Get ready, Sioux Falls… the music that defined a generation is coming your way. The Magic of Motown takes over the Mary W. Sommervold Hall on Saturday, August 1st for one unforgettable night of nonstop hits, energy, and soul.
Hairball Monday, August 3
7:30 p.m.
W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds
For more than a decade, Hairball has been one of the most anticipated traditions at the Sioux Empire Fair, and in 2026, they’re returning once again to rock the Billion Auto Main Stage on Monday, August 3. Available online only atsiouxempirefair.com/p/ tickets--deals
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
Tuesday, August 4
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Neighborhood Pie and Ice Cream Party
Tuesday, August 4
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
2001 S. Elmwood
As part of National Night Out, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church will host a free indoor Neighborhood and Ice Cream Party. All are welcome. For the kids: a bouncy house and obstacle course outdoors. Performance by El Son de Mi Tierra Folkor, traditional Latinix dance group, 6:00 p.m.
Get Back to School with The PREMIER Kids Club Savings Account
The PREMIER Kids Club Savings account is a great way to help children 12 and under learn the value of saving for the future. With this interest-bearing account,¹ they can see firsthand how slow and steady saving helps their money grow as they do.
1
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
Wednesday, August 5
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Lutheran School
Annual Used Book Sale
August 5-8
Memorial Lutheran Church
5000 S. Western Ave.
All genres of books for all ages, coloring books, textbooks, board games, vintage, CDs, DVDs, records, puzzles and more!
Great Bear Chill at the Hill Presented By Honner Painting
Wednesdays, August thru September • 5-8 p.m.
Great Bear Ski Valley
Every Wednesday you will enjoy local eats, local music, games, Great Bear beverages and the perfect vibes to carry you into Summer! Summer at The Bear has never looked so CHILL!
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
Tuesday, August 11
6:30 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium. Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Craftapalooza Kid’s
Craft Day at the Old Courthouse Museum
Tuesday, August 11
9-11:30 a.m. 1-3 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
200 West Sixth Street
A variety of fun kid’s crafts and materials will be available throughout the day to help kids create this summer. Open to kids preschool through elementary school. Free admission. INFO (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
Wednesday, August 12
6:30 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium. Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
Thursday, August 13
6:30 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium. Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Starlab Inflatable
Planetarium at the Old Courthouse Museum
Thursday, August 13
1:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
200 West Sixth Street
Discover the night sky, explore the constellations!
Starlab is a program for adults and children over the age of 5. Not recommended for those not comfortable in the dark. Tickets only $2, program begins promptly on the hour with no late entry. Groups of 8 or more, please call ahead. INFO (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com.
Historic Walking Tour of Woodlawn Cemetery: Crown HIll
Siouxland Heritage Museums
Thursday, August 13
6:30 p.m.
Enjoy beautiful summer weather while learning about Sioux Falls sites you pass by every day! $5 per person over 12 years old, call (605) 367-4210 to register. siouxlandmuseums.com
Benny Bassett at the Old Courthouse Museum Summer Concert Series Friday, August 14
12-1 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
200 West Sixth Street
Benny Bassett will perform in the plaza behind the Old Courthouse Museum from noon to 1 p.m. Bring your lunch and enjoy the show! Concert could be held inside in the case of rain. Free admission. (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Wilde Prairie Winery Yoga
Saturday, August 15 • 12 p.m. 48052 259th St., Brandon, SD. wildprairiewinery.com or (605) 582-6471.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes Tuesday, August 18
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Rosemaling Demonstration at the Old Courthouse Museum Tuesday, August 18 1-4 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
4-7 PM Saturday 9-4 PM
200 West Sixth Street
Eileen Halverson will be demonstrating the Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling (decorative painting) in the secondfloor hallway of the Old Courthouse Museum from 1-4 p.m. Stop in any time for a demonstration or to ask questions! INFO (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Mike Cooper Presents: If Our Trees Could TalkDiscovering the Urban Forest of Sioux Falls Tuesday, August 18
6:30 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
200 West 6th Street
The urban forest of Sioux Falls is truly a living, breathing postcard that gets more breathtaking every year. If Our Trees Could Talk will be presented at the Old Courthouse Museum by Mike Cooper, Executive Director of the Mary Jo Wegner
Arboretum. Books will be for sale after the program. Proceeds go to the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum. Free admission. INFO (605) 367-7097 or siouxlandmuseums.com.
Victorian Tea Party at the Pettigrew Home & Museum
Wednesday, August 19
2 p.m.
Pettigrew Home & Museum
131 N. Duluth Ave.
Enjoy summer in true Victorian fashion at the Pettigrew Home & Museum. Learn about the history of tea while enjoying tea and treats. Space is limited for this adult program. Call (605) 367-7097 to register. Free Admission, donations are welcome. INFO siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes Wednesday, August 19
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Behind the Scenes Tour of the Irene Hall Museum
Resource Center
Thursday, August 20
2 p.m.
Irene Hall Museum Resource Center
4300 N. Westport Avenue
Take a look behind the closed doors of the Irene Hall Museum Resource Center and see the artifact storage and work areas. The Irene Hall Museum Resource Center is the main repository for the Siouxland Heritage Museums. It houses all of the artifacts that are not on exhibit at the Old Courthouse Museum or the Pettigrew Home and Museum. Space is limited, call (605) 367-4210 to register, $5. siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes Thursday, August 20 6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Historic Walking Tour of Phillips Avenue
Siouxland Heritage Museums Thursday, August 20 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy beautiful summer weather while learning about Sioux Falls sites you pass by every day! $5 per person over 12 years old, call (605) 367-4210 to register. siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Kansas City Monarchs Friday, August 21 7:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Geoff Gunderson at the Old Courthouse Museum Summer Concert Series Friday, August 21
12-1 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum
200 West Sixth Street
Geoff Gunderson will perform
in the plaza behind the Old Courthouse Museum from noon to 1 p.m. Bring your lunch and enjoy the show! Concert could be held inside in the case of rain. Free admission (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Kansas City Monarchs
Saturday, August 22
5:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium
Tickets (605) 336-6060.
2026 McCrossan Xtreme Event Challenge
Saturday, August 22
Gates Open: 3:30 p.m.
Pre-Show Entertainment:
4:00 p.m.
Rodeo Begins: 5:00 p.m.
McCrossan Boys Ranch
Rodeo Grounds
Join us for the McCrossan Boys Ranch Xtreme Event Challenge on Saturday, August 22, at the McCrossan Boys Ranch Rodeo Grounds. Experience an action-packed
evening featuring barrel racing, mutton busting, and the Northern Bull Riding Tour! Tickets are $15 in advance ($16 at the gate) for adults and $5 in advance ($8 at the gate) for youth. Learn more or purchase tickets by calling 605-339-1203. Feel free to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the show! Limited bleacher seating is also available. INFO 605-339-1203.
Wilde Prairie Winery Yoga
Saturday, August 22 • 11 a.m. 48052 259th St., Brandon, SD. wildprairiewinery.com or (605) 582-6471.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Kansas City Monarchs Sunday, August 23
4:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sunday in the Vineyard at Wilde Prairie Winery Sunday, August 23
2026
INFO AND TICKETS: (605)
August 4 • 6:35pm vs. Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
August 5 • 6:35pm vs. Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
August 6 • 6:35pm vs. Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
August 7 • 7:05pm vs. Milwaukee Milkmen
August 8 • 5:35pm vs. Milwaukee Milkmen
August 9 • 4:05pm vs. Milwaukee Milkmen
August 11 • 6:30pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 12 • 6:30pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 13 • 6:30pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 18 • 6:35pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 19 • 6:35pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 20 • 6:35pm vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes
August 21 • 7:05pm vs. Kansas City Monarchs
August 22 • 5:35pm vs. Kansas City Monarchs
August 23 • 4:05pm vs. Kansas City Monarchs
September 1 • 6:35pm vs. Cleburne Railroaders
September 2 • 6:35pm vs. Cleburne Railroaders
September 3 • 6:35pm vs. Cleburne Railroaders
September 4 • 7:05pm vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
September 5 • 5:35pm vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
September 6 • 4:05pm vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
September 7 • 11:05am vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
Annie’s
TREASURED HOME
N. Main St. • Salem, SD 57058 • (605) 421-4442 treasuredhomeandvintage@gmail.com
2-5 p.m.
Live music by Amy Ellsworth, food and wine!
48052 259th St., Brandon, SD. wildprairiewinery.com or (605) 582-6471.
Gary Allan in Concert Thursday, August 27 Washington Pavilion. Tickets washingtonpavilion.org
Historic Walking Tour of Dell Rapids: Civil War Veterans Siouxland Heritage Museums Thursday, August 27
6:30 p.m.
Enjoy beautiful summer weather while learning about Sioux Falls sites you pass by every day! $5 per person over 12 years old, call (605) 367-4210 to register. siouxlandmuseums.com
Porch Swing at the Old Courthouse Museum Summer Concert Series Friday, August 28
12-1 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum 200 West Sixth Street Porch Swing will perform in the plaza behind the Old Courthouse Museum from noon to 1 p.m. Bring your lunch and enjoy the show! Concert could be held inside in the case of rain. Free admission (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Cleburne Railroaders
Tuesday, September 1 6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Cleburne Railroaders
Wednesday, September 2
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Cleburne Railroaders
Thursday, September 3
6:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
Friday, September 4
7:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
Saturday, September 5 5:35 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
Sunday, September 6 4:05 p.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sioux Falls Canaries vs. Lincoln Saltdogs
Monday, September 7 11:05 a.m.
Sioux Falls Stadium Tickets (605) 336-6060.
Sidewalk Arts Festival
Saturday, September 12
Downtown Sioux Falls
A FREE outdoor event with more than 300 vendors featuring the region’s best fine art, folk art, craft artisans and a beer garden!
Homesteader Day Harvest Festival
Sunday, September 13 • 1-4 p.m.
Beaver Creek Nature Area Head to Beaver Creek Nature Area east of Sioux Falls for the 48th Annual Homesteader Day Harvest Festival on Sunday, September 13th from 1-4 p.m. This free event features Pioneer Farming Demonstrations, Food and Refreshments, and More! siouxlandmuseums.com
Rosemaling Demonstration at the Old Courthouse Museum
Tuesday, September 15 1-4 p.m.
Old Courthouse Museum 200 West Sixth Street
Eileen Halverson will be demonstrating the Norwegian
folk art of Rosemaling (decorative painting) in the second-floor hallway of the Old Courthouse Museum from 1-4 p.m. Stop in any time for a demonstration or to ask questions! INFO (605) 367-4210 or siouxlandmuseums.com
Behind the Scenes
Tour of the Irene Hall Museum Resource Center
Thursday, September 17
2 p.m.
Irene Hall Museum Resource Center
4300 N. Westport Avenue
Take a look behind the closed doors of the Irene Hall Museum Resource Center and see the artifact storage and work areas. The Irene Hall Museum Resource Center is the main repository for the Siouxland Heritage Museums. It houses all of the artifacts that are not on exhibit at the Old Courthouse Museum or the Pettigrew Home and Museum. Space is limited, call (605)367-4210 to register, $5. siouxlandmuseums.com
The Oak Ridge Boys
Friday, September 18
Washington Pavilion
For more than 50 years, The Oak Ridge Boys have defined one of the most recognizable sounds in American music, blending four-part harmonies with an energetic stage presence that has earned them Grammy, CMA, ACM, and Dove Awards. Tickets washingtonpavilion.org
Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE
Thursday, September 24
Washington Pavilion
Filled with music, laughter and imagination, this all-new musical stage adventure, based on the Emmywinning Apple TV series, welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia filled trip to Fraggle Rock! Featuring gorgeous new walk-around versions of the Fraggles,
puppet-sized Doozers, an appearance from a giant Gorg, and exclusive new wondrous puppet creatures all from the acclaimed Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, along with fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, it’s an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles! Tickets washingtonpavilion.org
“I Am, He Said” – A Celebration of The Music of Neil Diamond
Friday, September 25
Washington Pavilion
Celebrate the music of Neil Diamond with The Killer Vees live at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls on Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets washingtonpavilion.org
Tri State Band Festival
Saturday, September 26 9:30 a.m.
Luverne, MN
The 75th Tri-State Band Festival will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Luverne, Minnesota. The event features parade and field competitions with bands from across the region, and the parade kicks off at 9:30 a.m. INFO tri-statebandfestival.com
Sunday in the Vineyard at Wilde Prairie Winery Sunday, September 27 2-5 p.m.
Live music, food and wine! 48052 259th St., Brandon, SD. wildprairiewinery.com or (605) 582-6471.
Jo Dee Messina, Bridges Tour
Sunday, September 27
Washington Pavilion
Most albums reflect a season. Jo Dee Messina’s new album, Bridges, is 10 years worth of seasons rolled up into one. The love, the life, the pain, the fight, the learning — and the living through it all. Tickets washingtonpavilion.org
Mark Your Calendars for the
OCTOBER
16-17, 2026
Sioux Falls Convention Center
Two days of shopping, fun, entertainment and pampering - designed specifically for women of all ages.
Shop and enjoy fantastic seminars and a huge array of booths on health, food, wine, fashion, home decor, cosmetics, fitness, entertainment, finance, career, art and more!
This two day event is a get-a-way for girlfriends and families, and the timing couldn’t be better - the etc. expo for her is being held during South Dakota’s opening pheasant hunting weekend.
So, grab your girlfriends, your mom, your daughter, and of course, your purse, and make a weekend of the etc. expo for her!
Cracking Open Luverne’s Magic:
HOW ONE NUTCRACKER SPARKED A PRAIRIE PHENOMENON
BY MARY MICHAELS
Ifyou’ve ever driven east toward Luverne recently, and wondered if you’re just imagining a giant Uncle Sam looming over the prairie, fear not. You’re not imagining things, and your eyesight is just fine. What you are seeing is Luverne’s newly-completed 65-foot tall nutcracker.
Everyone who has lived in a small town knows they have a special kind of magic. This nutcracker magic started with a woman named Betty Mann.
Twenty-five years ago, Betty, a lifelong resident and community leader, turned heartbreak into something beautiful. It was 2001, the year after losing her husband and her oldest daughter. She was at the Cracker Barrel in Sioux Falls, staring at a half-price Christmas sale and thinking, “I’ve always wanted a wooden nutcracker.”
Six dollars later, she walked out with a
Santa-shaped nutcracker. The now 93-yearold had no idea at the time what she had just started.
She kept collecting...traditional and nontraditional. She had a A LEGO nutcracker built by her great-grandson, leprechauns, police officers, firefighters, Elvis, Yoda and so many more. Eventually, in 2016, Betty’s house had reached maximum nutcracker capacity: 2,500.
Fortunately, she was serving as president of the Rock County Historical Society at the time and knew the museum was looking for a new attraction. She donated her entire collection. Over the years, the collection continued to grow at the museum, and Luverne made a name for itself as home to one of the largest nutcracker collections in the world. Currently, the collection features more than 7,000 figurines of all shapes and sizes - with no duplicates. If someone donates
a twin, it gets placed on the shelves for sale in the year-round Christmas Haus gift shop.
Luverne embraced their nutcracker fame, and others started popping up around town. Local artists painted 7-foot versions. Ads and brochures proudly proclaimed the collection. The History Center became a must-stop destination.
But the community wasn’t done. They formed a nonprofit - Just For Nuts Inc. - that took on the fundraising for a nutcracker that would eventually put Luverne on the map for having the “world’s tallest.” Donations from individuals and organizations came in, as did a $50,000 gift from the Blandin Foundation out of Grand Rapids, MN, that focuses on projects to boost rural Minnesota communities.
Business owners Vance and Becky Walgrave stepped forward to provide a location. They
had space in the parking lot of Those Blasted Things, their rock and gift shop managed by their daughter Katie, who serves on the Just for Nuts, Inc. board.
Standing in that lot was a 40-foot steel post left from an old Mobil gas station. They already had community support and financial support and now, they had the physical support for the nutcracker, which was constructed from polyurethane foam and coated in a tough truck bed liner material. Eventually, it will also boast a working jaw. From the time the 14-foot tall boots appeared, through its completion, cars have been pulling off the interstate to get a look - and a photo opp.
Visitors who come for the nutcrackersboth the giant one and the collection at the museum - stay to explore Rock County’s history and hear the stories of the people who built the community. They buy souvenirs.
They eat lunch downtown. They tell their friends.
Betty Mann would tell you that she never set out to build a tourism empire. She just wanted a wooden nutcracker during a difficult time. But she sparked a movement, one that the Rock County Historical Society, the Walgrave family and countless community partners have carried forward with pride.
For visitors traveling I-90, it’s the perfect detour. And for Luverne residents, this story is a reminder of what small towns do best: rally around something unexpected, pour their hearts into it and create magic.
It is a magical story. A story of community. A story of one woman who bought a $6 nutcracker and changed her town forever.
That’s the kind of Midwest magic we’ll never get tired of.
Above: Betty with her first Nutcracker
Betty with Lifesize Nutcracker
Left: Luverne’s Big Nutcracker
recipes 19 A Muffin a Day at home 22
The Gary and Connie Hoffer Home
the a list 34 man in the kitchen 36 Road Trip! vino 38 I Don’t Want to Drink Your Words the simple season 40 Beauty in the In-Between
A Muffin a Day
Title
BY JO MCCLURE
It’s once again time to think of the back to school routine that some will soon be falling into. What better way to start the school day with than fresh warm muffins?
Blueberry Yogurt Muffins
1 cup flour
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Combine the first five ingredients and in another bowl combine egg, yogurt, oil and milk. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg, yogurt, oil and milk mixture just until moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Fill greased lined muffin pan 3/4 full and bake at 350˚ for 20-22 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test. Makes 6 muffins and can easily be doubled. Please note that if using frozen berries...don’t thaw or they will discolor the batter.
Peanut Butter Oat Muffins
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
a dash of cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg, peanut butter and milk until smooth and stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in the peanuts and a few chocolate chips if desired. Fill greased muffin pan 3/4 full and bake at 375˚ for 15-18 minutes or until passes the toothpick test. Makes 1 dozen muffins. Low fat peanut butter is NOT recommended for this recipe.
DO YOU...?
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•Open Monday-Friday, 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM
•Serving ages 6 weeks-12 years
•Full-time, part-time & drop-in care
•Before/after school, vacation club & summer programs
•Aligned with 123 Learn
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AT HOME
THE Gary AND Connie Hoffer HOME
BY MARY MICHAELS
During 56 years of marriage, Gary and Connie Hoffer built three houses, including their current home, which they built in 2006.
Connie says they have been fortunate to do that over the years and to create spaces that
worked for them at whatever stage of life they were in – from raising their three children through empty nesting to retirement.
“It is nice to have the ability to build a house and kinda sorta make it the way you want it,” she says. “But it is a lot of work.”
Then, she laughs. “We’re not going to build a fourth one.”
They did have a few things on their “want” list when they built this 2-bedroom, 2½-bath ranch home 20 years ago. Since the lot was just about in the country, Connie says she knew she
wanted big windows to capture the views to the north and the west.
“It’s farmland as far as you can see.”
The couple was also planning ahead to make this the home that would take them into retirement years, with only one step into the
house and laundry on the main floor, for example.
“Everything we need is on the main floor,” says Connie. “The basement is finished with garden view windows, and you could add another two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs.”
With their oldest son living on the East coast, a daughter up near the Twin Cities and the youngest son within two years of retiring from his Army career, the couple had time to discover their own hobbies and interests.
They were in a couple’s bowling league and
enjoyed snowmobiling. Gary loves to golf. And Connie?
“I shop,” she says. “I love estate sales, antique shops, rummaging, you name it.”
There are times when their hobbies intersect.
“Gary once had an idea to golf in every state,” Connie explains. “It took probably 20 years, but he did it. It gave us a reason to see places we maybe wouldn’t have seen otherwise, plus the chance to bring home fun little mementos from our travels.”
Gary actually made a wall hanging shaped like an American flag and used the 50 golf balls as the stars on the field of blue.
As you move through the house, which has a crisp, clean foundation of hardwood floors, neutral walls and white woodwork, your eyes bounce from tabletops and shelves to cabinets and any place else that Connie has created to display her many collections.
The living room is primarily blue and white because it’s her favorite color scheme – a blue and white plaid sofa, a white side chair with light blue cushions, a woven rug in
circular shades of blue…and many blue Royal Copenhagen plates.
“They’re one of my favorites,” she says. “I don’t even have all of them displayed.”
When asked how this collection started, she quickly answers, “It’s from my mom. She was a dish hound.”
“It’s really unbelievable what she had,” Connie recalls. “It was her thing. When I was younger, we would go to auctions and antique stores together. We would go anywhere she could acquire something that caught her eye.”
A good share of those things that once caught her mother’s eye have stayed with her over the years, including a collection of 200 Hummel figurines. She has many of them tucked in here and there throughout the house.
“I’ve had to pare it down a bit,” Connie says. “I have sold a few or given some to family and friends.”
Because the big windows were a priority when building the house, Connie admits that didn’t leave much wall space for decorating. She did find one corner to hang a large watercolor of flowers on a mountainside
that came from her parents’ home. The little pictures hung on either side were also from her home growing up.
“Mom was a big traveler. She probably went to Europe nine or ten times and loved to catch markets while she was there, and that’s
where these came from. Mom took me with her once, so these meant enough to me to put them up on our wall to enjoy.”
A classmate of Gary’s built the tall oak TV stand in the corner of the living room.
“People probably wouldn’t even use this as
a TV stand anymore because TV’s are so big now,” says Connie. “We mainly use this to display little things. Our friend who built it had a heart transplant and has since passed away, so it’s just been hard to let this piece go yet.”
A long white table sits below the living
room windows with a collection of little white buildings, a nod to Connie’s love of cityscapes, surrounded by touches of blue, from vintage glass flower frogs displaying her blue marbles to a hurricane vase filled with blue ceramic balls.
“I would pick up one of those balls here and
there, whenever I saw one that was a pattern I didn’t already have,” says Connie. “The vase is overflowing now, so I guess that is a good excuse to stop buying them!”
A large farmhouse cabinet the couple found years ago at an estate auction stands
against the wall between the living room and dining room.
“It had already been refinished when we bought it,” says Connie. “It was pretty, but I wanted something brighter for the north wall, so we did paint it white. I change
the decorations out with the seasons. At Christmas time, everything in there is red.”
The kitchen also has a bit of a farmhouse feel with its white beadboard cabinets and smaller glass-front upper display cabinets. On the opposite wall, floor-to-ceiling cabinets provide added storage. The island has a blue beadboard base and an opening on the end for Connie’s cookbooks.
“Well, this doesn’t hold everything I have,” she laughs. “But it keeps the ones that I use the most.”
Not surprisingly, the color scheme in the primary bedroom is blue and white. The white headboard and antique shelf above the bed are pieces they picked up over the years. Sitting on that little shelf are a picture of their only granddaughter, now 8, when she was a newborn, along with a photo holder displaying both Connie’s and Gary’s own birth announcements.
Tucked in among the pillows on the bed, which is covered in a blue-and-white geometric-patterned quilt, is a patchwork cat that was a souvenir when they visited
TRANSFORM LIVING SPACES INTO LEGACIES
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(605) 977-3660 | (800) 669-0087 600 E 48TH STREET, NORTH SIOUX FALLS, SD STARMARKCABINETRY.COM VISIT THE SHOWROOM
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SATURDAY & EVENINGS BY APPOINTMENT
Cooperstown, New York. The couple has been to several hall of fame locations, checking off baseball in Cooperstown, football in Canton, Ohio; basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts and golf when it was still located in Florida.
The antique dresser with the intricate etched design on the front is from the 1930s, Connie says.
Sitting on top of the dresser is a unique combination of special things: a vintage green trinket dish with an adorable dog on top that was her great-grandmother’s, pocket watches protected under glass that came from both Gary’s and Connie’s greatgrandparents, and a silver duck that was a baby gift for their first son.
“So that duck is now 46 years old,” she laughs.
Connie has a wood shelf with doors, pretty racks and even a white ceramic hand displaying her vast jewelry collection.
“Yep, I have a lot of jewelry,” she admits with a chuckle. “It’s another bad habit.”
Nestled in among the plates, vases, Hummels, Beatrix Potter rabbits, little houses, travel souvenirs and all things blue are pictures
of Gary and Connie, their children and their granddaughter. One especially touching piece is a blue beadboard frame with three picture openings with pictures of their three children as newborns.
“These are their hospital pictures, back when
hospitals still did that,” Connie says.
Below the pictures are hooks, with little outfits hanging on them. A sheer white dress with pink ribbon and yellow booties belonged to Connie. The white cotton dress and booties in the middle were her mom’s and the purple
and white dress with white shoes was their daughter’s. The nursery rhyme plaques sitting on top of the frame were in Connie’s bedroom as a little girl.
“I have no idea where those plaques came from or the story behind them,” she says, “but
they’ve always been with me.”
Being surrounded by a lifetime of collectibles, Connie says, can sometimes feel overwhelming.
“I don’t get rid of too much,” she admits with a laugh. “Lucky I have an understanding husband.”
She says that sometimes when she visits someone else’s house that is newer and more modern, maybe even more minimalist, she wonders if maybe that would make her feel less overwhelmed and more comfortable.
“But then I come home and look around,”
Connie says warmly, “and our whole lives are all around us in this house, from our own childhoods through 56 years of marriage and raising a family.”
And that, she says, is the most comfortable feeling of all.
Shop • Sell • Connect
Download the free Whatnot App and watch or shop Live-Streamed Auction Deals!
Discover unique finds from vintage treasures to clothing to trading cards in live-streamed auctions.
Explore a new way to shop collectibles and rare items through exciting live auctions.
• Follow Angelaell and Bookmark Shows
• If you are in the Sioux Falls area, choose LOCAL PICKUP and pay no shipping fees
FREE GIFT
Visit Annie’s and get a FREE GIFT with any Farmhouse Fresh purchase. Annie’s Treasured Home & Vintage. 219 N. Main St. Salem, SD (605) 421-4442.
Just Add Color! Stop by and add your own creative style to one of our amazing pottery pieces. Color Me Mine. 3709 W. 41st St. (605) 362-6055.
Who Loves a Good Cabinet Accessory?!
Come check us out at 4101 N. Hainje Avenue here in Sioux Falls to see more accessories and other great ideas for your new home or remodel! Dakota Kitchen and Bath. (605) 334-9727
Make Your Project Easier
With Dixie Belle all-in-one mineral paint, there is no sanding or priming needed. Primer, color and top coat all in one! Available to oodles of glorious colors at Junk in the Trunk. 46930 Cody Trail Ste A, Tea, SD. (605) 213-0022.
Classic Elegance
Our new Moxie solid panel door by StarMark Cabinetry brilliantly unites contemporary vision with classic elegance, transforming our shared spaces.
600 E 48th St N, Sioux Falls. (800) 594-9444.
The Best in Dance Shop local - at the Dance Line - for the best in dance shoes, clothing, accessories and gift!
The Dance Line. 2115 S. Minnesota Ave. (605) 335-8242.
Tri State Band Festival
September 26 • 9:30am
Luverne, MN
The 75th Tri-State Band Festival will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Luverne, Minnesota. The event features parade and field competitions with bands from across the region, and the parade kicks off at 9:30 AM. INFO tri-statebandfestival.com
Fun in the Country
Check the website for Wilde Prairie Winery for their line up of yoga and Sundays in the Vineyard. Or just swing out for a tasting. 48052 259th St., Brandon, SD. wildprairiewinery. com or (605) 582-6471.
Mary’s Mountain Cookies
We bake your summer extra sweet with our famous mountain-sized cookies! We bake over 20 cookie flavors fresh daily. Our cookies are sure to sweeten any picnic or get-together! Grab a party tray for any backyard gatherings or ice cream cookie sandwiches to cool off on those hot summer days! Call us to place an order or stop by either of our locations! Downtown: (605) 275-0060. South Cliff: (605) 275-0062. siouxfallscookies.com.
BY JIM MATHIS
AsI write this, my beloved and I are about to embark on a road trip, the first for us since I got an electric vehicle, so the rules of road tripping will be changed ever so slightly to allow for a couple of stops to charge along the route. Beyond that someone asked what we were planning for the trip? Well, the excuse is that I have a non-profit board meeting in Hot Springs one morning, and rather than just drive 6-hours each way for that, we’re making a long weekend of it.
These days, before we travel anywhere, we scope out key places for reservations along the way. And rather than trust unreliable Yelp and Google reviews, we look to experts, namely The James Beard Foundation and Michelin Guide. Here in South Dakota, you won’t find any Michelin-starred restaurants, but our state has many James Beard nominees (and one winner).
The Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge in Brookings was the first restaurant in the state to win a James Beard Award. It received a James Beard America’s Classics Award, which honors locally owned restaurants with enduring appeal and significant contributions to their communities. Not bad for little old Brookings!
Closer to home; Michael Haskett and his eponymous M.B. Haskett Delicatessen in the heart of Downtown Sioux Falls was a Best Chef: Midwest semifinalist in 2022, and Mike is active in the Beard Foundation.
Sanaa Abourezk has become one of the state’s best-known chefs. In addition to multiple James Beard nominations (Best Chef: Midwest semifinalist in 2023 and 2024, and finalist in 2023), her restaurant has earned widespread national praise, and she even competed on Beat Bobby Flay on the
Food Network.
Chris Hanmer, winner of Top Chef, Just Desserts Season 2 was already well known for his pastry work, but he brought even more national attention to South Dakota as a 2025 Beard Foundation Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker semifinalist for CH Patisserie.
The same year, Chef Marcela Salas, from BibiSol, was a James Beard 2025 Emerging Chef semifinalist, recognized almost immediately after opening, a sign that South Dakota’s culinary scene continues to grow and get attention.
So, back to our road trip. We’ve got stops planned (and reservations booked) at three great restaurants in the Black Hills. The little town of Custer, South Dakota, a town of roughly 2,000 residents, has an extraordinary concentration of nationally recognized dining talent.
Let’s start with Skogen Kitchen, it’s a tiny little restaurant with a growing reputation for outstanding food. Chef Joseph Raney and Eliza Raney (GM) moved to Custer from Southern California and have helped make Custer an unexpected fine-dining destination, earning repeated Beard recognition as a Best Chef: Midwest semifinalist in 2023 and again in 2025.
Just a couple blocks away, Hjem A.M. is a newer success story. Opened in 2022, Camillia and Erik Hjortnaes quickly developed a reputation for their Scandinavianinspired breakfast restaurant in Custer. They were named 2026 Best Chef: Midwest semifinalists, which is especially impressive for a breakfast-focused restaurant in a town the size of Custer.
Back in Rapid City, we’ll have dinner AND
breakfast at Tally’s Silver Spoon. Located just across the street from the Historic Alex Johnson, it’s one of South Dakota’s most acclaimed restaurants. Chef/owner Benjamin Klinkel was trained at Le Cordon Bleu and spent time working in Michelin-starred restaurants in France before returning to Rapid City to transform the longtime diner into what he calls a “fine diner.” While he hasn’t gotten a Beard nod yet, I’m guessing it’s coming.
About a year ago, I was having breakfast at Tally’s when a multiple James Beard Award winner came in and sat down beside me. Chef Sean Sherman was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and raised in the Black Hills. He got his start in food service, working in local restaurants and cooked all through high school and college. Along with cofounding Minneapolis restaurant Owamni,
that focuses on Indigenous foods. He’s the author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen which won the James Beard Award Best American Cookbook in 2018. He then earned the James Beard Leadership Award in 2019, and the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2022.
For a state of under a million people, South Dakota has quietly built an impressive roster of nationally recognized chefs. That’s sounds like the makings of a damn good road trip.
Do yourself a favor, eat something good today.
When Jim’s not traveling South Dakota highways and byways, he runs ADwërks in Sioux Falls. He’s also the author of Love and Death and Pizza, which has yet to be nominated for any awards.
Jim with Chef Sean Sherman
I DON’T WANT TO
Drink Your Words
BY RICCARDO TARABELSI
Afewyears ago at a wine tasting event, I ran into an old friend who was excited about sampling two unique Italian wines from my list. I quickly began describing them (something that I think I’m rather good at) to my friend, and he abruptly interrupted me by saying, “Stop! Stop! I don’t want to drink your words!” I stood there, somewhat stunned, absorbing not only what he said but the way he said it. After about what seemed like an hour (it was only two-and-a-half seconds,) I realized what he was saying. He didn’t want to know what he should be smelling or what he should be tasting on the palate, he just wanted to experience it and draw his own conclusions. I quickly shut my mouth and watched him savor the wines the way it was intended: no pretenses, no judgments, no demands. After all, it’s about the experience. Since that day, I’ve dramatically changed the way I describe wine as I find myself using descriptors instead of descriptions. Here’s a list of some of my
favorite words to use when describing wine while allowing the wine taster room for their own experience.
ACIDITY
I love wines with lots of acidity; highly acidic wines make you salivate uncontrollably, in a good way. They make for great wines to pair with a variety of food.
ANGULAR
An angular wine is like putting a triangle in your mouth – it hits you in specific places with high impact and not elsewhere. An angular wine also has high acidity.
AUSTERE
This is a very unfriendly wine. It hits your mouth and then turns it inside out. It usually means the wine has very high acidity and very little fruit flavors. An austere wine is not fruitforward.
BIG
Big describes a wine with massive flavor in your mouth that takes up all sections of your mouth and tongue. A big wine is not necessarily a fruit-forward wine, it can also mean that it has big tannins.
BRIGHT
Bright wines are higher in acidity and make your mouth water. Refer to ACIDITY.
CHEWY TANNINS
When you take a sip of wine with chewy tannins, it dries out the interior of your mouth so that you “chew” or clean the tannins out of the insides of your mouth.
CIGAR BOX
Cigar box flavors are hinting toward sweetness and cedar-wood with an abundance of smoke. Wines with cigar box flavors pair well with a comfortable leather chair.
CRISP
The word crisp with wine is more often used to describe a white wine. A crisp wine is most likely simple but goes really well with a porch swing on a hot day.
EARTHY
A great descriptor for most Old World wines and some powerful New World ones too. There’s nothing more I like to discover in a wine than terroir.
FLABBY
Flabby means the wine has no acidity. It’s a negative connotation so don’t say it to a wine maker!
FLAMBOYANT
A flamboyant wine is trying to get your attention with an abundance of fruit.
HINT OF…
Hint of = This-Wine-Definitely-Has-ThisCharacter-Especially-on-the-Finish. Expect things like oak, herbs, fruits, soil, or cat pee in the
flavor when there is a hint of it in the description.
JAMMY
Sommeliers and wine experts cringe when they hear this term, but jammy indicates a wine with a cooked berry sweetness that is syrupy and often is used to describe wines like Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, and Shiraz.
LEES
Lees are a winemaking term describing the dead bits of yeast particles that generally sink to the bottom of a wine. Lees are stirred up once a day to make a wine have a thicker creamy texture.
SILKY
Silky is the red-wine equivalent word to creamy with white wines.
TIGHT
This wine is not quite ready to drink. Tight wines usually have very high tannins, hard-toidentify fruit characteristics, and are almost
hard to drink. Tight wines will benefit from being decanted.
UNOAKED
Typically used to describe Chardonnay when it is only stainless steel fermented, and no oak is used. The result is an extraordinarily clean, crisp wine.
Whatever words you use, make sure to respect those around you. We all have our own palates, and they should be used to experience and enjoy beverages of all kinds, on your own terms. Thank you to my friend for reminding me why I got into this business in the first place; there is no better pleasure than finding our own words.
Riccardo and Marybeth Tarabelsi are the owners of Vinyahd Restaurant Group, providing experiences in Downtown Sioux Falls: R Wine Bar & Kitchen, Brix Wine Bar, Maribella Ristorante, Vespa Catering, and Trio Jazz Club. Get in touch with Riccardo via e-mail at riccardo@rwinebar.com.
The Simple Season: BEAUTY IN THE IN-BETWEEN
BY BOBBI LYNN GAUKEL
Hi everyone.
As we step into the last full month of summer, we savor the things the season brings—fireflies, long evenings on the patio, fresh tomatoes from the garden, and the slower pace that warmer weather brings. But August also whispers that change is coming. Before long, backpacks will be packed, calendars will fill, and many of us will quietly begin another kind of “new year.”
Even if you haven’t been in school for decades, there’s something about the school calendar that still shapes life in the Midwest. Vacations wind down, sports begin, church
activities return, and routines replace the spontaneity of summer. It can feel like we’re suddenly expected to shift gears overnight.
Instead of rushing through this transition, I’ve been wondering what would happen if we carried a little of summer’s ease with us into fall.
One thing I’d like to keep is a few simple rituals I’ve developed over the past couple of months. Spending a few minutes journaling in the morning has helped quiet my mind before the day begins. It isn’t anything profound (sometimes it’s just a list of things I’m grateful for or a few thoughts scribbled over coffee) but it reminds me to begin the day instead of
letting the day begin without me.
I’ve also enjoyed stretching out my evenings. Rather than heading straight inside after dinner, I’ve been taking leisurely walks around the neighborhood, noticing gardens in bloom, listening to birds settling in for the night, or watching the sky slowly change colors. Those small moments have become one of my favorite parts of summer, and there’s no reason they have to end just because the calendar says September.
Another area I’m thinking about is spending. Fall can quietly become one of the most expensive seasons of the year.
School supplies, activity fees, cooler-weather clothing, and all the tempting seasonal décor seem to arrive at once.
I’ll admit that I’m especially vulnerable this time of year. Fall fashion is my weakness. Give me cozy sweaters, flannel shirts, boots, and all the layers, and I’m ready to redecorate my closet—and probably my house while I’m at it.
This year, though, I’m trying something different.
Before buying anything new, I’m taking inventory of what I already own. Maybe that favorite flannel could be cropped into a more current style. Maybe the basket of craft supplies I’ve been saving is enough to create a few fresh decorations. Perhaps my favorite pumpkin-colored sweater from last year is still exactly what I want to wear.
Trends are fun, but they move faster than most of us can keep up with anyway. There’s something satisfying about finding new appreciation for the things already sitting in our closets and cupboards. And if I only manage to accomplish one or two of these goals, I’ll still call it progress.
As schedules become fuller, I also hope to
protect something that’s often the first thing we sacrifice: rest.
Life doesn’t wait until our calendars are perfectly organized. The dishes still pile up, work deadlines still come, and unexpected interruptions will always find us. That’s exactly why rest deserves to become part of the rhythm instead of something we save for slower days.
Maybe rest looks like going to bed a little earlier. Maybe it’s putting your phone away after dinner or waking up fifteen minutes before everyone else so you can enjoy a quiet cup of coffee. Perhaps it’s simply giving
yourself permission to leave a few things on your list undone.
August has always felt like a bridge between two seasons with one foot still planted in summer, the other reaching toward fall. Bridges aren’t places we stay forever, but they do give us a chance to pause and appreciate where we’ve been before moving on.
As you step into this beautiful in-between season, I hope you’ll find a few simple moments worth keeping. Summer doesn’t have to disappear all at once. Sometimes the best parts of a season are the ones we choose to carry with us.
friends& family
Making the School-Year Transition
Meaningful
BY JESS WEISCHEDEL
The back-to-school season often arrives with a mix of excitement and chaos. School supply lists, seasonal changes, earlier bedtimes, and busy schedules can make August and September feel like a whirlwind for families. However, before the school year gets fully underway, this transition can be an opportunity to slow down, connect, and create memories together.
Create a “Back-to-School Time Capsule”
Before the first day of school, have each child create a personal time capsule to open at the end of the school year. Some ideas to include:
• A handwritten letter about their favorite things
• A drawing of themselves
• A list of things they hope to learn or accomplish
• A photo from the summer
• A prediction about what they think will happen during the school year
For the capsule, use a decorated shoebox, mason jar, envelope, or other container you already own. Store it somewhere safe and open it during the last week of school to compare how much has changed.
Have a “One-on-One Parent Date”
Spend an hour or two with each child individually before school begins. Let them choose from a couple of choices:
• Ice cream
• A bookstore
• Mini golf
• A walk at Falls Park
• A favorite playground
• Breakfast together
For families with multiple children, this gives everyone a little uninterrupted attention before schedules get busy.
Build a “First Week Survival Station”
The first week of school is often the hardest as everyone adjusts to new schedules. A little preparation can make mornings smoother for both kids and parents.
Create a designated spot near the door with:
• Backpack and outerwear hooks
• Shoe storage
• A basket for permission slips and school papers
• A water bottle, school snack, and lunch box station
• A charging spot for devices
• A snack bin for after-school hunger
For younger kids, make a simple morning checklist they can follow independently:
• Get dressed
• Brush teeth
• Eat breakfast
• Pack backpack
• Grab shoes and water bottle
Make a “School Year Bucket List”
Before school starts, sit down as a family and brainstorm everything you’d like to do before the next summer returns.
Include ideas like:
• Learn to roller blade
• Read 25 books
• Bake a new recipe together
• Visit a new park every month
• Have a family game night once a month
• Volunteer together
Display it on the refrigerator and check items off throughout the year to remind kids that life isn’t only about homework and school-related activities. They can have a visual of all of the fun things to look forward to!
A new school year means new teachers, new friendships, new discoveries, and another year of watching kids become who they are meant to be. A few simple traditions now can become the memories they carry with them for years.
Expo, best friend of Philip
Philip, best friend of Charlie
Charlie, best friend of Nick
Each month we will choose and feature cute pets. Your pet could be next, so send in a picture today.
Email your photo – just one per pet – to etc.mag@sio.midco.net. Please make sure they are high-resolution photos (the highest setting on your camera). Include in email: pet’s name and owner’s name. Pet owners must own the rights to all submitted photos.
Furever Homes
Walter and Pancake, best friends of Lexie and Ben
Wiley, best friend of Jen
Lego, best friend of Robert
Best BOOKS
These are just some of the wonderful books for children we have come across this month. We hope to share with you some you have not seen before and also introduce others being released in the near future. Enjoy.
Cora’s Beach Adventure by Sally M.
Walker
Pack your beach bag and join Cora and Gran for some discoveries by the shore! Test sand to figure out what kind makes the best castle. Find out how sea animals survive low tide. Investigate sea stars in a tide pool—and rescue them from drying out. And what tops off a day at the beach better than a big ice cream sundae? The welcoming text by nonfiction author extraordinaire Sally M. Walker, ideal for early readers moving into chapter books, is followed by back matter expounding on the three STEAM concepts introduced and inviting kids to experiment with their own sandcastle-building activity. candlewickpress.com
Unicornia: Camping in the Clouds by Ana
Punset
What could be more magical than a camping trip in the sky? Claudia and Pippa can hardly wait . . . but something is troubling Sara. Can she overcome her fears in time to help her friends solve a sky-high mystery? Find out in this star-studded, cloud-camping adventure!
candlewickpress.com
Sama’s starting middle school! Maybe Tech Club will be a good place to fit in. She’s into solving problems, building clever machines, and collecting beautiful data, plus her friend Nancy has given her a cool book on coding. But everyone at Tech Club is already so good at coding—will Sama’s contributions be enough for her to be included in the Code Crusher championship? Sama proposes a project to help a stressed-out bus driver develop a time-saving route, but the club leader thinks the coding isn’t complex enough. When Sama befriends new neighbor Zoe (who built her own hovercraft!), however, the two girls inspire each other, and soon Sama bounces back with a bunny-based board game that teaches kids how to code while having fun. Could this game be the key to getting to the championship? Precise coding vocabulary and examples are woven seamlessly into this lively story, based on the real-life computer science adventures of its author, young tech entrepreneur Samaira Mehta.
Sama Crushes the Code by Samaira Mehta
Give Me Back My Bones! by
Kim Norman
A stormy night at sea has uncovered some long-buried secrets and surprises. Is that the mast of a shipwreck? A faded pirate hat? And what’s that hiding in the sand? A mandible and a clavicle, phalanges and femurs, a tibia and a fibula — could there be a set of bones scattered across the ocean floor? And who might they belong to? A jaunty rhyme takes readers on an underwater scavenger hunt as a comical skeleton tries to put itself back together piece by piece. Make no bones about it: this rollicking read-aloud will have young ones learning anatomy without even realizing it.
Monsters Play... Trick or Treat! by Flavia Z. Drago
It’s Halloween night, and Shelley can’t wait to play trick or treat! What’s behind this first door? It’s a trick! Gustavo and his creepycrawlies! How about the next door? It’s a treat! Mandy with her beautiful jack-o’lanterns! Little readers will gleefully “knock” on each door, lifting the flaps to discover tricks (such as Vlad in a spider costume) or treats (like Leila’s yummy cakes). With a fun interactive element and bright, cheery illustrations, Flavia Z. Drago weaves in cameos by characters from her other books to make this a Halloween treat for old fans and new friends.
La casa con nadie en ella by Jon Klassen
Peek through doors and windows to explore a mysterious house in this innovative shaped novelty book for young readers who relish the lightly spooky, from the Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times bestselling Jon Klassen, creator of I Want My Hat Back and The Skull.
