Viewpoint
Note from Nate We have had an incredible summer here in Vermillion!
As we now enter the last quarter of the year, we’ve got some exciting things in the works at the VCDC, but first, let’s break down the summer with a quick summary: we kicked the season off (literally) with the return of the AllStar Football Game, presented by Sanford at the newlyrenovated DakotaDome. We were lucky to have Bill Gassen, the new Sanford President & CEO and All-Star football player himself, join us at the Recognition Banquet for a night of recognition, celebration, and anticipation for the next day’s game. That following weekend came the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival in Prentis Park. Their incredibly talented cast not only brought “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” to life on the outdoor stage, but they engaged, connected, and inspired attendees (and induced some laughs and some crying as well). On June 26th, Vermillion hosted the South Dakota Special Olympics Summer Games at the USD Lillibridge Track complex on the USD campus. There may have been rain, but it didn’t hinder athletes from competing and leaving it all out on the field. Not only are we seeing people reconnecting at events throughout town like the ones I’ve already mentioned, but we saw record attendance numbers at these events. Thursdays on the Platz, our summer music series, has seen the highest attendance numbers in the history of the event, demonstrating the need and importance of human connection and community (even with a slight twist on the location for 2021). We also had a record number of teams compete in the VCDC’s Annual Golf Social out at the beautiful Bluffs Golf Course for our only fundraising event of the year.
Thank you to all of our friends, chamber members, investors and stakeholders for coming out and supporting the mission of the VCDC – It felt great to be on the course with all our friends again. On the economic development front, we celebrated Bliss Pointe Phase II with a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the expansion of the Bliss Pointe housing development. By increasing the number of new housing options, the ecosystem of Vermillion can continue to grow. A blind bid process has occurred and lot prices have been disseminated out into the general public. If we zoom out just a bit from Vermillion, there are exciting things happening on the tourism front for the entire state of South Dakota. Our state currently leads in travel and tourism recovery, tying for first place with Florida (we really ARE the Miami of South Dakota). One of USD’s alumni and Vermillion’s own, Byron Banasiak, recently took the position of Visual Assets Manager for the South Dakota Department of Tourism and we are so proud to see a fellow Coyote keeping his talents here in South Dakota as he works to attract visitors to our stunning state. Looking forward to the fall season, we will be welcoming new freshman and returning students to the University of South Dakota campus as classes resume on August 23rd. Our collegiate population is an integral part of the community and we always look forward to welcoming those returning students as well as embracing the freshmen who will just now begin their college career, and their new life, in Vermillion.
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