PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota State Fair will open earlier this year so that livestock judging can be spread out over an extra day, according to the fair’s manager.
Peggy Besch told the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee recently that the new plan calls for the annual event in Huron to start on the Wednesday before Labor Day.
The fair, which runs through Labor Day, has opened on the preceding Thursday for decades.
Open-class and 4-H livestock exhibitors support making the change, according to Besch. A public hearing was held March 11.
The South Dakota State Fair is attached to the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) for management and funding purposes. DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts accompanied Besch to the rules meeting on Monday.
The open-class sheep show and open-class beef show were held ahead of the fair last year after the losses of their facilities. A new arena, called the Dakota Events Complex or DEX, will open this year to replace the beef barn that was destroyed by a 2020 fire. A concert is planned there June 13. A fund-raising drive is under way for a new sheep facility.
Besch said prices of admission passbooks are being adjusted to reflect the fair’s additional day. A passbook for people age 16 and older will rise to $50 from $40. For children age 6 through 15, the price will go to $25 from the current $20.
Fair-week parking will be $35 rather than $30. Camping packages and family passbook packages also will go up. Full details can be found here.
The lawmakers allowed the changes to go through.
