Enjoy your stay with us while visiting Rapid City and the Black Hills!
With the snow falling in the Black Hills this weekend, we are reminded that the holiday season is just around the corner. Shops decorating for Christmas, families preparing for Thanksgiving travel, businesses making plans for their Festival of Lights parade, and the start of ice skating at Main Street Square. These are just a few of the ways we see the holiday’s start to work their magic in the Rapid City area.
If you plan to make the Black Hills your destination for Thanksgiving this year, here are a few heartwarming and festive activities you can look forward to:
Ice Skating Main Street Square
Opening day for the skating rink is slated for November 17th. On Saturday, November 24th, you can welcome in the Christmas season with the Main Street Square Holiday Celebration & Winter Market. There will be a tree lighting ceremony, local musical performances and of course, the arrival of Santa Clause!
Elf the Musical
Prepare to laugh and have a fun-filled night with Elf the Broadway Musical at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center on November 20th & 21st. Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, ELF the Musical features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). The production will feature direction by Sam Scalamoni and choreography by Connor Gallagher.
Festival of Lights
On November 24th at 6pm, you and your family can take in the excitement of Christmas lights on glowing floats as they make their way down Main Street. The festival of lights also features horse-drawn carriages, animated scenes on flatbed trucks, sparkling vehicles, animals adorned in holiday decor, marching bands, and even a full-size passenger locomotive with over 100,000 lights!
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Holiday Express ~ 1880 Train
On November 23rd & 24th, you can experience the magic and fun aboard the Holiday Express on the 1880 train. Children will get to meet with Santa Clause, have hot cocoa and see the North Pole during the hour-long ride through the Black Hills.
Circue Musica Holiday
On November 25th, at the Deadwood Mountain Grand, you can experience a truly magical event. Audiences will journey into a world of “Wonderland” with amazing acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks and holiday cheer. The show blends the spellbinding grace and daredevil athleticism of today’s greatest circus performers with the sensory majesty of the greatest holiday music of all time.
Skiing at Terry Peak
Do you look forward to skiing every year for the holidays? Skiing at Terry Peak can be a great way to get your powder fix while hitting the slopes just outside of Keystone. Although the drive can be difficult after a big storm, the road to Terry Peak is generally accessible throughout the year.
Whether you take in a Broadway play, enjoy a train ride or simply sit back and relax with your family during the holidays, we hope you have a great time while visiting Rapid City and the Black Hills during Thanksgiving.
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