Well it’s here! The Sturgis Rally and Races is now in full swing and the roar of motorcycles is a constant for 10 straight days. This really is one of my favorite times of the year because anything goes and it’s all ok because, hey, it’s the rally!

The City of Deadwood allows bikes to park on historic Main Street from 10am to 2am each day and one of the coolest sights you’ll ever see is thousands of motorcycles lined up along the same street where Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane once walked. Check out our webcam for a view of Main Street.

I’ll make my pilgramige to Sturgis later this week, just to walk the streets and people watch. Not that you can’t see everything you need right here in Deadwood, but you have to say you made the trip every year….plus it’s only 12 miles down the road.

You will see some unusual things. There are many beautiful people walking around and many who should probably look in a mirror prior to leaving the house. But it’s the unusual that makes the rally special. People don’t care what they look like and many times it’s the people who don’t care that make it the most fun. I truly didn’t know a man could wear a large walnut as the front of a thong….but apparently it’s true.

We will have a week’s rest after the rally and then it’s Kool Deadwood Nites. Another one of my favorite events. We’ll have over 600 classic cars for one of the largest car shows in the state along with two nights of free concerts right on Main Street. This year’s bands include The Association, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland and the Secret Agent Man himself, Johnny Rivers.

What makes this event so much fun is that it may be a “classic car” show but it really is for everyone. Who doesn’t love looking at beautiful classic cars while listening to some of the best music ever made. 10,000 people will line Main Street to sing along to hits like “Along Comes Mary”, “Cherish”, “Secret Agent Man”, “Sea Cruise” and so many more.
Check out our event page for an application to the car show or for more information.

Until next time, we hope to see you in Historic Deadwood.

Hello again from historic Deadwood.

Well summer is officially here and another event is in the books. Wild Bill Hickok Days weekend was as exciting and tumultuous as the man we were celebrating. Although we had great music from Sister Hazel, Cowboy Crush and Trick Pony, (Seriously, three amazing live acts) the weather didn’t want to cooperate at all.

Friday the 15th was the nicest of all three nights and Sister Hazel didn’t disappoint. What a great band and a nice bunch of guys. Saturday came in like a lamb and went out like a tornado. Literally a tornado touched down 7 miles from Deadwood which to say the least put a damper on the festivities. We had torrential rain, hail and high winds and unfortunately had to cancel our Saturday headliner Kory & the Fireflies.

Sunday was a bit of the same but not as severe. The weather was chilly and rain forced us to cancel all three warm up acts. I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with the fans that stuck it out to hear Cowboy Crush and Trick Pony. If any of you are reading this, thanks for hanging in there. Personally, I was hiding out nearby in a warm dry place.
We were also able to strike up a friendship with the girls from Cowboy Crush. We were able to escort them through the hills so they could enjoy Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore and the rest of the Black Hills. They had a great time and we sent along a video crew to document their trip. Check out some clips below. Thanks girls for a great show and we hope to have you back soon.

The funny thing about living in the Black Hills is that summer is short so we stuff of lot of things into a short period of time. We’re gearing up for our 4th of July celebration with a parade through Deadwood and our twin city Lead as well as one of the largest fireworks displays in the state on the 4th. The fireworks are shot over the Open Cut in Lead which is one of the most spectacular places to watch a fireworks show anywhere.

The 85th annual Days of ‘76 celebration are July 24th through the 29th this year. Ask any local and they’ll tell you this is one of their favorite events because most of us grew up with this event and all have stories about either being in the parade or watching the rodeo with their family. There are five days of PRCA rodeo action, two days of 3-mile long historical parades and just a general feeling of history throughout the week. When I was a kid I participated in the parade (as did most kids back then) as a sign carrier. It varied each year what sign I carried but I didn’t care. I received a silver dollar and ticket to the rodeo as well as exceptional experience in dexterity. It’s amazing how light on your feet you have to be dodging horse and cow poo for miles while waiving happily to the crowd. I think many rodeo queens can thank the Days of ’76 for where they are today, because without that experience they would never be able to keep those boots clean.

Well that’s all for now, I hope to see all of your smiling faces in Deadwood this summer. Until next time…..keep your boots clean.
George

Cowboy Crush Tours the Black Hills

Wild Bill Days 2007

Let the blogging begin!

Hey everyone. I’d like to introduce myself. My name is George Milos; I am the Director of the Deadwood Chamber & Visitors Bureau…the organization that hosts this web site. Before I get started on my blog I want to thank Dustin Floyd and the hard work he’s done with Dustin’s Deadwood Diary. He is a great guy, an excellent story teller and I thank him for letting us into his world every month.

Since I work at the chamber we figured it might be a good idea to have a blog from “inside” the organization to talk about all the things that are happening in and around Deadwood. I was born in Deadwood and graduated from Lead High School and like many young, wide-eyed people moved away in my 20’s but found my way back in just a few short years. If you ask anyone from the area, once you’ve lived in the Black Hills it’s impossible to not long for the mountains that surround you.

I started working for the Deadwood Chamber in 1998 answering phones but soon moved into the marketing department. I became the Event Coordinator in 2000 and held that position until 2004 when I became Director. Ok. Enough about me, let’s talk about some of the fun things happening in Deadwood in June.

The Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon takes place June 2 & 3 and has become the largest event of its kind in South Dakota. Over 1,700 athletes will be running the gorgeous Mickelson Trail this year. It really is a great event with all kinds of people participating….and when I say all kinds I mean that. I remember three years ago watching a man about ½ mile from the finish line running while smoking a cigarette. Although there are many world class athletes, we still have room for the little known “smoker athlete. Only in Deadwood.

One of my favorite events of the year is Wild Bill Days over Father’s Day weekend. This event started out as Charlie Utter Days in celebration of the man that brought many of the prostitutes and cats to town back in 1876. How do you not celebrate someone who loves hookers and cats? Anyway, we changed the name to Wild Bill Days a few years ago (prior to the HBO series) because enough people didn’t know who the heck Charlie Utter was.

As event coordinator, my first Wild Bill Days was quite an experience. We had a man riding a buffalo up Main Street with no protection whatsoever, I got in a shouting match with a re-enactor and the headline musician (who I won’t name) demanded 80, 1,000 watt lights for a 2pm show. She walked out on stage and about 30 seconds into the first song stopped and asked if those hot lights could be turned off. Being employed at the chamber for 10 years and working on so many events, these are just a few of the many stories I have to tell…..and I will, in upcoming blogs. If you want more information on this year’s Wild Bill Days just click here………………………..to go directly to our WB Days page.

Hope you enjoyed my first blog, I had fun writing it and I hope you all make it to Deadwood soon.

George

Is there any better time than Spring in the Black Hills?

Everything is green, the air is fresh and the view is beautiful.

Makes a guy want to spend the day hiking or biking on the Mickelson Trail.