South Dakota Web Roundup

Oct 5, 2012

By Laura Johnson

 

The dropping temperatures and crunchy leaves signal that it's fall festival time in South Dakota. 

Pumpkins are an October must-have decoration, and picking them is a big part of the fun. At Prairie Village in Madison, kids travel to the pumpkin patch in style — via train. Monster squash vie for top honors at Saturday's Great Pumpkin Weigh-In and Harvest Festival at the Country Apple Orchard in Harrisburg. Pumpkins receive rougher treatment at Newton Hills’ FestiFALL and Candlelight Walk. (Hint: catapults are involved.)

Scarecrows are another fall staple. Huron’s Great Scarecrow Festival features a park full of bird-frighteners, including some moving models.

How's your sense of direction? Test it out at a local corn maze. Heartland Country's is open through October 31. (There's a cheat sheet for it here.

For some, October means adult beverages, polka music and German food. If that's more your style, check out Deadwood’s Oktoberfest and Bierborse in Rapid City.