Rapid City's autumn powwow gathers dancers and drum groups from across North America. Few states pack their seasons with as much ceremony and spectacle as South Dakota.

The event fills a downtown arena with dancers in full regalia.

What sets it apart

Competition categories span every major dance style. For those who know the region well, it is a quiet point of pride.

It ranks among the larger powwows on the northern plains.

Why it matters

Taken together, these threads say something about South Dakota itself — a place where the old and the new sit close together. For the crowds who return year after year, it has become a fixture of the South Dakota calendar.