Experience community: Here’s your guide to 2025 small-town festivals

This piece is sponsored by the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Now is the perfect time to explore everything Sioux Falls-area communities have to offer, starting with their signature summer events.

Here’s your complete guide to this year’s festivals.

Harrisburg Days, June 12-15

Harrisburg begins celebrating its annual festival with a preview night for Mac’s Carnival on Thursday, with the rides then running Friday night and all day Saturday starting at noon. Returning this year is a special carnival hour with free rides for children with special needs. That’s from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday. Also Thursday is Touch a Truck, the Little Miss/Mr Harrisburg pageant and a ballon glow at 8:30 p.m. On Friday night, there will be food trucks, a beer garden, hot air balloon launches, a trivia contest and a street dance with Brandon Jones. Saturday’s highlights include the Tiger Trot 5k and hot air balloon launches in the morning, followed by the community parade at 10:30 a.m. There will be a talent show, sidewalk chalk artists, games for kids, a disc golf tournament, kids tractor pedal pull and The Johnny Holm Band concert. The event wraps up Sunday with a pancake feed and fishing derby for kids at the town pond, Lake Ole. Get all the details at the event’s Facebook page or harrisburgdays.com.

Garretson’s Jesse James Days, June 13-15

Garretson packs a lot into three days for Jesse James Days. Highlights on Friday include a car-antique tractor-motorcycle show, cornhole tournament and the third annual Glow Kayak at Split Rock Park. Bring your kayak and glow sticks at dusk for a ride down the creek. Rentals will be available too. On Saturday, there’s a road race, pancake feed and blood drive in the morning. The parade begins at 11 a.m. and includes an airplane flyover and a staged Jesse James robbery in front of the Garretson Museum. Family entertainment in the afternoon includes inflatables, horse-drawn wagon rides, toddler train rides, firetruck rides, a petting zoo and the Silver Creek Mavericks Wild West Show from 1 to 4 p.m. at the softball field. There’s an all-age street dance with 280 Fifth from 5 to 7 p.m.The Gulch Bar & Grill’s 18-and-older street dance with Driven will go from 8 p.m. to midnight. Sunday’s activities feature Father’s Day fishing at Palisades State Park, a fishing derby below the Split Rock Park dam and crafts at Split Rock Park. Find the full schedule at visitgarretsonsd.com.

Teapot Days, June 18-21

Festivities kick off Wednesday night in Tea with a free picnic, bloodmobile drive and the crowning of. Ma & Pa Teapot. The Mighty Thomas Carnival opens Thursday night. Friday night’s activities include a kids pedal pull, the TeaFest Hot Rod & Motorcycle Show & Shine, a beer garden with music by Chris Graves and a dance at Titans Tavern featuring Driven. Events on Saturday run from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., including a parade at 10 a.m., vendor fair and live music in the city park, the Tea Lions Pork Feed, fireworks and a street dance with Sugar Daddy hosted by Sky Lounge. Find the full schedule at teasd.com.

Hartford Jamboree Days, June 19-22

Hartford’s annual celebration kicks off Thursday with the Little Miss Hartford Pageant and an outdoor family movie night. Friday night’s highlights include vendors, food, beer and music in the city park, along with a car show and the annual John Zimmer Memorial Burnout Contest. Saturday’s events start with a 5K run/walk, followed by a parade at 10:30 a.m. There will be family entertainment and music all afternoon in the park, including a kids pedal pull and the Hartford Fire Department spray house and games. At night, IV Play will perform in the park. Everything wraps up with a community worship service Sunday morning. Get updates on the event’s Facebook page and see the full schedule at hartfordjamboreedays.com.

Worthing Cruise Night, June 27

“Blow the dust off your classic car, bring it to Worthing, park on Main Street, then let the BS begin.” That’s the description for the annual event that draws at least 70 cars. There’s no fee to park on Main Street. The event is from 6 p.m. to “whenever,” which is usually about 10 p.m. DJ Darin Fowlds will provide the music, and Kim’s Korner Bar & Grill and The Taco Vault will sell food.

Worthing Days, June 28

The one-day community festival offers fun for kids and adults. There will be a parade at 10 a.m., followed by a tractor show on Main Street. Kids can compete in a tractor pedal pull and have fun with a water pistol fight organized by the fire department. Firefighters will have a dunk tank too. There will be bingo in the park, a bean bag tournament and vendors with produce and crafts. Check the town’s website and the event’s Facebook page for updates.

Dell Rapids’ Quarry Days, June 27-29

Dell Rapids will celebrate Quarry Days with activities for all ages. Events kick off Friday night with a golf tournament and baseball game. On Saturday, highlights include a 5K run/walk; parade at 10 a.m.; a duck race in the river; 3-on-3 basketball and co-ed volleyball tournaments; bounce houses and a kids carnival; and a street dance with Julie Eddy at night. Sunday kicks off with an outdoor church service, followed by L.G. Everist train rides, a car show, family games in the park and kids fishing derby. The festival wraps up that night with fireworks. Vendors and food trucks will be in the park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For updates, visit the Quarry Days Facebook page, and to see the full schedule, go to dellrapidschamber.com.

Salem Barn Raisin’ BBQ, June 21

The Barn Raisin’ BBQ at the McCook County Fairgrounds in Salem is headed into its fifth year. Activities include 5k and 10k races, a cornhole tournament, kids pedal pull competition, baseball games, activities for kids, rib cook-off, live music and fireworks. Find the schedule and contest entry info on the event’s Facebook page.

Centerville’s Tornado Days, July 2-6

Rather than celebrating the destructive weather phenomenon, Tornado Days takes its name from the high school mascot. Events begin Wednesday night with a South Dakota Amateur Baseball game. On Thursday, the kickoff party at the park features a concert. There will be volleyball and kicball tournaments and swimming races and relays. On Friday, there’s a golf tournament, pub crawl and the Firemen’s Street Dance with the BS Band. Saturday features a range of fun from a road race and kids track meet to softball, sand volleyball and bean bag tournaments and a kids tractor pedal pull. The traditional Drive a Toilet Bowl Racer will be at 5:30 p.m. on Main Street. Sunday also is filled with activities, including a community worship service followed by a community breakfast, bike parade, bike rodeo, variety show and a community supper, wrapping up with fireworks at dusk. The unofficial Float the River invites people to grab a kayak or tube and meet from a starting point along the Vermillion River in town. For the full schedule, go to visitcentervillesd.com.

Lennox’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July, July 3-4

Lennox throws one of the biggest celebrations in the area. The official schedule isn’t ready yet, but activities include the traditional Main Street cruise night and street dance. There’s always a big parade down Main Street at 10:30 a.m., arts in the park and a Lennox Municipal Band concert in the evening, followed by fireworks. Check for the schedule at lennoxnews.com.

Photo courtesy of The Lennox Independent

Humboldt’s Main Street Days, July 4-6

When Dave Derschan bought the Main Street Humboldt Bar over a decade ago, he started a community festival. The fun kicks off Friday night with karaoke at the bar. Saturday, there’s a car show, kids treasure hunt dig, kiddie tractor pull, parade and bean bag tournament. Instead of just a street dance, Musicfest on Main Street offers live music from 2:45 p.m. until 1 a.m., with Derecho as the headliner. Sunday features live music with Mark Marquardt and Todd Casilli and bingo – all at the bar. Get the details on the bar’s Facebook page under the events tab.

Valley Springs Booster Days, July 11-13

Booster Days activities kick off Friday with a community supper in the park that’s a fundraiser for the Community Club and then fireworks at dusk. The popular mud volleyball tournament starts at 9 a.m. Saturday; find registration details here. There also are games for kids, a cake walk and kids tractor pull in the morning, a firefighters water fight at 1 p.m. and a parade at 7 p.m. The community wraps up the celebration with a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday, and the American Legion hosts a freewill pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find the schedule on the city’s website. 

Chancellor Days, July 11-12

Chancellor Days kicks off Friday with karaoke at the Chancellor Bar. Saturday’s events include a car and motorcycle show, craft and vendor show, bingo, a beanbag tournament and a street dance. Find the schedule and updates on the event page on Facebook. 

Brandon Hometown Days, July 12

The Brandon Valley Optimist Club event for kids returns for its 15th  year. Activities will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Brandon Elementary School. There will be inflatables, a game trailer, clowns with balloons, princesses, Touch-a-Truck, reptiles, a DJ, a bike and scooter giveaway and food trucks. Find updates on its website or Facebook page. 

Colton Country Days, July 18-20

The celebration kicks off Friday night with a baked potato supper and kids sidewalk chalk contest from 7 to 9 p.m. at Taopi Hall. Saturday’s fun starts with a 5k run/1-mile walk. The parade starts at 10 a.m. There are vendors in the park, and there’s usually chicken bingo, a kids pedal pull, free inflatables and face painting, a pork loin feed, outhouse water races and fireworks. TJz Bar & Restaurant is organizing the street dance, with Bad Habits performing from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. On Sunday, there will be bingo, a bake sale and a cake walk. The Eric “Boone” Oyen Memorial Country Days Co-ed Softball Tournament will be Saturday and Sunday. The full Colton Country Days schedule will be posted on the event’s Facebook page.

Celebrate Canton, July 18-26

The Canton Chamber of Commerce is spreading out its summer community festival over 9 days. July 18-19: Depot Days vendors, food truck, model trains and train rides for the kids. July 20: Community church service and pancake feed at Jack Fox Park. July 21: Arts and reading in the park. July 22: Free swimming in the new city pool from 6 to 8 p.m. July 23: Bike Rodeo & Parade with helmet fitting, bike giveaways and a pizza party courtesy of Security Savings Bank. July 24: Town N Country Night and National Night Out with vendors, community pork feed, music, petting zoo, tractor parade, a new pie-baking contest and new Kiss the Pig fundraiser. July 25: Burgers, Beers & Cars at The Wheel Public House. July 26: Saturday in the Park with a parade at 11 a.m., vendors, Touch a Truck, DJ, dunk tank and activities for kids, senior center cookout, car show and poker run. July 27 Canton Area Car Show for Generations. Find other summer events and updates at Celebrate Canton’s Facebook page.

Beresford’s Old-Fashioned Weekend, July 23-27

Beresford’s annual celebration, which actually runs longer than the weekend, kicks off Wednesday night with the farmers market and a concert in the park. On Thursday, there is a community dinner in the park, followed by an outdoor movie. Friday’s fun includes a golf tournament and then a kiddie bike cruise in the evening. Saturday is the big day for activities with a vendor show in the park, inflatables and kiddie train rides. Dad’s Repair hosts a car show, followed by a burnout contest and then a cruise downtown. Sunday wraps up the fun with a pancake feed and tractor pull. Find a full schedule and updates on the Beresford Area Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page. 

Baltic Dog Days, Aug. 8-10

The community celebration kicks off Friday with an activity for kids to help paint the parade route yellow to fit this year’s theme: There’s No Place Like Home. Not all of the events on the schedule have been set yet, but Sallie Franchuk from the planning committee outlined those that have been confirmed. Friday night, there’s also a beanbag tournament. Saturday includes a 5K run, bake sale and parade at 11 a.m., followed by a kickball tournament, a free kids carnival and a kids “dig for coins” hunt. Almost Home Canine Rescue will have a meet-and-greet with dogs that need homes – “It’s Dog Days, so we need to have dogs,” Franchuk said. Sunday is a community worship service followed by a volleyball tournament and a fishing derby in the afternoon at Murphy’s Pond. Other likely activities include an outdoor movie and fireworks, and there might be a street dance or kids version of one and a car show. Find updates on the Facebook page for Baltic Dog Days or the city of Baltic’s Facebook page. 

Renner Days, Aug. 15-17

The unincorporated community north of Sioux Falls hasn’t released its schedule yet, but last year there was a kickoff party Friday night at the Monarch Lounge. Most of the fun is Saturday with a car show that’s so popular it has to turn down entries, lunch at the fire hall, a parade –usually at 3 p.m. – firefighter water wars pitting Renner against local volunteer fire departments, games for kids, local vendor fair and craft show. Renner Days typically wraps up with a breakfast at the American Legion and golf tournament Sunday. Proceeds from all activities support the Renner Volunteer Fire Department. Details will be posted on the event’s Facebook page.

Hudson Street Dance

Waddy’s Bar & Grill will host its annual street dance, but a date hasn’t been announced yet. It’s usually in August. Check the bar’s Facebook page for updates.