1. Black Hills Stock Show And Rodeo
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4115
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Begun in 1958, the Black Hills Stock Show and Rodeo is the third-largest stock show in the country. This annually anticipated event is a place for ranchers to show, buy, and sell cattle and horses, and a great community get-together. If you’ve never been to a stock show, you’ll find that they’re highly educational and a great way to learn about the trials, tribulations, and rewards of the South Dakota ranching life. You may even learn to tell the difference between one breed of cow and another. There are plenty of other things to look at, too: art, clothing, gifts, and food. The show is held in late Jan or early Feb and runs for about 10 days. Admission to the stock show is free, but tickets must be purchased for the rodeo and a few other events.
2. Black Hills Community Theatre Season
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-1786, (605) 394-6091
Address: 713 7th St.
Description: The community theater presents five quality performances—a good mix of drama, comedy, and music—throughout the year, with the first scheduled for Feb. Performances are professionally staged by dedicated local actors in the theater at the Dahl. Ticket prices vary and season tickets are available, so call ahead to check prices and reserve seats. The Black Hills Community Theatre also conducts classes and workshops and presents plays for children. You can read all about it in the Arts chapter.
3. Music In The Park Memorial Park
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 343-5176
Address: 5th and Omaha Streets
Description: Free outdoor concerts are presented each summer at the Memorial Park band shell, and indoor winter concerts are held at coffeehouses or the Dahl Fine Arts Center. Read about Music in the Park, listed under Backroom Productions, in the Arts chapter.
4. West Boulevard Summer Festival
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 348-9439, (605) 343-1744
Address: Mount Rushmore Road
Description: A very popular community arts-and-crafts festival, this one is held in pretty Wilson Park, just a block from historic West Boulevard, in mid-June. You’ll enjoy shopping for creative arts and crafts, listening to the musical performances, and sampling a variety of ethnic food. Then stroll over to West Boulevard and take a look at the beautiful historic houses. Vendors pay a fee for their booth space, but browsers are admitted free.
5. Black Hills Bluegrass Festival
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4101
Address: US 16
Description: It’s a weekend of toe-tapping, feel-good bluegrass and acoustic music. For more than 20 years, the festival has taken place on the last full weekend in June, starting Friday night and ending Sunday morning with a gospel show. The festival is a warm and homey event, with concerts by nationally known entertainers, workshops, informal jam sessions, food, and plenty of music. The organizers describe it as a big family reunion because so many people come back year after year. The price for a single show is $10; a ticket for all day Saturday is $20; a weekend ticket is $30. Discounts are available for advance purchases, and children under 12 are admitted free. The resort offers special camping rates for the bluegrass event. Call the resort at (605) 342-5368 or (800) 658-2267.
6. Gem And Mineral Show
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4115
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
Description: This is a great show for rock hounds, gem and mineral fans, and folks shopping for interesting gifts and treasures. Vendors come from all over the country to sell, buy, swap, and exhibit their collections. You can find jewelry, rough rock, fossils, and specimens here and enjoy demonstrations, educational programs, and the silent auction. It’s sponsored by the Western Dakota Gem and Mineral Society and held on the third weekend in July.
7. Black Hills Jazz And Blues Festival
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 787-6619
Address: Off Mount Rushmore Road
Description: This is a very special event for jazz and blues lovers. Each year on the last Saturday in July, five nationally and regionally known performers make Memorial Park come alive with the sound of their music. It starts at noon and lasts until 10:30 p.m., and it’s a great family day spent in a beautiful setting, with music all around. Food is available; bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating. Wristbands, which cost $10, enable you to come and go as you like, skipping one performance and reentering the grounds for another. Discounts are available for children, too (please inquire).
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Address: Central States Fairgrounds
9. Annual Dakota Polka Festival
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 787-5584
Address: 2900 Canyon Lake Dr.
Description: Admit it: You’ve always wanted to polka. This is your chance. This festival takes place on a September weekend, and all kinds of dance steps are performed, not just polka. Live bands provide the music, and the Friday and Saturday night dancing goes on until 11 p.m. If you don’t polka, you can observe, or ask one of the friendly enthusiasts to teach you on the 5,400-square-foot floor. Homemade food and RV parking are available at the center. A two-day pass is $15 per person, a Friday-night pass is $6 per person, and a Saturday-night pass is $10 per person. Smoking and alcohol are not permitted.
10. Black Hills Chamber Music Society
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 718-5666
Address: 1200 Clark St.
Description: The society’s five-performance series begins in Oct (and runs through Apr) and always boasts outstanding performances. We’ve included more information in the Arts chapter.
11. Mount Rushmore International Marathon
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 348-7866, (605) 721-1251
Address: Various locations
Description: The annual marathon takes place on a Sun in early Oct. The route winds through the scenic Black Hills and ends in Rapid City, and for the entry fee ($40) you can compete and enjoy the scenery at the same time. A marathon relay is run in conjunction with the marathon itself (cost is $70 per group), and a pasta buffet at Mount Rushmore is on the schedule, too.
12. Rapid City Concert Association
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4101
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
Description: The annual six-concert series begins in Oct (and ends in Apr) and presents fun and exciting musical performances. You can read more about them in our chapter on the Arts.
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
14. Ski For Light Ski Swap
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4115, (605) 381-1172
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
Description: The Black Hills Regional Ski for Light organization holds its annual fund-raiser in late Oct or early Nov. It’s an equipment consignment swap, where 20 percent of the sale price goes to the nonprofit organization to fund programs that help the visually impaired ski, camp, canoe, and enjoy the outdoors. This is your chance to pick up some great used equipment at a fair price and help support the Ski for Light programs, too. There is no entrance fee to shop at the swap. For information on outdoor and recreational programs for the visually impaired (including a January ski event at Deer Mountain, near Lead, which draws participants from all over the country), call Ski for Light at the second number above.
15. Black Hills Symphony Orchestra
City: Rapid City, SD
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (605) 394-4111 (individual per
Address: 444 Mount Rushmore Rd.
Description: Six fine concerts are presented by our very own symphony orchestra each season. Read about these great events in the Arts chapter.