From food to jazz, the largest city packs its warm months with downtown celebrations. The state's calendar fills each year with events that draw crowds from far beyond its borders.

JazzFest is among the region's largest free outdoor music festivals.

What sets it apart

Summer weekends fill the riverfront with markets and concerts. That detail is easy to overlook, but it helps explain the pull this place has on locals and visitors alike.

Public art and food events anchor the downtown calendar.

Why it matters

Step back, and a larger picture comes into view: this is South Dakota in miniature, rugged and unhurried. For the crowds who return year after year, it has become a fixture of the South Dakota calendar.