Mark Your Calendar: Family-Friendly, Affordable Events


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, April 6, 2009
CONTACT: Wanda Goodman, 605-773-3301, Wanda.Goodman@state.sd.us
Mark Your Calendar: Family-Friendly, Affordable Events
PIERRE, S.D. – Its time to start planning ahead for family-friendly, affordable events that will get everyone out of the house for a weekend. This year’s Great Events are cost effective, enjoyable and fun for all ages. With summer fast approaching, mark your calendars to check out one or all of the events.
 
  1. South Dakota Outdoor Expo – Huron, SD – June 13-14, 2009
    The South Dakota Outdoor Expo is an event with over 100 hands-on activities the entire family can enjoy!     AND ITS ALL FOR FREE! A few activities include: kayaking, shotgun shooting, Dutch Oven cooking, geocaching, fly fishing, hunting dog demonstrations and archery. The event teaches an understanding and appreciation for conservation and outdoor recreation with an importance on preserving our outdoor recreational heritage for generations to come.

  2. Redlin Art Center’s Summer Celebration – Watertown, SD – August 8-9, 2009
    Each year, the RedlinArtCenter works to make the event bigger and better for the community and those who travel to the event from surrounding states and communities. AND ITS ALL FOR FREE! This year’s event includes the following: Story Time with Clifford the Big Red Dog, Phil Baker’s Children’s Concert, Fly By Night, Greg Hanson and the Backroads and last but not least…Sawyer Brown will take the concert stage as the grand finale!
 
  1. South Dakota Walleye Classic and Festival – Akaska, SD – August 12-16, 2009
    ***Original dates have been updated, please note this change.***
    This is a national event on the professional walleye fishing tour held along the Missouri River, near Akaska. This event not only features the fishing tournament, in which it allows an amateur fisherman to accompany a professional for one day, but there is also a festival full of fun the entire family can enjoy. The festival includes: a chain saw artist, karaoke, ventriloquist, Arts in the Park, Native American Dancers, Bull-O-Rama, Country Western Dance featuring Dustin Evans, Kids Fishing Tournament, the Johnny Holm Band, Ranch Rodeo and much more! General admission is FREE!

  2. South Dakota Festival of Books – Deadwood, SD – October 2-4, 2009
    The annual festival of books brings more than 50 state, regional, and national writers and publishing professionals for a weekend of book signings, lectures, readings, and panel discussions. The event is FREE     and designed to appeal to all ages, from pre-readers to senior citizens.

  3. Media One Funski – Sioux Falls, SD – January 29-30, 2010
    The inaugural Media One Funski occurred in 1989 as a cross country ski race. It was held on the Riverview Farm, a course in the bluffs along the     Big Sioux River and ten miles south of Sioux Falls. Today, Funski has expanded to include a variety of winter events from skiing and snowboarding to Frozen Leg Kickball, team snow tubing and more! The event is a fundraiser for the Children’s Inn, a domestic abuse shelter for women and children in Sioux Falls.
 
The 2009 Great Events were selected based on visitor appeal, growth potential and length of the event. The selection process includes an application and proposal, submitted by event coordinators for consideration by the South Dakota Office of Tourism. For more information on the Great Events listed above, please visit TravelSD.com.
 
The 2009 Great Events campaign is part of Goal 1 of the 2010 initiative to double visitor spending in South Dakota. 
 
Media Note: The Media One Funski event in Sioux Falls remains part of the 2009 Great Events Campaign although it takes place just after the new year in 2010.
 
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