Celebrate the 5th annual Downtown Riverfest in Sioux Falls Saturday, August 19 at 4 pm with live music, art, food, fun and fireworks.
Among the other “must-see” summer festivals are the large arts-in-the-park events held throughout the state. The Brookings Summer Arts Festival features over 200 artists from across the nation representing 17 disciplines filling Pioneer Park with original and handcrafted works of art. Forty-two gourmet and ethnic food booths satisfy every appetite and historic and antique booths celebrate South Dakota’s heritage at the annual two-day event, held this year the weekend of July 8 and 9. As many as 100,000 people attend the annual Yankton Summer Arts Festival at Riverside Park. The three-day event, held August 18-20 this year, includes a flea market, musical performances and lots of arts exhibiters. And the fun continues into September with the Washington Pavilion’s
popular Sidewalk Arts Festival in downtown Sioux Falls September 9. The event is a fundraiser for the Visual Arts Center and is the region’s largest one-day arts festival. Powwows and wacipis celebrate the cultural life of the Northern Plains tribes. A sampling of this year’s many powwows across the state includes the 55th annual Flandreau Powwow, July 14-16 at the Flandreau Wacipi Grounds, featuring a Grand Entry of all the dancers led by the flag bearers. The 141st Annual Rosebud Fair, Wacipi and Rodeo will be held August 24-27 at the Rosebud Fairgrounds. American Indian Day and Powwow is scheduled for September 14-16 at St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain. The variety of arts and music festivals throughout the summer is Native culture comes to life at South Dakota’s many an incredible array of events—far too summer powwows and many to attempt to list them all here. wacipis, with performers like A complete list to help you plan your this young dancer at the Crow Creek Powwow. summer excursions is available from the Arts South Dakota website at www.artssouthdakota.org/arts-events-in-south-dakota.html. You can even add community arts events to the calendar there. Make this a memorable family summer with a trip to a nearby South Dakota arts celebration!
South Dakota is a summer festival of culture By James D. Hagen, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tourism
South Dakota visitors love our cultural attractions and art destinations—and so do our state’s families who enjoy a summer vacation close to home! It’s not just Mount Rushmore that draws travelers, but an incredible array of museums, theaters, galleries, festivals and powwows. Our cultural heritage especially enriches the summer months as we celebrate the past and boldly explore our future through the artistic vision of our people. Summer is a great time for all of us to discover the cultural treasure trove that keeps visitors flooding into our state. There’s just so much to do in South Dakota! Nearly every summer weekend features an arts festival somewhere in our state, from Aberdeen to Edgemont and from Roslyn to Rapid City. And the best thing about our festivals is the people. Thousands of volunteers, all across South Dakota, make community festivals and weekend celebrations possible as they share their love of hometown and their enthusiasm for throwing a great community get-together with each other and their guests. This summer, take the whole family on voyages of discovery that will create memories to last a lifetime. Take a trip to the Black
Hills and experience Crazy Horse Memorial. Drive to Brookings to see the South Dakota Art Museum and experience our state’s fascinating Children’s Museum. See the internationally acclaimed collection of instruments at the National Music Museum in Vermillion—or the Oscar Howe murals in Mobridge. You’ll find easy directions to those attractions and dozens more at www.travelsouthdakota.com. Every year, from the northern Black Hills at Spearfish to the Missouri riverside at Yankton, tens of thousands of people from across the state and around the nation flock to our arts fairs and festivals throughout the summer. Join them— you’ll see neighbors and make new friends in a relaxed, uniquely South Dakota setting. Cultural tourism is a vital part of our economy, creating jobs, prosperity and lifelong learning in a way that is fun and familyfriendly. We work hard to invite people from our neighboring states to enjoy summer cultural opportunities in South Dakota. We invite you to join them and discover for yourself why we are so proud of our state and its cultural community.
www.ArtsCouncil.sd.gov
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