Follow this website for entry form..http://tinyurl.com/82fzgpx

As part of the largest winter celebration in the region, Deadwood’s Mardi Gras Parade of Lights on Saturday, Feb. 11, draws thousands of visitors to the historic city’s Main Street to view the spectacle. Registration is FREE and open to ANYONE or anything, riding, biking, walking, etc. — as long as it is lit up.
The parade begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. There is also the growing People’s Parade on Friday, Feb. 10. Again, there’s no charge to this parade, and open to anyone or anything, lit or unlit. Both parades begin at 7 p.m.
REGISTRATION FORMS CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE ABOVE, or call the Chamber at 578-1876 to get on board. We appreciate the community’s support! Big or small, all floats make a difference and help make our community look its best … so sign up today!

South Dakota’s Largest Tailgate Party
Set for Deadwood Main Street

Event to feature state’s biggest big-screen TV; proceeds to benefit American Cancer Society

DEADWOOD, S.D. (1/19/12) – Deadwood’s Historic Main Street will host South Dakota’s Largest Tailgate Party on Sunday, Feb. 5. The first annual event will include a Best-Dressed Fan Contest, Football Toss Competition, a Chili Cook-Off, a 24-foot TV screen and an appearance by NFL great John Dutton.

“This is going to be a super time to grab a bowl of hot chili and see the state’s biggest big-screen TV,” said George Milos, director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce. “Deadwood is famous for its great annual parties like Mardi Gras, Kool Deadwood Nites and Deadweird. South Dakota’s Largest Tailgate Party will be a superb addition to our lineup.”

Events kick off on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 4, with a cocktail reception and banquet in the Olympic Ballroom at the Martin Mason Hotel, 33 Deadwood St. Special guest will include Deadwood Mayor Francis Toscana, Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker, Gov. Dennis Daugaard and John Dutton, the Rapid City native who played 14 seasons with the National Football Leagues’ Baltimore Colts and Dallas Cowboys. The reception begins at 6 p.m., and the banquet starts at 7 p.m. Banquet tickets are $25. All proceeds from the reception and banquet will benefit the American Cancer Society.

On Sunday at noon, Deadwood will officially unveil its 24-foot TV display, featuring all of the pre-game activities. Open containers will be allowed on Main Street (beer only, in official Deadwood cups), and the bratwurst stands will open. The Tailgate Truck Show, showcasing new trucks from White’s Canyon Motors in Spearfish, also begins.

Throughout the tailgate party, show your support for your favorite NFL team in wild and wacky ways. You could win a special prize in the Best-Dressed Fan Contest. Also, the Deadwood Cowboy Cheerleaders will be selling $5 chances to win a Bud Portable Grill, a Bud Light 40-quart cooler, a Bud Light NFL mini fridge and five cases of Bud Light beer in the Ultimate Tailgate Raffle.

Proceeds from South Dakota’s Largest Tailgate Party will also go to the American Cancer Society.

The schedule includes:

1 p.m. — Opening Kickoff Ceremony. Toscana, Kooiker, Dutton and the Deadwood Cowboy Cheerleaders will preside over the festivities.

1:15 p.m. – Chili Cook-Off. Buy a tasting bowl at any of the cook-off locations for $5, sample all the offerings and vote for your favorite.

1:30 – Football Toss Contest. Show your skill at hitting a moving target with a football. Three balls for $5. Prizes include two tickets to an upcoming Green Bay Packers game and a John Dutton autographed prize. Also, Dutton will autograph any memorabilia you bring to the event for a $10 donation to the American Cancer Society.

3:30 – Awards Ceremony. The winners of the Best-Dressed Fan Contest, the Chili Cook-Off, the Football Toss and Ultimate Tailgate Raffle will be announced.

Turn up the heat and join the first annual Chili Cook-off during the Largest Tailgate Party on Sunday, Feb. 5. The chili cook-off takes place from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Deadwood’s Main Street. Entry is free. Chili taste testers pay to vote, and all proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Entry forms and more info can be found at http://tinyurl.com/85dxmwk . Call 722-4975 for more information.

Winter sports lovers in Deadwood and the northern Black Hills got a nice gift from Mother Nature on Wednesday — 8 inches or more of new snow fell overnight, blanketing the region’s snowmobile trials, ski resorts and cross-country ski areas with a fresh coat of powder.

Wednesday’s snowfall comes at an opportune time, three days before the start of the long Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Deadwood, the entertainment capital of the region, is a popular destination for the winter sports enthusiasts, especially on holiday weekends.

Just outside Deadwood are two downhill ski resorts. Terry Peak Ski Area reported 6-8 inches of new snow. Nearby at Ski Mystic at Deer Mountain, about 8 inches of new snow fell overnight. The latest powder drop is a welcome addition, bringing the season’s snowfall total to 68 inches, nearly 6 feet, at Terry Peak.

The Black Hills’ 350 miles of snowmobile trails got a boost from the recent snowfall as well, receiving up to 7 inches of new powder overnight. The wind that came with the snow benefits the trail system, said Shannon Percy, Black Hills Trails Manager for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks. After the trails are groomed, snow drifts in to the low-lying trail track, putting more powder on top of the packed snow.

Before Wednesday’s snowstorm, snowmobile trails throughout the Black Hills were in good to poor condition, with multiple bare spots throughout the system. George Milos, executive director of the Deadwood Chamber of Commerce, expects snow enthusiasts to follow the snow to the Black Hills this weekend.

We are now taking nominations for Deadwood’s 2012 Mardi Gras King and Queen!! Who do you think deserves royal treatment on this enjoyable weekend, Feb. 10-12? Nominate someone you like or even yourself! Let us know by posting on Historic Deadwood’s Facebook page by next Tuesday as we will then narrow down the selections. Being the head of this festive weekend, the King and Queen of Mardi Gras get the VIP treatment in Deadwood including a hotel room, food and drink. Really you can’t beat that! Nominations are open to anyone over 21 so start nominating as we have already received multiple nominees and it’s only the second day! Cheers!

It’s the first annual, Largest Tailgate Party in South Dakota! The weekend’s festivities include a banquet on Saturday, Feb. 4, and many events taking place on Sunday, Feb. 5. Here’s a schedule of events. All event proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Saturday, Feb. 4:
6 p.m.: Welcome cocktail reception, Olympic Ballroom, Martin-Mason Hotel
7 p.m.: Welcome Banquet, Olympic Ballroom, Martin-Mason Hotel. Special guests include Deadwood Mayor Francis Toscana, Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard and special guest, former NFL star John Dutton. Banquet tickets are $25.

Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012
Ongoing: Best Dressed Fan Contest – Main Street
Show your wacky team spirit by dressing the part. Best dressed fan to receive a special prize. Free entry

Ongoing: Ultimate Tailgate Package Raffle – Main Street
Buy a chance for a Bud portable grill, a Bud LIght 40-qt cooler, a Bud Light mini-fridge and 5 cases of Bud Light NFL Aluminum bottles. The Deadwood Cowboy Cheerleaders will sell chances for $5.

Noon: 24-foot television display unveiled on Main Street.
Experience the biggest TV in South Dakota! Free

Noon: Open Container begins on Main Street
Please remember “beer only” in the official Deadwood cups on the street.

Noon: Bratwurst stands open – Locations TBA
What’s a tailgate party without a brat? Freshly grilled brats for $3.

1 p.m.: Opening, “kick-off” Ceremony, Main Street Stage
Help Deadwood Mayor Francis Toscana, Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker, S.D. Governor Dennis Daugaard and special guest John Dutton and the Deadwood Cowboy Cheerleaders kick off the event. Free.

1:15 p.m.: Chili Cook-off begins at locations TBD
Purchase a tasting bowl for $5 at any of the locations, and taste all of the chili offerings and vote for your favorite.

1:30 p.m.: Football Toss Contest, Buffalo Stockade
Show your skill in hitting the moving target with a football. 3 balls for $5; winner to receive John Dutton autographed prize!

1:30 p.m.: John Dutton Autograph Session, Location TBD
Bring your memorabilia, and former Rapid City, Nebraska and NFL star John Dutton will autograph it for $10.

3:30 p.m.: Awards Ceremony, Main Street Stage
Winners of the Best Dressed Fan, Chili Cook-off, Football Toss and Ultimate Tailgate Raffle are announced.

There’s new snow on the ground on this, the first day of winter, and it’s surely looking A LOT like Christmas! December has been a good month in the Black Hills, and hopefully you’ve seen the special on GAC – Christmas in the Black Hills. A great showcase of our little community!

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas – enjoy the holidays!

Lee

It’s a busy week in store! Holiday happenings continue in Deadwood, and this week … ELVIS hits the Deadwood Gulch Convention Center with a Christmas show along with all of his hits, on Wednesday, Nov. 30. www.easytik.com .

Thursday-Sunday, A Grand Christmas continues at Deadwood Mountain Grand. The Christmas show featuring song, dance and grand entertainment runs daily. www.deadwoodmountaingrand.com –

Festive Fridays at the Homestake Research Center, part of Adams umbrella. This is a program designed for kids, and a great evening in store – check out www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org

And free sleigh rides on Saturday, based at the History and Information Center – come on out and enjoy a ride! From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy!

Wanted: YOU to be part of Great American Country’s Deadwood Christmas special!

We need an audience! On Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m. The History and Information Center Parking Lot, join Big & Rich, Bradley Gaskin, Andy Gibson and others as they sing holiday tunes in front of a big Christmas tree! Great American Country (GAC) television are in town filming for a Christmas special that will air next month, and this singing in front of the Christmas tree will be part of the show … and WE NEED YOU to help fill up the History and Info Center parking lot! Simply be at the parking lot by 6 p.m. for the entertainment. The more the merrier, so stop on by and show your support!

Thank you, and we hope to see you tomorrow, Tuesday, November 22 at 6 p.m. at the History and Info Center parking lot!

Neil Diamond to Perform on Mount Rushmore’s American Pride Float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®

PIERRE, SD– Grammy winning artist Neil Diamond, recent inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 2011 Kennedy Center Honorre, with more than 125 million albums sold worldwide, will be performing on Mount Rushmore’s American Pride float in the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®.

Neil Diamond and the American Pride float will make its national appearance on NBC-TV on Thursday, November 24, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., in all time zones.

The float is the second state float in history to be accepted into this world famous parade. Highlighted on the float will be Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Black Hills National Forest, Badlands National Park, and natural beauty depicting South Dakota’s infinite variety.

“We’re thrilled that we’ll be able to show off South Dakota as a unique destination to millions of people again this year in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Jim Hagen, Secretary of the Department of Tourism. “We couldn’t be more pleased that Neil Diamond will be performing on the float this year. He has world-wide appeal and is a great match for our state.”

This is the Department of Tourism and partners’ second year in a three year campaign with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The goal of the campaign is to drive new and repeat visitors to the state in addition to creating brand awareness. It is estimated that more than 3.5 million spectators on the streets of New York and over 50 million television viewers nationwide will watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.