Fall Festival set for Saturday

The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce will present Custer’s Fall Festival this Saturday, Sept. 25, with a day’s worth of activities and events for all ages.
Way Park will be the focal point for much of the events, beginning at 8 a.m. and running through 3 p.m. Among the events are an arts and crafts festival,  Custer Farmer’s Market and a variety of kids’ activities, including pumpkin painting.
A scarecrow scavenger hunt will take place, with 25 scarecrows displayed  at businesses throughout the city. Each scarecrow will have a word with it, and those who find all the scarecrows and their words are entered into a drawing for one of several prizes.
To be eligible for the prizes, write all the words on a card available at the chamber office or the chamber booth at Way Park. Drop the card off at the chamber by 5 p.m. that day.
Local businesses will offer fall-themed drink specials during the day, including Calamity Jane’s Coffee Shop & Grill, Miner’s Cup, Good Karma Jewelry, The Custer Beacon, Denial South Dakota, Custer VFW, Gold Pan Saloon and Mt. Rushmore Brewing Co.
Buffalo Ridge Resort will host events as well, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be open swimming at the resort’s pool during those hours, along with a pumpkin patch and bouncy house for children and a refreshment station. The public is invited, and the events will take place in the pool/general store area of the resort.
Sunday is the day of the annual Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation and Black Hills Volksmarch Association  Fall Volksmarch.
Admission for hikers will be discounted. The American Volkssport Association’s hike fee is $3 for each participant regardless of age.
There is no advance registration. Hikers must check in at the starting point at the memorial’s upper parking area. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. Hikers must register before 1 p.m. and be off the trail by 4 p.m. Hikers may start between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Hikers follow dirt trails and gravel work roads up to the Crazy Horse mountain carving. The turn-around point is on the arm of Crazy Horse directly in front of the nine-story-high face, giving hikers an up-close view of the mountain.
The route is 6.2 miles round trip on hilly, rough terrain with some steep inclines. The rugged woodlands path is not suitable for infant strollers. From the valley at the memorial’s visitor center, the trail rises about 500 feet up to the mountain. No pets are allowed on the hike.

User login