AGP Executive Report

Halloween Around the State: Brookings has trick-or-treating today at downtown businesses and McCrory Gardens, with a family festival at the South Dakota Art Museum and Agricultural Heritage Museum on Oct. 31. On Stage and Screen: World Ballet Company brings “Swan Lake,” with live orchestra, to Rapid City’s Monument tonight. Sioux Falls’ State Theatre screens six horror classics starting Oct. 29, while Rapid City’s Seraphim Theatre stages “Sweeney Todd” for a two-week run. Youth Arts: Ground Control, Pine Ridge’s free indoor skate park and multimedia arts studio, is racing to repair damage after a truck crashed into its building; winter weather makes securing the space urgent. South Dakota Music: The state Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame inducted musicians, DJs and venues in Sioux Falls, with proceeds supporting school music programs. More Live Entertainment: The Washington Pavilion welcomes the Broadway hit “Jersey Boys,” featuring songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Live Performance: World Ballet Company brings Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” to The Monument in Rapid City tonight, Oct. 27, with a live orchestra, elaborate costumes and tickets starting at $62. Halloween Screenings: Sioux Falls’ State Theatre screens six horror classics Oct. 29–31, including “The Exorcist” and “Trick or Treat.” South Dakota Music: Musicians, DJs and venues were inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Rollers Hall of Fame in Sioux Falls; proceeds support school music programs statewide. Theater: Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment’s “Sweeney Todd” brings a grisly musical tale to a Rapid City stage for a two-week run. Arts and Culture: Lakota educator and musician J.J. Kent shared cultural traditions, storytelling and flute music at Spearfish’s High Plains Western Heritage Center.

Halloween Stages: Sioux Falls’ Premiere Playhouse brings “Goosebumps: The Musical” to the Orpheum Oct. 30–Nov. 8, with shows on Halloween weekend and Nov. 6–8. Rapid City’s Seraphim Theatre is staging “Sweeney Todd” for a two-week run. Live Music & Nightlife: Spearfish’s Back Porch hosted its Undead Sled Show Saturday, pairing a motorcycle showcase with Halloween festivities, a costume contest and DJ set. Lakota Heritage: Educator and musician J.J. Kent shared Lakota history, tipi traditions and flute music at Spearfish’s High Plains Western Heritage Center on Sunday. Local Music: The South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame inducted musicians, DJs and venues in Sioux Falls; proceeds support school music programs statewide. Community Arts: Brookings’ Arts at The Oscar returns Nov. 20 with local visual and performing artists. Haunted Trail: Platte’s family-run Lake Platte Haunted Trail has grown into an annual attraction, raising about $10,000 a year for community projects. Holiday Concert: Tickets are on sale for the 30th Christmas at the Cathedral, Dec. 10–13.

Lakota Culture: Educator and musician J.J. Kent shared Lakota history and traditions at Spearfish’s High Plains Western Heritage Center, with storytelling, a tipi demonstration and flute music. Halloween Nightlife: Spearfish’s Back Porch brought local bike culture and Halloween together Saturday with the Undead Sled Show, live DJ and costume contest. South Dakota Music: The state Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame inducted musicians, DJs and Sioux Falls venue Phil’s Pub; proceeds support school music programs. Onstage: Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment’s “Sweeney Todd” turns a Rapid City theater into Victorian London for a two-week run. In Sioux Falls, Premiere Playhouse’s “Goosebumps: The Musical” plays Oct. 30–Nov. 8 at the Orpheum. Holiday Concert: Tickets are on sale for the 30th annual Christmas at the Cathedral, Dec. 10–13 in Sioux Falls, featuring Sarah Bailey, Dave Purdham and a choir.

South Dakota Music: Dozens of musicians, DJs and venues joined the South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame in Sioux Falls on Saturday. Performers included Judd Hoos, Randy McAllister and Easy Street; proceeds support school music programs statewide. Theater: Seraphim Theatrical Entertainment’s “Sweeney Todd” is bringing its bloody Victorian tale to Rapid City for a two-week run. In Sioux Falls, Premiere Playhouse’s “Goosebumps: The Musical” opens Oct. 30 at the Orpheum for a Halloween-season run through Nov. 8. Arts Spotlight: National Endowment for the Arts Chair Mary Anne Carter toured Rapid City arts programs to see how grant funding supports local communities. Coming Up: Brookings’ Arts at The Oscar returns Nov. 20 with performances spanning visual, vocal and instrumental arts. “Christmas at the Cathedral” brings Sarah Bailey, Dave Purdham and a choir to Sioux Falls Dec. 10–13. Local Artist: Retired USD art professor John Banasiak’s new book, “George Brown’s Bar,” pairs 45 black-and-white photographs with his memories of a Chicago neighborhood gathering place.

Arts Funding: National Endowment for the Arts Chair Mary Anne Carter toured Rapid City arts programs, saying she wanted to see how grant funding serves rural communities. Onstage: Sioux Falls’ Premiere Playhouse brings Goosebumps: The Musical to the Orpheum on select dates Oct. 30-Nov. 8. Holiday Music: Tickets are on sale for the 30th annual Christmas at the Cathedral, Dec. 10-13, featuring Nashville artist Sarah Bailey and a choir-led program. Community Arts: Brookings’ Arts at The Oscar returns Nov. 20 with local visual, vocal, instrumental and performance artists. Unusual Venue: Webster students performed Beatles and Emily Crocker songs inside an empty 1.3-million-bushel grain bin before harvest. Music Education: Mitchell teacher Hannah Wehlander received the state music educators’ Outstanding Young Music Educator Award for her work engaging elementary students.

Arts Across the Black Hills: National Endowment for the Arts Chair Mary Anne Carter visited Rapid City to meet local arts leaders and see how grant funding supports South Dakota programs and communities. Local Artist: Retired USD art professor John Banasiak has published George Brown’s Bar, pairing 45 black-and-white photographs from his early work with memories of a Chicago neighborhood bar. Music Education: Mitchell teacher Hannah Wehlander received the South Dakota Music Education Association’s 2026 Outstanding Young Music Educator Award for her engaging work with students. Onstage: Premiere Playhouse brings Goosebumps: The Musical to Sioux Falls’ Orpheum Theater Oct. 30-Nov. 8, with tickets from $15. Holiday Concert: Tickets are on sale for the 30th annual Christmas at the Cathedral, Dec. 10-13 in Sioux Falls, featuring Nashville singer Sarah Bailey and proceeds benefiting Bishop Dudley Hospitality House. Coming Up: Brookings’ Arts at The Oscar returns Nov. 20 with local visual and performing artists, including the Oak Lake String Band and Monarch Aerial Arts.

Music in Unexpected Places: Webster High School choir students turned Agwrx Cooperative’s empty 1.3-million-bushel grain bin into a concert venue, performing three songs before harvest filled it. Music Education: Mitchell’s Hannah Wehlander received South Dakota’s 2026 Outstanding Young Music Educator Award for her work engaging students at Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary. Halloween Arts: Sioux Falls’ Premiere Playhouse brings Goosebumps: The Musical to the Orpheum Oct. 30–Nov. 8, while Jacobson Plaza hosts skeleton displays, skating and family activities through Nov. 1. Vermillion’s downtown trick-or-treat is set for Oct. 30. Brookings Arts: Arts at The Oscar returns to SDSU’s performing arts center Nov. 20, featuring local visual and performing artists, music and aerial arts. Coming Up: Rapid City’s Festival of Lights Parade returns Nov. 28 with holiday music, decorated floats and community groups.

Arts at The Oscar: SDSU’s signature community arts event returns to Brookings on Nov. 20, bringing local groups together for performances spanning visual art, music and more. Halloween Happenings: Sioux Falls’ Sioux Spooktacular opens Friday at Jacobson Plaza, with a skeleton display through Nov. 1 and a Saturday trick-or-treat trail. Vermillion’s free downtown trick-or-treat is set for Oct. 30. Brookings Music: Hundreds gathered downtown Oct. 21 for Rally at the Rails, featuring the Mitch Gordon Band and SDSU’s Bum Band ahead of Hobo Day. Local Arts Calls: Rapid City’s Dahl Arts Center is seeking emerging artists for its exhibition program, while the Screen Bug Film Festival is inviting local horror and sci-fi shorts. Coming Up: Rapid City’s Festival of Lights Parade is scheduled for Nov. 28, and Deadwood’s Wild West Songwriters Festival is bringing three days of live music to town.

Halloween Fun: Sioux Falls’ Sioux Spooktacular runs Friday through Sunday, with a decorated skeleton display, a Friday skate party, Saturday’s trick-or-treat trail and a Sunday pumpkin trot. Local Film: Screen Bug Film Festival is seeking local horror, sci-fi, thriller and horror-comedy shorts. Arts Opportunities: Rapid City’s Dahl Arts Center is inviting emerging visual artists to apply for solo or group exhibitions, while an NEA chair’s recent visit highlighted how grants support local arts programs. Onstage & In Concert: South Dakota Symphony Orchestra plans an “America the Beautiful” concert, and the Dakota Theatre has unveiled its 2027 season. Live Music: Deadwood’s Wild West Songwriters Festival brings three days of performances to town.

Halloween Weekend: Sioux Falls’ Sioux Spooktacular runs Oct. 23–25 at Jacobson Plaza, Lloyd Landing and Falls Park, with decorated skeletons, a skate party, trick-or-treat trail and pumpkin trot. In Sturgis, Halloween tales and a haunted house Oct. 29–30 will raise money for theater renovations. Film: Sioux Falls’ Screen Bug Film Festival is seeking local horror, sci-fi, thriller and horror-comedy shorts. Arts Opportunities: Rapid City’s Dahl Arts Center is inviting emerging visual artists to apply for solo or group exhibitions. Arts Funding: National Endowment for the Arts Chair Mary Anne Carter visited Rapid City to meet local arts groups; the NEA has distributed more than $13.5 million to South Dakota organizations over five years. Live Music: The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra performs its “America the Beautiful” concert Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Gallery Talk: Photographers Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb discussed their individual and collaborative work at Baldwin Photo Gallery in Brookings.

Halloween Weekend: Sioux Falls’ Sioux Spooktacular brings decorated skeletons, a skate party, trick-or-treating and a pumpkin trot to Jacobson Plaza, Lloyd Landing and Falls Park Oct. 23–25. In Sturgis, Halloween storytelling and a free haunted house Oct. 29–30 will raise funds for a theater renovation. Arts Opportunities: Rapid City’s Dahl Arts Center is seeking emerging visual artists for solo or group exhibitions, with applications available on its website. Arts Funding: National Endowment for the Arts chair Mary Anne Carter visited Rapid City to meet local arts groups and grant recipients; the agency has directed more than $13.5 million to South Dakota organizations over five years. On Stage: The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra performs its “America the Beautiful” concert Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Photography: Photographers Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb discussed their individual and collaborative work at a Baldwin Photo Gallery event.

Historic Nightlife: Deadwood’s Buffalo Bodega, dating to 1877, remains South Dakota’s oldest bar and has ties to Buffalo Bill Cody. New Places to Play: Sioux Falls is set to get a large indoor playground next year, while downtown’s Smoe’s Bar has reopened under new ownership. Arts Funding: The National Endowment for the Arts chair visited Rapid City groups to see how grants support local artists and programs. Orchestral Music: The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra performs its “America the Beautiful” concert Oct. 24. Public Art: Fort Pierre approved the name Tatanka Historic Sculpture Trail for a project sharing local history through sculptures. Art and Music: Brookings’ South Dakota Art Museum Yule Market opens Oct. 24 with work by regional artists; SDSU’s Rally at the Rails brings live music downtown Oct. 21. Student Performers: Mitchell High’s marching band finished seventh at an Omaha competition, while Brookings Superintendent Summer Schultz was honored for supporting music education. Onstage: Rapid City singer Payton Sullivan is set to open for Sugarland at the Monument. Zoo Update: The Butterfly House and Aquarium will close at year’s end as the zoo prepares to open a new Butterfly Garden in early 2027.

Arts Funding: National Endowment for the Arts chair Mary Anne Carter visited Rapid City to meet local artists and grant recipients. The NEA says South Dakota organizations received more than $13.5 million in federal support over the past five years. Onstage: The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra performs its “America the Beautiful” concert Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Country artist Payton Sullivan is also set to open for Sugarland at Rapid City’s Monument. Local Art: Fort Pierre approved the name Tatanka Historic Sculpture Trail for its public-art project, which shares local history through sculptures. More works are planned. Holiday Market: The South Dakota Art Museum’s Yule Market opens Oct. 24 in Brookings, featuring gifts by local and regional artists through Jan. 9.

Brookings Celebrations: Rally at the Rails brings live country music, food trucks and Hobo Day spirit downtown Oct. 21, with the Mitch Gordon Band headlining. The South Dakota Art Museum’s Yule Market opens Oct. 24, showcasing handmade gifts by local and regional artists through Jan. 9. Music Education: Brookings Superintendent Summer Schultz has been named Youth in Music’s Outstanding Administrator and will receive the South Dakota Music Association’s Distinguished Administrator Award later this month. Stage and Song: Deadwood’s Wild West Songwriters Festival brought three days of live music, while the Dakota Theatre unveiled its 2027 season. South Dakota Artists: Black Hills-raised Broadway lyricist Bill Russell’s memoir, Still Bill, is set for release Oct. 27. Sturgis-formed band Judd Hoos was named a 2026 South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame inductee, and ticket sales are up at the state’s two professional symphony orchestras.

Capitol Comeback: A six-month restoration has brightened the South Dakota Capitol rotunda with refreshed paint, revived details and new lighting. Art & Shopping: The South Dakota Art Museum’s Yule Market returns Oct. 24 in Brookings, featuring gifts from local and regional makers through Jan. 9. Sioux Falls’ Novel Lattés is also hosting a “Largest Clean Book Festival.” Stage & Music: Deadwood’s Wild West Songwriters Festival brings three days of live music, while Dakota Theatre has unveiled its 2027 season. South Dakota to Broadway: Lyricist and playwright Bill Russell traces his journey from the Black Hills to Broadway in his memoir, due Oct. 27. Family Fun: Storybook Island is offering a Halloween event with ghouls and treats, but without the frights.