Custer Fourth of July Festivities
Independence Day in the home of the presidents.
Usually: Early July
Last: July 3–5, 2026
Events
What's on in the Black Hills.
Festivals, rodeos, rallies and holiday traditions from Custer to Deadwood. Plan your stay around them.
Coming up
Upcoming events
Dates come from each organizer and many 2027 dates are still tentative, so check the organizer's page before you travel.
January 2026
Deadwood's 150th Celebration
A year-long lineup of community events marking Deadwood's sesquicentennial.
September 2026
Spearfish Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
A corn maze and pumpkin patch at Spearfish Valley Produce, open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; adults $15, ages 4-12 $10.
Lil' Harvester's Pumpkin Patch
A pumpkin patch with a petting zoo and tractor rides across the road from Reptile Gardens.
October 2026
The Haunting of Keystone
Haunted stops at Rushmore Cave, Big Thunder Gold Mine and the Keystone Victorian Schoolhouse Museum, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Timed-entry tickets; book ahead.
Safe N' Sweet Fall Festival
Costume trick-or-treating, games, a petting zoo and Raptor Center demonstrations at Storybook Island; admission is $5 per person.
Black Hills Brawl: Mines Football vs. Black Hills State
The 141st meeting of the Hardrockers and Yellow Jackets at O'Harra Stadium, kickoff 6 p.m.
Vintage Base Ball Game "The Finale"
A vintage base ball game at Ferguson Football Field at the Days of '76 Event Complex.
Deadweird
Deadwood's Halloween weekend.
Merchants' Trick-or-Treat
Trick-or-treating at participating downtown Custer merchants, 4 to 6 p.m.; costumes encouraged.
Classic Car Trunk or Treat
Classic car owners hand out candy at S&B Motor Parts, 4 to 6 p.m., during the merchants' trick-or-treat; no registration fee.
Merchants Trick-or-Treat
Trick-or-treating at participating downtown Hot Springs businesses, 4 to 6 p.m.
November 2026
Gold Rush Nationals
Five days of indoor demolition derby in Summit Arena at The Monument; tickets from $10.
Native American Tourism Summit & Film Festival
The Black Hills Film Festival shows family-friendly films by Native Americans from 2 to 5 p.m. at Crazy Horse Memorial; the public film program is free.
Hill City Girlfriends' Weekend
A weekend of shopping, dining and special offers at businesses across downtown Hill City.
From the Forest to the Capitol: U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Custer
The 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stops at Way Park, 4 to 6 p.m., with Santa, Smokey Bear, forest displays and a community banner to sign; free.
Homestake Opera House Festival of Trees
A holiday celebration of decorated trees at the Historic Homestake Opera House.
Black Hills Christmas Tree Permit Season
Cut your own Christmas tree in the national forest with a permit.
Black Hills Chili Bowl
Chili tasting and crowd voting at the Hotel Alex Johnson, 1 to 3 p.m.; tickets $30.
Lille Norge Fest
A free morning of Norwegian food, baked goods, craft vendors and live entertainment at the Canyon Lake Activity Center.
1880 Train Holiday Express
A one-hour holiday round trip from Hill City to the "North Pole" with Santa on board, on selected dates from Nov 25 to Jan 2. Ticketed; book ahead.
Kris Kringle Craft and Vendor Fair
Handmade goods and holiday gifts from local vendors at 488 Main Street; free entry.
Winter Market and Festival of Lights Parade
Free holiday kickoff at Main Street Square, 1 to 5 p.m.: the mayor lights the Holiday Tree, food trucks, live music and local vendors, with the Festival of Lights Parade the same day.
December 2026
South Dakota Snowmobile Trail Season
Groomed snowmobile trails through the northern Hills, based around Lead.
Community Christmas Tree Lighting & Santa
Free family event at Outlaw Square with the tree lighting at 6 p.m., free skating, s'mores and a visit from Santa.
Cookie Cruise
Visit downtown businesses, sample cookies from local bakers and vote for a favourite, 4 to 6 p.m.
Custer Christmas Parade
A 5:30 p.m. parade down Mt. Rushmore Road ending with the Juanita Fish Memorial Tree Lighting at Way Park.
Santa Hat Shopping Spree
Wear a Santa hat while visiting participating Hot Springs businesses for deals, discounts and treats, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
January 2027
Rapid City Restaurant Week
Eleven days of special menus and deals at restaurants across Rapid City.
Red Dirt Festival
A music festival in Deadwood.
Burning Beetle
A torch-lit procession, live music and the burning of a giant wooden beetle, in Custer.
Pro Snocross Races
Professional snowmobile racing in Deadwood.
Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo
Rodeo and livestock shows in Rapid City.
February 2027
Mardi Gras Weekend
Mardi Gras weekend in Deadwood.
Love On All Levels
A Valentine date night at Rush Mountain Adventure Park with a candlelit cave walk, food, drinks and live music; one ticket per couple.
Deadwood's Big Whiskey
A whiskey event in Deadwood.
Custer Restaurant Week
The 10th annual restaurant week, with featured menus at Custer restaurants and a punch card for prize drawings.
March 2027
St. Patrick's Day Weekend
St. Patrick's Day weekend in Deadwood.
April 2027
Forks, Corks & Kegs
A food and drink weekend in Deadwood.
May 2027
Summer Kickoff Concerts in the Square
Summer kickoff concerts at Outlaw Square, listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Black Hills Motorcycle Show
A motorcycle show listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
June 2027
Black Hills Quilt Show
Hundreds of quilts, demonstrations and vendors at The Monument, presented by the Black Hills Quilters Guild.
Mickelson Trail Marathon
A marathon event on the Mickelson Trail.
Crazy Horse Spring Volksmarch (41st)
A 10K (6.2-mile) round-trip hike up Crazy Horse Memorial; start any time between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Pine Island Gravel Odyssey
A race, ride and tour gravel-cycling weekend from Spearfish City Park with routes through the Black Hills and into Wyoming.
Deadwood PBR
A PBR event listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Summer Mickelson Trail Trek
A three-day group bike ride along the Mickelson Trail, which also runs through Custer.
Wild Bill Days
Wild Bill Days, listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Mt Rushmore Rodeo at Palmer Gulch
Ticketed 6 p.m. rodeo nights at the Mt Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch on select dates (Jun 20, Jun 26, Jul 11, Jul 24, Aug 14 as listed).
Hart Ranch Wild West Rodeo
Wild West Wednesdays at 7 p.m. with bronc riding, bull riding, barrel racing and trick riding, plus food trucks and a beer garden.
July 2027
Independence Day Parade & Freedom Weekend
Parade and celebrations in Deadwood. Custer and Keystone hold their own Fourth of July festivities too.
Deadwood Blues Festival
A city-wide blues festival with sets at venues across Deadwood and a main-stage night at Outlaw Square.
3-Wheeler Rally
A three-wheeler rally listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Days of '76 Rodeo
Rodeo week in Deadwood.
August 2027
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (87th)
Ten days, hundreds of thousands of riders and concerts across the northern Hills. Book months ahead or plan around it.
Sturgis Buffalo Chip
The Buffalo Chip lists its dates as the 87th anniversary Sturgis rally week.
Kool Deadwood Nites
Deadwood's classic-car week; the 2027 calendar also lists a classic car auction on Aug 19-21.
Central States Fair
Rides, music, animals and grandstand events including a PRCA rodeo at the Central States Fairgrounds; grandstand shows are listed Aug 20 to 28.
September 2027
Dakota Five-O
A 50-mile mountain bike race with more than 6,000 feet of climbing, based at Spearfish City Park.
Fair in the Square
Fair in the Square, listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Deadwood Jam
A two-day music festival in Deadwood.
Fall Mickelson Trail Trek
A three-day group ride on the Mickelson Trail, listed on Deadwood's 2027 events calendar.
Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup
Custer State Park Resort lists Friday, September 24, 2027 as the next roundup date; the state park has not yet published 2027 dates.
Crazy Horse Fall Volksmarch (15th)
A 10K hike up Crazy Horse Memorial, with a 5K route also offered; start between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
October 2027
Oktoberfest
An Oktoberfest celebration in Deadwood.
Wild West Songwriters Festival
A songwriters' festival in Deadwood.
Deadweird
Deadwood's Halloween weekend.
Dates to be announced
Mountain West Beer Fest
Craft beer tasting in Rapid City.
Black Hills Cowboy Christmas
A holiday festival in Lead. The Festival of Trees has its own listing, Nov 13-14.
Holidazzle Light Parade
Spearfish's holiday light parade.
Candlelight Christmas Tours of the Historic Adams House
Christmas candlelight tours of the Historic Adams House on the dates listed by the Deadwood Chamber.
Christmas Nights of Lights at Storybook Island
An outdoor walk-through of glowing displays and storybook scenes at Storybook Island; $5 per person, free for 12 months and under.
Ice Rink at Main Street Square
Ice skating beneath the Holiday Tree in downtown Rapid City, with skate rentals on site and a day pass.
Nothing listed for that town right now.
Every year
Favorites that come around each year.
Next dates aren't published yet. Here's when they usually happen and when they last ran.
Gold Discovery Days
Custer's town celebration: car show, arts fair, hot-air balloon rally and the largest parade in the Black Hills.
Usually: Mid-July
Last: July 17–20, 2026
Custer Off-Road Rally
Off-road vehicles on the trails of the Southern Hills.
Usually: June
Last: June 12–14, 2026
Studebaker Car Show
An outdoor car and truck show in Custer.
Usually: Early September
Last: September 6, 2026
Run Crazy Horse Marathon
Run in the shadow of the mountain carving and finish on Hill City's Main Street.
Usually: Early October
Last: October 4, 2026
Black Hills Powwow
A Native American powwow in Rapid City.
Usually: Early October
Last: October 9–11, 2026
Mount Rushmore Evening Lighting Ceremony
A ranger talk, a film, a veterans' tribute and the lighting of the sculpture; no ceremony from October to May, when the sculpture is lit nightly at sunset.
Usually: Nightly from the Friday before Memorial Day through September 30 (9 p.m. early summer, 8 p.m. from early August)
Last: 2026 season (Travel South Dakota gives the pattern, not calendar dates)
Black Hills Playhouse (Theatre 605) Summer Season
Summer theatre in Custer State Park; a park entrance licence is needed.
Usually: Early June to mid-August
Last: June 7 to August 15, 2026
Festival in the Park
An outdoor summer arts festival at Spearfish City Park; free on Saturday and Sunday, $5 wristband on Friday.
Usually: Third weekend of July (Friday to Sunday)
Last: July 2026 (48th year; exact dates not on the listing)
Sturgis Parade of Lights
The Sturgis Chamber's holiday parade of lit floats; floats line up from 4 p.m. and the parade starts at 6 p.m.
Usually: Early December, Friday evening
Last: December 5, 2025
Planning around the big ones. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (August 6 to 15, 2027) and the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup (late September) fill lodging across the Hills months ahead. If your dates match, check availability early. The cabin takes stays of up to 28 nights.
Sources: Visit Custer, Custer Chamber of Commerce, Black Hills & Badlands Tourism, Deadwood Chamber, Travel South Dakota. Events change; we update this page when we can, but the organizer always has the last word.
Stay close to the action.
Custer is within reach of Custer State Park, Hill City, Keystone and Rapid City, and a day trip from Deadwood.