Clear plains skies set the stage for balloon rallies and air shows across the warm months. The state's calendar fills each year with events that draw crowds from far beyond its borders.

Balloon events lift off from towns across the eastern prairie.

What sets it apart

Ellsworth periodically hosts large military air shows. Small as it sounds, it is exactly the sort of thing that defines the experience on the ground.

Calm dawn air makes early launches the highlight for spectators.

Why it matters

In the end, the story here is really a story about the northern plains and the people drawn to them. For the crowds who return year after year, it has become a fixture of the South Dakota calendar.