Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026
Ultimate Derby's Gold Rush Nationals crashes to its finish at The Monument in Rapid City on Friday and Saturday nights, and Custer State Park holds its 61st annual bison auction Saturday morning. Both college football teams play their home finales Saturday, while Deadwood pours wine along Main Street.
Rapid City and Box Elder
Friday
- Gold Rush Nationals, Summit Arena, The Monument, Rapid City, 6 p.m. to about 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, doors at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $10. The indoor demolition derby, back for a fourth straight year with drivers from across North America chasing more than $250,000 in prize money, runs its semifinals Friday and crowns its champions Saturday.
- Turtle Soup: Keith BraveHeart, Journey Museum and Learning Center, 222 New York St., Rapid City, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Oglala Lakota artist and educator talks about the Dream Catchers Artists Guild, founded in 1983 to champion Lakota art.
- Open Mic Night, Dahl Arts Center, 713 Seventh St., Rapid City, 6 to 8 p.m. Free. Sing, read a poem or tell a story. The guild's original members fill the "Woihanblapi" exhibit there through Jan. 16.
- "The Four Horsemen", Black Hills Community Theatre, Studio Theater, Performing Arts Center of Rapid City, 601 Columbus St., 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. L.D. Potter's world premiere comedy puts War, Famine, Pestilence and Death through the annoyances of the job. Ages 14 and up; Potter talks with the audience after Saturday's show.
Saturday
- South Dakota Mines football vs. CSU Pueblo, O'Harra Stadium, Rapid City, 2 p.m. The Hardrockers celebrate Senior Day against the No. 3 ThunderWolves. Kickoff moved up an hour from 3 p.m.
- Putting the Garden to Bed, Rapid City Public Library Downtown, 2 to 3 p.m. Pennington County Master Gardener Cathie Draine shows how to build soil health over winter.
- Chris "Crazy Legs" Fonseca, Hotel Alex Johnson, 523 Sixth St., Rapid City, 7 p.m., doors at 6 p.m. The veteran comic, a sellout here the past two years, returns with guest Ricky Ramos and host Maurae.
Sunday
- Holiday Salute concert and silent auction, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 717 Quincy St., Rapid City, 1 to 4 p.m. Free. Bella Vocé sings at 2 p.m., with music by Mary Weidenbach at 1:45 p.m., plus gift baskets and a bake sale with lefse. A free-will offering and donations of nonperishable food go to the Church Response food pantry.
- Picture Our Past, Journey Museum and Learning Center, 2 to 4 p.m. Bring up to three Rapid City photos at least 50 years old; the Historic Preservation Commission scans them for an online story map and hands them right back.
- Steven Farmer, Dahl Arts Center, 7 to 8:30 p.m. The Austin comic brings his accents, characters and small-town Arkansas stories.
Spearfish, Deadwood, Lead and Sturgis
Friday
- Cadillac Jack's Tattoo Expo, Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort, 360 Main St., Deadwood, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. The fourth annual expo brings live tattooing, contests and vendors. The Deadwood Chamber lists tickets at $15.
- Play Some Petty, Matthews Opera House, 614 N. Main St., Spearfish, 7 p.m., doors at 6:30 p.m. $25 to $40. The Biscuit Lifters return with the Tom Petty night that sold out the 283-seat theater last year.
- "Endgame", Woodburn Theatre, Black Hills State University, Spearfish, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. BHSU Theatre stages Samuel Beckett's absurdist tragicomedy about four people waiting out an unspecified end.
Saturday
- Northern Hills Veterans Fair, Sturgis Community Center, 1401 Lazelle St., Sturgis. Registration at 9:30 a.m., opening ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Free. Veterans and families get a free lunch and meet service organizations at the seventh annual fair.
- Craft Fair and Bake Sale, Spearfish Senior Citizen Center, 1306 N. 10th St., Spearfish, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local crafters and home baking.
- Native American Drum Making Class, High Plains Western Heritage Center, 825 Heritage Drive, Spearfish, 10 a.m. to noon. $160 with materials. Debra Blair guides students through making a 13-inch black walnut hand drum. Reserve at 612-554-1144.
- Black Hills State football vs. Chadron State, Lyle Hare Stadium, Spearfish, 1 p.m. The Yellow Jackets close their home schedule in the Battle for the Buckle.
- Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Stroll, Main Street, Deadwood, 1 to 6 p.m. Check in from noon to 3 p.m. at the Deadwood Welcome Center, 501 Main St., for a commemorative glass and tastings at participating saloons, hotels and shops. Ages 21 and up with photo ID. Proceeds go to Deadwood's Main Street Initiative.
- Soup-er Saturday, Crow Peak Brewing Co., 125 W. Highway 14, Spearfish, 3 p.m. Free to enter and free to taste. Bring your best chili or family soup for people's choice voting, with live music all afternoon.
Sunday
- Honoring Our Veterans Concert, High Plains Western Heritage Center, Spearfish, 1:30 p.m. Orion and Stacey Potter play the 10th annual show. Donations at the door support the Spearfish Veterans Monument.
Custer, Hill City and Keystone
Friday
- Hill City Girlfriends' Weekend, Main Street, Hill City, through Sunday. The Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce kicks off with a free fashion show Friday at High Country Guest Ranch, then fills Saturday with shop specials, workshops, live music and dancing. A boozy brunch at Chute Roosters wraps it up Sunday; tickets required.
Saturday
- Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction, Custer State Park Visitor Center, 10 a.m. The park bills its 61st annual sale as the longest-running bison auction in the world. Buyers bid live and online, and spectators are welcome.
Coming up
The 2026 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stops in Custer on its way to Washington from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, with a chance to see the tree up close. In Spearfish, the Zonta Club's Festival of Trees fills the Tretheway Pavilion with decorated trees and wreaths Nov. 18 to 21.
