and bull riding. Other activities include dances Friday and Saturday nights and a cowboy breakfast. Rodeo performances take place nightly at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available locally and online. See our website and Facebook for the latest information.
The biggest South Dakota fair west of the Missouri River takes place in Rapid City at the Central States Fairgrounds. Spend your day sampling delicious food and checking out carnival rides and exhibits for all ages before capping off each night with a demolition derby, rodeo, or concerts by great country music acts. The fair also features children's entertainment, regional music, a magic show, and pig wrestling. See the website for admission and additional information.
The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at Falls Park is a family event that brings together the business and civic community of Sioux Falls and the surrounding area to recognize, appreciate and celebrate the cultural gifts and heritage of the Latino people in our midst. While observing this traditional Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo in Sioux Falls creates awareness of and develops pride in the diverse Latino cultures that make up our community. Latino food, dance, art, music, children’s activities and more make this a festive and fun family day. Join us at Falls Park for this fun, free event.
The Clay County Fair, held each August in Vermillion, is a classic hometown fair. It features 4-H and open class exhibits, 4-H livestock shows, a kids pedal pull contest, a cornhole tournament, Barnyard Olympics, inflatables, vendors, a free community barbeque on Thursday, and a Backyard BBQ Bash, demolition derby and street dance on Saturday, entertainment and more. Join us Thursday through Saturday. Find this year's event schedule on our website.
Bring the entire family out to Stokes-Thomas Lake City Park on Lake Kampeska near Watertown for two days of family-friendly fun. Cookin' on Kampeska is packed full of exciting activities and entertainment for everyone - BBQ tasting, children's activities, bean bags, Corks and Kegs, inflatables, live music and more. Check out the complete schedule of events online and make plans to join us in July. Admission is $10 and children 10 and under are free. Planning to attend both days? Purchase a weekend pass for $15. See our website and Facebook for the latest updates.
Since 1971, the city of Mitchell has hosted the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo. This PRCA rodeo features performances at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at the Rodeo Grounds north of Mitchell. Other events during the four-day celebration include a golf tournament, barrel racing, team roping, Mutton Bustin', parade, Cowboy Church Service, and a chili cook-off. See our website for more details and ticket information.
Located on a ranch “out where the pavement ends and the West begins,” seven miles northeast of Clear Lake, the Crystal Springs Rodeo is the most unique rodeo you will ever attend. The rolling Coteau Hills come together to form an all-natural rodeo bowl with hillside seating. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket and enjoy the excitement of a PRCA rodeo all three nights. Get there early to reserve your spot - gates open at 5:30 p.m. Browse the hillside vendors before the rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. nightly. See our website for ticket information and other details. 2025 marks the 79th year of the Crystal Springs Rodeo.
Feel the thunder at the 60th Annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on Friday, September 26, 2025. Watch cowboys, cowgirls and park rangers as they round up and drive the herd of approximately 1,300 buffalo. Be sure to plan for plenty of time at the three-day Arts Festival, September 25-27, where more than 100 vendors will offer fine arts and crafts and South Dakota made products. (On Friday, parking lots open at 6:15 a.m. Early arrival is recommended.) There is no admission to the Roundup or the Arts Festival, but a park entrance license is required September 25 and 27 (it is not required September 26).
Tabor’s Czech Days brings Czech fun, music, dancing, traditional foods, museums, souvenirs and crafts. The annual Czech Days celebration keeps alive the heritage of the early founders of this South Dakota community who came to Tabor from Bohemia as early as 1869. There are activities for the entire family. More than 230 dancers perform the Beseda Folk Dance in Sokol Park both days. Merriam's Midway will be set up on Main Street. Parades take place both days. 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the event. No admission charges for viewing the entertainment.
