Schedule of Events

The Channel Seed Brand welcomes you to the opening day of the fair! We're thrilled to have you join us for a day filled with carnival rides, livestock shows, exhibits, delicious food, fantastic entertainment, and so much more. As you enjoy the festivities, we also want to highlight our enhanced Channel Seed Brand. Our commitment to our customers to bring Leading-Edge Solutions that are Connected to You and your communities through a Next-Level Experience is what sets Channel apart from other seed brands. With a dedicated, local Channel SeedPro by your side assessing your conditions, diagnosing your challenges, then recommending the best solutions specific to your needs, Channel delivers on our commitment to help farmers maximize their profitability throughout the season. Discover how the new and enhanced Channel Seed brand is rising to the challenges in your fields by visiting Channel.com. Enjoy Opening Day!

Join us today at the Day Sponsor Tent for Value Added Ag Day! We're celebrating 25 years of partnership with the South Dakota State Fair.

Mingle with value added agriculture producers and processors, and network with representatives from agencies supporting our state's agricultural industry. Take in informative mini-seminars, exciting local food demonstrations, and don't miss our annual ice cream social – a highlight of VAADC's 25^th anniversary celebration hosted by Your SD Dairy Farmers.

For 25 years, VAADC has empowered South Dakota's agricultural ventures and entrepreneurs by providing services that help them through all phases of creating and growing successful value added businesses. Our partner, SD Specialty Producers Association, offers producers of specialty foods and products education, promotion, valuable connections and technical assistance related to soil health and organic production.

We look forward to seeing you at the Day Sponsor Tent!

Olympic Motors Day is Friday, August 30.  Before heading to the fair, stop by Olympic Motors on E Hwy 14 to pick up a $2 off daily gate admission coupon for the day!

At the fair, stop by Olympic Motors Building (formerly Prostrollo Motors Building) to see the newest vehicles from Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC including a great selection of 2023 and 2024 Chevy and GMC pickups with model year-end discounts.  And we always try to throw in something different for you to view each year if you like older and interesting vehicles.  In addition, there will be special door prize drawings from Olympic Motors during the Fair as well as free ice water on Friday, Olympic Motors Day. 

Also, sign up for a chance to win the “Best Seats in the House” at the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday shows in the Grandstand. Don’t miss it!

Join us for Farmers Union Day at the South Dakota State Fair Saturday, August 31. South Dakota Farmers Union (SDFU) will host events throughout the day celebrating the family farmers, ranchers and rural communities from across the great state of South Dakota that they so proudly represent.

Highlighting the day of activities will be the annual Farmer’s Share Luncheon (limited number of meals available) located in the tent near the Freedom stage from 11:30am to 12:30pm.  In comparison to the retail price of the meal, $15.00, attendees will pay just $0.34 for a meal that showcases the farmer’s share on retail food dollars.

Events at the Freedom Stage kick off at 1pm to 2 pm. Listen to candidates running for the Public Utilities Commission.

At 2pm is the Farm Safety FFA Quiz Bowl Championship.  Four FFA Quiz Bowl teams will compete for the championship title. The Farm Safety Quiz bowl is designed as a fun way to teach high school students about safety on the farm or ranch.

Farmers Union will also be displaying their interactive Farm Safety Trailer on Third Street in front of the Dakotaland Museum. The trailer will give visitors the opportunity to learn farm safety with power take offs, grain bins, down power lines and will host ATV simulator demonstrations 3 times a day at 11am, 2pm and 4pm.

We are excited for you to join in the fun of Farmers Union Day at the 2024 South Dakota State Fair!

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety is sponsoring DPS Day at the State Fair on Sunday, Sept. 1.

Staff members from DPS agencies will be at the Day Tent from 9 am - 4 pm Sunday. There will be giveaways including the traditional DPS hats and visors, free bottles of water, a chance to renew your driver license (remember to bring two documents proving your address), Tommy the Turtle, and the ever popular Highway Patrol dog demonstrations at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The DPS hats and visors, always a big hit with fair goers, are sponsored this year by the DPS Office of Highway Safety and the Motorcycle Safety Program.

Stop by and see the staff of the Department of Public Safety. Also check out the DPS website at https://dps.sd.gov/ to learn more about how department staff each day works to keep South Dakota a safe place in which to live, work, visit and raise a family!

Join us for the Peaceful Pines Senior Living Grand Family Adventure Day at the South Dakota State Fair on Monday, September 2. Bring the family and make memories as we close out the fair!

Check out the South Dakota State Fair & Peaceful Pines Senior Living on social media to find out how you could be the lucky winner of our Grand Family Giveaway! One generational family (Grandparents, Parents, and Grandkids) will win gate admission to the fair on Monday, September 2, four daily carnival ride passes, and tickets to Red: A Taylor Swift tribute! One lucky winner will be drawn on Tuesday, August 27!

Come visit our team at the Day Sponsor Tent from 9-4 and learn about all that Peaceful Pines has to offer! Whether you are just starting your senior living journey or have been thinking about it for a while, we know that these are big steps for you and your family. We make it easy by providing exceptional and compassionate care close to home with our network of communities across South Dakota! We hope to see you at the fair!

Other special offers include:

* Fairgoers can help to ‘stock the shelves’! Bring a non-perishable food item for the ‘Stock the Shelves’ food drive between the hours of 7 am and 11 am and receive $2 off gate admission. (one food item per admission)

* We’ll also Pay it Forward! Businesses have generously banded together to sponsor gate admission passes for those in need and to randomly hand out at the gate admission entrances! You could be the lucky recipient of a ‘Pay it Forward’ pass as you enter the gates on Monday!
       Thank you to these generous sponsors
           - Decker's Pest Control
           - Huron Eye Clinic
           - TLC Olson Construction
           - Gary Zell's Auto Glass
           - Dramstad Refrigeration & Electric
           - Rodney and Beckie Freeman
           - Snow Huether & Coyle
           - GCC Ready Mix
           - Horizontal Machining & MFG Inc.

* Enjoy the fair for FREE after 3 pm!