Tag: free parking

Join Us for the 11th Annual Riverfest: A Family-Friendly Celebration of Music and Community!

Posted on by Brandon Hanson

Celebrate Community and Music at Riverfest 2024!

Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF) is thrilled to announce the 11th annual Riverfest, generously sponsored by The Bancorp, Inc. This highly-anticipated event will take place on August 17th, 2024, bringing together the community for a day of music, fun, and family-friendly activities along the beautiful Big Sioux River.

An Impressive Musical Lineup

This year’s Riverfest features an outstanding lineup of bands that will keep you entertained throughout the day. We are excited to feature:

  • The Teals: Kicking off the event with their unique blend of indie and alternative rock. Check out The Teals on Facebook
  • Mat D & Roadside Revival: Known for their hard-hitting Americana and soulful tunes, Mat D & Roadside Revival will keep the energy high with their dynamic performance. Learn more about Mat D & Roadside Revival
  • Kid Dakota: Bringing an eclectic mix of indie rock and thoughtful lyrics, Kid Dakota will captivate the audience with their distinctive sound. Discover Kid Dakota
  • Indigenous: Our headliner, Indigenous, will close out the event with their powerful blues-rock performance. Indigenous is known for their electrifying shows and musical prowess. Explore Indigenous

A Family-Friendly Extravaganza

Riverfest offers more great music; it’s a celebration designed for the whole family. This year, we are proud to offer a variety of activities and amenities to ensure everyone has a fantastic time:

  • Food Vendors: Enjoy delicious treats from our wide array of food vendors, including cotton candy, cookies, hotdogs, and more.
  • Activity Tents: Engage in fun and interactive activities for all ages. Our activity tents will feature games, crafts, and other exciting programming geared towards family fun.
  • Performances and Games: Throughout the day, there will be performances and games designed to entertain and delight children and adults alike.

Building Community Through Festivals & Events

At DTSF, we believe in the power of festivals to bring people together and strengthen our community. Riverfest showcases our commitment to creating events that foster connections, celebrate local talent, and provide a platform for families to enjoy quality time together.

Riverfest stands out as the go-to destination for family-friendly entertainment. We invite you to join us for a day filled with music, fun, and community.

Photo Credit: Experience Sioux Falls

Get Involved

Don’t miss out on this incredible event! Mark your calendars for August 17th, 2024, sign up to volunteer, and bring your family and friends to Riverfest. For more details and updates, follow us on Facebook/Instagram and visit DTSF.com.

About Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF)

Downtown Sioux Falls, Inc. (DTSF) boldly leads the downtown community by fostering diverse experiences, economic growth, and a healthy environment. Visit DTSF.com for more information.

We look forward to seeing you at Riverfest, where music, family fun, and community come together!

Meet Me Downtown: Terri with Sticks and Steel

Posted on by Charlee Riker

“Meet me Downtown!” This is a common phrase heard from a friend you’re meeting for drinks, a family member about to grab lunch, your favorite shopping partner, or from a variety of other people.  Well now you can hear from DTSF small business owners and why you should meet them right here in downtown.  Each month we’ll help tell the stories of what makes this community so special.  If you’re looking for a unique gift, *cough* Valentine’s Day *cough*, this month’s featured business will be a great place to look through. Meet Terri Schuver with Sticks and Steel in Downtown Sioux Falls!

Q: First off, tell us about the history of Sticks and Steel.

A: Oh, boy… Well, Sticks and Steel really started with Prairie Dance, a rusted-metal gift and décor line that started back in 1997.  I was traveling around the country selling her Prairie Dance creations at fairs and markets.  I started to take note of the unique and beautiful goods her exhibiting neighbors were selling, and thought to herself “people in Sioux Falls would so appreciate these things!”.   So I bought several pieces from some of my favorite artists and sold them out of a small store front space in front of the Prairie Dance studio and welding shop.  The “grand opening” of Sticks and Steel was in September of 2001.  Now, 19 years later, the gallery has been through half-a-dozen expansions and takes up about 2000 square feet of space.

 

Q: What’s one of your favorite memories from Sticks and Steel?

A: My favorite memories seem to be of the people we’ve connected with through the business.  We’ve hired workshop employees that couldn’t speak English and are now thriving American citizens as well as the dearest friends.  And we’ve come to realize that we’ve learned more from them than they will ever learn from us!  We’ve hosted a surprise engagement for an awesome guy who wanted to surprise his sweetie…..we hid the ring, chilled the champagne and cheered when he popped the question!  We’ve bonded (and sweat!) with employees and their families when everyone pitched in to paint our retail space with 20ft high ceilings.  I can’t really pick just one memory….they all make up the fabric of who Sticks and Steel is!

Q: Have you always been located in the 8th & Railroad Center on the Eastbank of downtown Sioux Falls?

A: 8th and Railroad is Sticks and Steel’s first official location.

Q: What’s one product you’d highly recommend to anybody who walks into your store?

A: Bacon Cooker!  That thing is the bomb.  It’s a beautiful piece of pottery that cooks bacon in minutes.  What more could a Midwest gal ask for?!

Q: Describe your ideal day in downtown Sioux Falls.

A: Easy! First stop, Queen City for their goat cheese quiche and tea… so amazing!  Then, of course, Sticks and Steel… chop down a few goals with my team and see all the new goodies we have coming in.  Sanaa’s Shish Tawook has my heart, so that would definitely be my lunch stop… Walk through Josephine’s for a little botanical breather before heading back to the shop.  Finally, I’d end the day at R Wine Bar for happy hour with my downtown amigos. Perfect!

Q: Do you have any special events or news for the upcoming year for Sticks and Steel?

A: We have so many events planned!  You all can count on our Annual Clearance Sale and Prairie Dance sale this spring.  We have several artist events in the books along with workshops and special shopping events too. Keep your eyes on our Instagram and Facebook page for details as we get closer to all the fun.

Q: Describe your business in three words.

A: Artful, Vibrant, Fun-loving.

Q: What makes downtown Sioux Falls different than any other downtown?

A: The community!  Our neighbors are the best.  Restaurants, retailers, hotels, we all work collaboratively with the same goal in mind—we wanna bring the fun!  We’re blessed with an amazing customer base filled with small business evangelists and we all wanna be worthy of their support and patronage and we know it takes every business in our neighborhood to make that happen.

 

Ready to learn more about Terri and Sticks and Steel? Visit their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram! Hear more DTSF stories and follow #MeetMeDTSF

Everything You Need to Know About the 7th Annual Downtown Burger Battle

Posted on by Charlee Riker

Prepare your tastebuds for battle with the 7th Annual Downtown Burger Battle! DTSF and the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation kicks off January 2, 2020 and continues through January 31, 2020. A record number of participating downtown restaurants will compete by presenting their take on the classic American burger.

Diners can order and rate each burger feature based on patty, presentation, toppings, bun, and customer service. The restaurant with the highest average score by the end of the month will be the 2020 Burger Battle Champion. New this year, voting will take place on the DTSF Digital Passport. After voting, diners will earn stamps, points, and share their progress to social media.

“Bringing the community back together after the holidays to experience the downtown area in a different way is so important to these small businesses and specifically restaurants.  This year’s Burger Battle is coming back better than ever with more burgers, giveaways and the highly-anticipated DTSF Digital Passport.” said DTSF Marketing & Communication Coordinator Sadie Swier

The sixteen restaurants participating are: 

Diners can also enter a weekly restaurant gift card drawing by posting a photo of features to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, tagging the restaurant name and using the hashtag #BurgerBattle20.

In 2019, 8,123 burgers were sold and rated from twelve downtown restaurants.  Learn more about last year’s Burger Battle here.

Find burger contender names and descriptions at https://dtsf.com/event/7th-annual-downtown-burger-battle/.

10 Things You Need to Know about St. Patrick’s Day in downtown Sioux Falls

Posted on by Charlee Riker

The community has embraced the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and made it a tradition for those with Irish heritage and the Irish-at-heart, for the past 40 years. Here are 10 things you need to know about St. Patrick’s Day in downtown Sioux Falls!

1. The annual Sioux Falls St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the city’s longest running parade.

In 1979, the city’s matriarch Sylvia Henkin called a group of friends around her kitchen table to discuss her idea to bring a “people’s parade” to celebrate the Irish spirit in Sioux Falls. As with most things that Sylvia set her mind to, the idea quickly turned to reality. The first parade was held in 1980 in downtown Sioux Falls, and the tradition has never wavered. Take part in the city’s longest running parade and celebrate Sylvia’s legacy during the 40th Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 16, 2019, starting at 2:00pm in downtown Sioux Falls. Click here for a parade map.

2. The Falls will be lit green. 

Visit the city’s namesake while it’s lit green for the holiday! Falls Park Visitor Center will be open St. Patty’s Day weekend, 10:00am – 5:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

3. Mrs. Murphy’s is the only Irish store in South Dakota.

For over 20 years, Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Gifts has been a must-see shop, selling the finest jewelry, clothing, food and gifts imported from Ireland, right here in downtown Sioux Falls.

4. Canadian Khartum Temple Pipe & Drums visit downtown every St. Patrick’s Day.

Parade founder Sylvia Henkin invited the drum group to the event in its inaugural year, and they’ve returned every year since. Here’s a sneak peek of what you can expect!

5. Watch traditional Irish dancing with the Sioux Falls Celtic Steps.

The Celtic Steps School of Irish Dance is a growing community in Sioux Falls. Seriously, two dancers went to Scotland for the World Irish Dancing Championships.  See the group dance a jig at the St. Patrick’s Day Holiday Inn party,following the parade.

6. Hugh Grogan is this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade grand marshal.

Hugh Grogan has strong Irish connections and serves as an advocate in the Sioux Falls area.  The Grogans celebrate by making a family float for the parade every year. Learn more about Grogan here.

7. Get the official St. Patrick’s Day button and support Special Olympics South Dakota.

Official buttons are not only a festive accessory, but also serve as the annual St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser.  Over $160,000 has been raised for local nonprofits from button sales. Get yours at the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce or Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Store for just $3.

8. Help paint the street green! 

Every downtown St. Patrick’s Day celebration kicks off with the painting of a shamrock in the middle of historic Phillips Avenue. Beginning at 11:00am, the corner of 9th and Phillips Avenue will be covered with the classic Irish symbol.

9. Listen to traditional Irish music at the Old Courthouse Museum.

Enjoy the Dakota District Pipes & Drums and Maggie in the Meantime with food and drinks during the St. Patrick’s Celebration of Traditional Irish Music at the Old Courthouse Museum.

10 . Eat, drink and be merry at DTSF’s authentic Irish Pub.

Feast on traditional bangers and mash with a tall Guinness at Blarney Stone Pub, downtown’s only Irish pub. There will be a number of food and drink specials during the day, as well as one of the best patios in the area. Find a full list of restaurants and bars under the Dine & Drink section.

Find all downtown happenings in our Events calendar. Parking in downtown is free on weekends and the public is encouraged to make arrangements for safe transportation through Lyft & local cab companies.

Spend Your Labor Day Weekend in Downtown Sioux Falls

Posted on by Charlee Riker
Celebrate the dog days of summer this Labor Day weekend in downtown Sioux Falls, with events and activities for everyone to enjoy, from Thursday through Monday. Take advantage of FREE downtown parking all weekend (yep, that means Monday too) and plan your Labor Day weekend in downtown Sioux Falls with the following events and updated store hours in mind!

 

Thursday, Aug. 30

 

Friday, Aug. 31

 

Saturday, Sept. 1

 

Monday, Sept. 3

 

Daily

 

DTSF Sales & Holiday Hours: