Badlands National Park
South Dakota

In the heart of South Dakota’s Black Hills, Rapid City is a year round destination. Rapid City is centrally located for visitors to Crazy Horse Memorial, Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Destinations abound to keep South Dakota travelers busy. Deadwood, South Dakota, 40-miles from Rapid City, is a National Historic Landmark nestled in the Black Hills. Deadwood continues to honor its heritage of outlaws, gamblers and gunslingers with its events today. Sturgis, 15-miles northeast of Rapid City, is known for the popular Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. With the 2011 event behind the city, Sturgis returns to a quiet and traditional South Dakota town.

Rich in American heritage, fall visitors to Rapid City and South Dakota’s Black Hills region enjoy exciting events like the Fall Buffalo Auction. South Dakota’s Game, Fish and Parks Commission auctions live buffalo at Custer State Park. Herds must be managed to ensure sufficient grazing and water in the park. An event to behold, visitors to the Fall buffalo action watch as bison are rounded-up and penned for auction.

December brings the opening of the Black Hills snowmobile season. The Black Hills Trails officially open December 15th for the season ending March 31st. With nearly a million acres of pine forests in South Dakota’s Black Hills, snowmobiling in the region is unsurpassed. Sledding season on the South Dakota’s East River Trails runs December 1st through March 15th.

The Northwest Ranch Cowboys Association hosts Rapid City's 2011 NRCA Finals Rodeo November 25th through the 27th. Join the rodeo excitement at Rapid’s Central States Fairgrounds to see the best Cowboys in the region compete for the championships. The Pennington County Events Center at the Fairgrounds hosts the 2011 NRCA Cowboy Holiday Mall – join the fun and get some holiday shopping done the same weekend.

After Deadwood's premier Halloween celebration – Deadwierd, the town moves on to more traditional holiday events. November brings the Deadwood Volunteer Fire Department Chili Feed as well as the BAH: 4th Annual Chili Feed. Hosted by Deadwood's Bodega Bar on Main Street, the BAH Chili Feed features the Born Again Heathen Community Action Group exchanging a bowl of chili for non-perishable food items.

December in Deadwood brings the Whitewood Festival of Trees, just 15-miles north of Deadwood in the community of Whitewood. The second annual Cowboy Christmas Ball is held two nights this year, December 9th and 10th at the Deadwood Pavilion. Celebrate the holidays at the Cowboy Christmas Ball with great music, dancing and food – plan now this is a popular event.

Travelers west on Interstate 90 find Spearfish 20-miles from Sturgis. Home of Black Hills State University, Spearfish is another delightful South Dakota town. Also home to DC Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archive, December is a wonderful time to visit Spearfish. The Booth House at the Hatchery is beautifully decorated for the holiday. Visit a winter wonderland at the hatchery December 1st through the 4th to tour the Booth House, listen to local musicians, enjoy refreshments and check out the Pond Gift Shop for a bit of holiday shopping. A visit to spearfish is a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Fall and winter are the season in South Dakota for cold weather and holiday fun, along with warm community events. Mitchell, 75-miles west of Sioux Falls, hosts events from holiday theater performances at the Pepsi Cola Theatre for the Performing Arts to basketball at the Mike Miller Classic in the Corn Palace. Mitchell during winter is a great place to be. Sioux Falls, an economic and cultural hub for South Dakota is the state’s largest city. Anchoring the far eastern state line Interstate 90, Sioux Falls is centered on beautiful Falls Park and the Big Sioux River.

Mitchell a hub of commerce and culture in rural South Dakota is an ideal local for the 2012 Women in Blue Jeans conference. Mitchell’s Highland Conference Center hosts the celebration of women in rural America January 19th and 20th. Ladies join friends and neighbors for workshops, speakers and social events geared for learning and affirming the role of women in farm life and rural families.

Dakota Wesleyan University is a proud contributor to the Mitchell community. DWU’s Tiger Athletics host 15 intercollegiate sports in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. With fall and winter comes the excitement of Tiger men’s and women’s basketball. Join fans cheering on DWU’s Tigers at the Corn Palace through the 2011 – 2012 season. DWU hosts Tiny Tiger Basketball Clinics for Mitchell’s boys and girls in 1st through 6th grade. Thrill your Tiny Tiger fans November 19th and December 10th by joining a clinic at Christen Family Recreation and Wellness Center and the World’s Only Corn Palace.

Kick off the holidays at the lighting of Falls Park Winter Wonderland. Join the Sioux Falls community the evening of November 19th, as over 400,000 lights are switched on in the Park. Bring the family to see Santa and Mrs Claus, enjoy holiday music and maybe even start holiday shopping. Falls Park Winter Wonderland sparkles through January 8th – don’t miss a visit to the park during the holiday season.

The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra makes its home in Sioux Falls at Mary W Sommervold Hall, Washington Pavilion. Join the Symphony for its most popular holiday concert December 9th through 11th when the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra presents the traditional Holiday Collage. Celebrate the season in Sioux Falls listening to your favorite holiday music. Symphony fans don’t miss January’s performance of Mahler’s Seventh. Directed by Maestro Gier, this event is one in a series of South Dakota Symphony’s performances of Gustav Mahler’s nine symphonies. Save the date – January 14th, 2012.

Yankton, 80-miles southwest of Sioux Falls, sits on the Missouri River marking South Dakota’s southern state line. Home of Mount Marty College, Yankton embraces its small town culture and heritage. Join the Yankton community at Laddie E Cimpl Arena to cheer on MMC’s Lancer basketball teams. Snowmobiling in Yankton is a winter passion. Join the Lewis and Clark Winter Wheelers on or off trails surrounding Lewis and Clark Lake. Look for the snowmobile poker run in January to get outside and enjoy the wonder of South Dakota in winter.