Arts festivals return to South Dakota Parks Communities welcome visitors back for 2021 ne of the celebrations of the summer season is a day in the park—and a day in a park filled with arts, crafts, food booths and entertainment is the best summer day of all. From Sioux Falls to Spearfish and Aberdeen to Hot Springs, arts in the park festivities are back this year to beckon crowds eager to experience the fun. Be sure to check out festival websites for any changes in schedules which may occur. One of the first festivals is Aberdeen Arts in the Park, June 19-20 in Melgaard Park. For over 40 years, exhibitors have lined the pavement in the park with handcrafted wares on the third full weekend in June. Each year, this juried event attracts exhibitors from over 12 states. Over 20,000 people enjoy the park during the two-day event that features fine and folk art, entertainment and a wide variety of food items. When the Aberdeen Arts Festival started in 1976, attendees were encouraged to “spend a happy day in the park.” Attendance at the first festival was estimated between 3,000 and 4,000. Advertising in those early years included young boys walking up and down Main Street wearing sandwich boards, and half-gallon milk cartons with the festival logo printed on its side-panels. By the second year, almost 80 exhibitors were registered to be a part of the Aberdeen festival,
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The popular “Mannequin in Motion” returns this year to the Aberdeen Arts in the Park festival June 19-20 in Melgaard Park.
which has become an annual tradition. To learn more about times and activities scheduled at this year’s Arts in the Park, visit aberdeenareaartscouncil.com/events/arts-in-the-park. For a half century, one of the largest juried summer arts festivals has drawn regional visitors to Brookings. The 50th Annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival will be held this year on Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11 in Pioneer Park. Over 200 artists from across the nation, representing 15 disciplines of art, will fill the park with original skilled and handcrafted works, along with 38 gourmet and ethnic food booths to satisfy every appetite. The Edibles and Naturals area showcases 28 artisans who produce gourmet packaged cottage foods and natural skin products, while historic and antique booths celebrate South Dakota’s heritage. A lively children’s area in the center of the park provides fun and educational activities. In addition to a wide selection of artworks, the festival has become known for the
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
Festival goers walk the rows of art vendor booths during a previous Spearfish Festival in the Park. This year’s festival is scheduled for July 16-18. Photo by The Black Hills Studios.
