Ready to discover something new downtown? Head north

This paid piece is sponsored by Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

Want a taste of what awaits in downtown Sioux Falls’ growing Uptown area?

Think gourmet cookies, chef-driven sandwiches, one-of-a-kind gifts and new arrivals all the time.

“We just had our three-year anniversary in December and still hear from people who weren’t aware of us being downtown, and they’re always amazed when they find us,” said Becky McElroy, who opened a Sioux Falls Mary’s Mountain Cookies with her husband, Dave, along the boardwalk at The Cascade building — 701 N. Phillips Ave.

“They don’t know The Cascade or all this development exists. We know about it. We know about The Steel District, and it’s all over the news, but people still don’t realize how much has changed.”

This weekend — and the rest of the month — is a great time to venture downtown and make sure you head north while you’re there.

The semiannual Winter Crazy Days: Shop & Stroll runs Jan. 17-20, featuring special offers at more than two dozen participating retailers.

For the first time, Mary’s Mountain Cookies is among them.

“I thought I’d give it a try, and we’ll see how people respond,” McElroy said. “We’ll be doing prize drawings for a gift card each day and then a larger one at the end for everyone who entered.”

Plus, take advantage of a daily special: Buy six gourmet cookies, get two free.

There are more than 20 flavors, including seasonal rotations such as the featured molasses, raspberry cheesecake, Mint Grinch and Peppermint Panda.

“Overall, we were up 20 percent last year, so we were happy and thankful and grateful,” McElroy said. “People are realizing we’re here, they love our cookies, and they are coming back again and again.”

Other downtown retailers in the Uptown area also will be experiencing their first Crazy Days event.

Find them at The Steel District by taking Phillips Avenue north to Fourth Street and then turning east.

“People are still discovering us, which is fun to see,” said Alicia Engelking, owner of Pasque Boutique, which is located on the first floor of The Steel District’s apartment and condominium building at 151 E. Fourth Place.

“Every week, I hear ‘I didn’t know all this was here.’ Activity is increasing, especially on weekends.”

Her boutique features a range of women’s apparel and accessories, along with permanent jewelry and gift items.

“We are really excited about our spring line that is coming in. We have a couple of brands that aren’t carried anywhere else arriving, and we are excited to see how they do,” Engelking said. “Hopefully, everyone loves the items as much as I do.”

The store will offer “Denim Days” all week, including Crazy Days, with 20 percent off all denim in store and online, plus 10 percent off permanent jewelry and a freshly stocked sale rack.

Mark your calendar for Feb. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. when the boutique will host a Galentine’s Day event with drinks, music, permanent jewelry and 15 percent off the whole store.

“For those who aren’t familiar with Galentine’s, it’s meant to celebrate female friendships and to encourage us to support and uplift each other,” Engelking said. “We are hoping for a great turnout — it will be a fun event.”

Alcove, a retail store from the Washington Pavilion, is located next to Pasque Boutique and will be offering 40 percent off select items during this week’s Crazy Days, along with soda, wine, beer and snack mix.

“The inventory at Alcove is always changing,” said Meghan Knight, retail operations manager. “So there are lots of new things in such as speakers, drink ware, books and more.”

“People are still continuing to discover us, and we know that will only continue as The Steel District evolves,” Knight said.

For a complete guide to Winter Crazy Days, click here.

Don’t forget the dining

The north side of downtown also has delicious reasons to check out the area.

You’ll find a dozen restaurants north of Sixth Street participating in the Downtown Burger Battle through Jan. 31. One of them is Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen, which is featuring a sweet chili bacon cheeseburger made with five-spice bacon, housemade sweet chili sauce, miso cream cheese and winter greens between a Look’s Bakehouse sesame seed bun.

“Burger Battle surprisingly continues to just keep going up, which is kind of wild,” co-owner Barry Putzke said. “You think with more restaurants it would dilute itself, but there’s more excitement every year, and so far this year, we’re at record sales pace with back-to-back Saturdays with record-breaking single-day sales, so that’s exciting, and I’ve heard similar things from our friends at other restaurants.”

When Bread & Circus opened in 2017 at 600 N. Main Ave, it was among few retailers and restaurants on downtown’s north side. The opening of Levitt at the Falls brought more activity, and now The Steel District and Jacobson Plaza are set to bring more people, he said.

“We’re definitely able to tell it’s a more frequented area now than it used to be,” Putzke said.

“Burger Battle is a great example of a time for people who might venture downtown and discover new places. With The Steel District restaurants opening, I’ve gone and looked around the dining rooms and didn’t recognize people, so I’m very excited for the (Canopy by Hilton) hotel to get filled up and have people wander around. I’m all for it — bring on the competition, anything to bring more people to the area I think is good.”

Here’s a look at the other burgers featured Uptown:

• Big Sioux Burger: The Elvis Midnight Snack, featuring house-blend beef smash patties, American cheese, peanut aioli, jalapeno jam, banana, bacon and a sunny-side-up egg, all served on a butter croissant. Find Big Sioux Burger at The Steel District, 150 E. Fourth Place.
• Boki Europęan Street Food: The Gyro Inferno Burger, a half-pound of fresh Angus beef that blends Mediterranean flair with bold heat, featuring savory gyro meat, smoky paprika cheese, sweet and spicy pepper jelly, pickled peppers and caramelized onions. Topped with three distinct dressings, and fresh-cut fries, you’ll find it in the Jones421 Building, 421 N. Phillips Ave.
• Chef Lance’s on Phillips: Chef Lance’s Cuban Burger, an 8-ounce certified Angus patty topped with slow-roasted pulled pork, raspberry poblano barbecue sauce, pickles, shoulder bacon, Swiss cheese and Dijon mayo on a toasted Breadsmith onion bun. Find it at 431 N. Phillips Ave.
• Dakota Craft Links: The Big Craft, a custom Angus beef and pork blend smoked sausage with jalapeno, cheddar and onion topped with housemade special sauce and jalapeno relish. Garnished with sesame seeds and served on a toasted Rotella’s Italian Bakery hoagie roll. This newly opened restaurant and sausage shop is in the Jones421 Building, 421 N. Phillips Ave.
• Dahlia Kitchen + Bar: Street Corn Birria Smash, with poblano esquite and short rib birria piled on top of a brisket and short rib chuck smashburger with Oaxaca cheese and tortilla strips. Served with crispy garlic fries and a side of birria consomme. Find it at The Steel District, 150 E. Fourth Place
• DaDa Gastropub: Korean BBQ Burger, a marinated beef patty, pork belly, scallion salad, egg and American cheese, all on a sesame bun. Find it at 402 N. Main Ave.
• Falls Overlook Cafe: Butter Pecan Melt, a fresh-ground beef patty nestled on a buttery brioche bun, topped with arugula, creamy gouda cheese, signature bourbon caramel bacon jam and a dollop of Stensland Family Farms butter pecan ice cream — a bold, unexpected twist that delivers a rich, creamy finish. Find it at Falls Park.
• La Luna Cafe: Escabeche Burger, a bold twist on a traditional Salvadorian sandwich featuring a beef patty topped with a tangy escabeche of pickled vegetables, melted pepper jack cheese, fresh tomato and lettuce. Served with housemade jalapeno ranch for a creamy kick and a side of savory red salsa, pulled together with a toasted Breadsmith bun. Find it at The Cascade,  701 N. Phillips Ave.
• Roots of Brasil: GuarapaKibe Burger, fresh certified ground chuck patty combined with bulgur wheat, salt, pepper, cinnamon, garam masala, fresh lime, onion, parsley and fresh mint, topped with Vietnamese pickled vegetables and requeijão served on a pao de queijo roll. Find it at 201 N. Weber Ave.
• Severance Brewing Co. featuring Rudy M. Navarrete’s Tex-Mexican Catering: Juicy Sioux-Zy Burger, a half-pound seasoned beef patty stuffed full of cheddar, onion and green bell peppers sitting atop a slice of gouda on a Breadsmith onion bun. Topped with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, garlic aioli and Grillo’s Pickles. Find it at The Cascade, 701 N. Phillips Ave.
• Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen: Creole Crown Burger, a traditional bun with a roasted garlic aioli, herb cheese spread, spring greens, tomato, pickles, a patty blend of brisket, short rib and ground chuck, topped with peppered bacon, andouille sausage gravy, spiked onion rings and loaded with smoked gouda cheese drizzled with sambuca infused barbecue sauce. Find it in the Jones421 Building, 421 N. Phillips Ave.

Ready for more? Here’s the full Downtown Burger Battle list of participants so you can make sure you’re eating your way through the entire downtown!