CUSTER STATE PARK – The plains of Custer State Park will thunder once again during the park’s 47th Annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival, Sept. 22-24, 2012.

Custer State Park’s annual roundup is conducted to help the park maintain a healthy balance between the number of buffalo and the available rangeland forage. Surplus bison will be sold at auction on Nov. 17, with revenues helping to support park operations. 

The Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival took place Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, across from the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center, along Highway 16A.

Activities began at 8 a.m. on that Saturday with a pancake breakfast; donations from the meal will go to the KOTA Care-and-Share food drive. Entertainment was provided throughout the day on the grounds of the arts and crafts festival.

New to the festival this year was the Cabella’s Challenge Dutch Oven Cook Off, with tasting at noon on Saturday, Sept. 22. The day concluded with the 8th annual Custer Stampede Buffalo Art Auction at 4 p.m. under the big top.

On Sunday, Sept. 23, activities started once again with breakfast, arts and craft vendors, and entertainment. The annual chili cook off took place with public tasting at 2 p.m. MDT.

A buffalo chip flip was gekd both Saturday and Sunday.

The conclusion of the annual festivities is the 47th Annual Buffalo Roundup on Monday, Sept. 24. Bring your chairs, cameras, and binoculars for the magnificent sight of 1,300 buffalo thundering across the rolling plains of Custer State Park.

Parking lots for both the north and south viewing areas opened at 6:15 a.m. and were to close at 9 a.m. The actual roundup begins at 9:30 a.m. and lasts until all buffalo are safely in the corrals. A free shuttle service is provided from both viewing areas to the corrals where the testing, branding, and sorting begins at 1 p.m. 

A park entrance license is required for the Arts Festival Saturday and Sunday. The fee is $15 per vehicle, or visitors may purchase an annual state park license for $28.

A park entrance license is not required on Monday for the Buffalo Roundup. 

For more information call Custer State Park at 605-255-4515, or visit www.CusterStatePark.com

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