Downtown Sioux Falls to welcome new holiday plaza this season

Downtown Sioux Falls is creating a new plaza experience this holiday season — and you’ll begin to see it take shape starting today.

The area known as the 10th Street Mural Plaza, which is in front of the city-owned parking ramp along 10th Street, will be the new home of the MarketBeat Holiday Plaza.

Since 2021, MarketBeat has sponsored lighted and interactive holiday decorations at the Courthouse Plaza at 12th Street and Phillips Avenue next to the federal courthouse. However, DTSF no longer is contracted by the federal government to manage that plaza, so the fun will be moving a bit north.

“Thanks to great partnerships and especially the support of MarketBeat, we were able to find a new location and are excited to create something that will become even more of destination. It’s so critical to do whatever we can to encourage people to come experience downtown and support our businesses during the holiday season,” said Brandon Hanson, CEO of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

“Look for fun programming here that will be announced soon, along with a lot of festive decor and even more to come in the years ahead.”

The 50-foot tree that had been in front of the Washington Pavilion for the past five years is being moved to the 10th Street Mural Plaza.

The Mural Plaza previously hosted the city’s Winter Weekends in 2023 and installed enough power to handle the events associated with the holiday celebration, including the substantial power needs of the holiday tree.

“This is a fantastic area because it can accommodate both the holiday tree and the MarketBeat Plaza in one location,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said.

“Between this holiday display, the tradition of Winter Wonderland at Falls Park and the new opening of Jacobson Plaza, we hope families come downtown to enjoy the holiday magic and experience all that our incredible downtown has to offer.”

The Washington Pavilion has hosted the city-owned tree since 2020.

“We’ve been proud to host since the tree’s inception, and POET has supported us the last several years. We’re grateful they’re continuing to support us this year,” Washington Pavilion president and CEO Darrin Smith said.

“We’re consolidating a single great holiday experience for residents and visitors to give people even more reasons to come downtown and celebrate.”

At POET, “we’re proud to once again help kick off the holiday season by sponsoring the Downtown Sioux Falls holiday tree,” said Jenny Kay, senior director of communications.

“This tradition brings our community together to celebrate the joy, hope and generosity of the season, values that POET shares. Sioux Falls is home to our headquarters and many of our team members, and we’re honored to give back to this community.”

The new holiday plaza “will allow DTSF, POET and MarketBeat to achieve our shared goal of getting more people shopping and dining downtown during the holiday season,” MarketBeat founder and CEO Matt Paulson said.

“Downtown businesses have a unique challenge during the holiday season. It’s tough for them to compete with large national retailers that have multimillion-dollar advertising budgets. For the past several years, the MarketBeat Holiday Plaza has served as a way to get more people downtown to eat and shop during the winter months.”

The tree lighting will take place on Black Friday, Nov. 28, as it has previously.

Staff members from the Washington Pavilion will begin installing the tree today.

“They’ve become pros at it, which is fitting because it takes a little art and a little science,” Smith said.