Winter, summer, spring or fall, South Dakota has special attractions for each season. With festivals and fairs, farmer’s markets and ice fishing, South Dakota’s seasonal attractions are various and plentiful.
Festivals and Fairs
With a multitude of festivals and fairs, South Dakota has something for everyone. Festivals and fairs celebrate the best things in life, from food to music to hobbies and more.
Sioux Falls Trolley
The Sioux Falls Trolley can be spotted during the warm weather cruising down the streets of downtown Sioux Falls. The best way to get around downtown, the free downtown trolley is as attractive as it is useful.
Farmer’s Markets
Farmer’s markets are a great way to taste the agricultural bounty of South Dakota’s farmers and ranchers, and meet the local South Dakotan’s who produce the state’s food and agricultural products.
Water Parks
When Mother Nature turns up the heat, you need to find a way to cool off, and South Dakota has plenty of options. Whether you prefer the dramatic drops of waterslides, or the relaxation of floating down a lazy river, you’ll find something that’s just your speed.
Black Hills Stocks Show and Rodeo
There’s nothing more western, or more South Dakotan, than the Black Hills Stocks Show and Rodeo. With the dramatic landscapes of Rapid City as the background, the Black Hils Stocks Show and Rodeo brings together the best examples of livestock with the thrill of a rodeo.
Hunting
From tracking the flight of a pheasant over an East River cornfield to stalking big game across the rugged West River plains and Black Hills, South Dakota truly offers hunters a land of infinite variety.
Ice Fishing
A popular winter sport, ice fishing is where the fisherman cuts a hole in the top of a solidly frozen lake or river, and then casts a fishing line into the chilled water below to catch fish.
Christmas and Holiday Traditions
The holiday spirit is alive and well in South Dakota! When it comes to celebrating the holidays, South Dakotans know how to do it, and do it well. Throughout the state you’ll find small and large towns celebrating in their own ways, from the ubiquitous small town light post decorations to large-scale parades, South Dakotans know how to celebrate.
Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
The annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup is an incredible sight, a display of the buffalo’s power and grace, as cowboys and cowgirls roundup the buffalo herd. It takes place on a Monday in late September or early October at Custer State Park, and is open to the public. Somewhere upwards of 10,000 people, drawn to the power and majesty of the buffalo, attend the annual 3-day event.
Skiing and Winter Sports
When the snow is falling and the temperatures are dropping, it’s time to hit South Dakota’s ski and winter sports resorts. With options on the western and eastern sides of the state, you’re sure to be nearby when it’s time to hit the slopes.
