This online calendar of events emphasizes educational, archaeological, preservation, and history related programs throughout the year across South Dakota. Green entries denote activities at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Blue entries denote off-site activities sponsored by the SD State Historical Society and/or the Heritage Fund. If you would like to submit an event to be included on the calendar, please complete and submit the following form: Events form, PDF or Events form, Word.

October 2010

Event: "The People's House: Celebrating the Century" Exhibit
Description: This exhibit on the capitol’s 100th anniversary features include a wall-size mural of the capitol’s exterior telling about the building’s architectural elements. The original vault door from the Secretary of State’s Office holds a monitor running capitol construction photos. Artifacts include an original legislator’s desk and the 44-star flag that flew over the first capitol in 1889. Interactive stations let visitors try their hand at constructing a capitol with arches, columns and pediments, and laying a tile pattern with a special blue tile. People can see how well they can identify the capitols of South Dakota’s neighboring states with a matching game.
Location:  Cultural Heritage Center, Hogen Gallery, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: through 2010, Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sun. & Holidays 1-4:30 p.m. CT
Admission:  Members free; Adults $4, Seniors $3, 17 & under free (Free to all 1st Sunday of every month)
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: 605-773-3458

Event: Deadwood Grant deadline - SD State Historic Preservation Office
Description: This program is designed to encourage large-scale restoration or rehabilitation of historic properties by individuals, organizations or public agencies. Grants for work beginning approximately January 1, 2011* will be awarded in amounts ranging from $1,000 to $25,000. The grant amount must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis from nonfederal and nonstate sources. Nonprofit organizations will be allowed to use in-kind services for one-half of their match. Funding for the program is from Deadwood gaming revenue earmarked by state law for historic preservation projects throughout the state and distributed by the State Historical Society. *Projects may not start until after official notification of the grant award is received.
Application: Click here for forms.
Date: October 1, 2010
Contact: Northeast SD - Jennifer (e-mail), 605-773-6296; Southeast - Jason (e-mail), 605-773-6056; Western SD - Chris (e-mail), 605-773-3103 (see Regional map)

Event: SD State Archives Open
Description: The State Archives is open every 1st Saturday of the month. Staff will be available to assist with research. The State Archives manages a collection of photographs, films, maps, books, newspapers, state and county records, as well as personal and organizational records.
Location:  Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: October 2, 2010; 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m. CT
Admission:  Free
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: Archives (e-mail or web), 605-773-3804

Event: Free admittance to the Museum of the SD State Historical Society
Description: Admittance to the museum is free the 1st Sunday of the month. The Museum has 15,000 square feet of exhibition space with exhibits divided into five galleries.
Location: Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: October 3, 2010; 1- 4:30 p.m. CT
Admission:  Free
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: 605-773-3458

Event: The Stories Behind the Story - Archives Month Program
Description: Author Lilah Pengra will discuss her "connect the dots" biographical research in the SD State Archives. She'll share her frustrations and joys, defeats and victories, and the occasional "Ah ha!" moments that culminated in the publication of her recent book, Sarah Campbell: The First White Woman in the Black Hills Was African American.
Location:  Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: October 3, 2010; 1 p.m. CT
Admission:  Free
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: Archives (e-mail or web), 605-773-3804

Event: Plains Anthropological Conference
Description: The 68th Annual Plains Anthropological Conference will have topics addressing Plains anthropological, historical, archaeological, and related subjects. Undergraduate and graduate student participation is encouraged. Listen to an amazing array of papers following the research of students, professionals, and avocational archaeologists.
Location: Radisson Hotel, 6th & Broadway, Bismarck, ND
Date/Time: October 6-9, 2010
Registration: tba
Sponsor: State Historical Society of North Dakota
Contact: Amy Bleier (e-mail), Paul Picha (e-mail), Web

Event: Full Moon Explorations - Preservation Thursday
Description: Michelle Mayer with Full Moon Explorations will discuss Deadwood’s haunted past and the findings she and her team discovered from their investigation at the Historic Adams House in August of 2009.
Location: Adams Museum Pioneer Room, 54 Sherman St., Deadwood
Date/Time: October 7, 2010; Noon MT
Admission: Donations welcomed
Sponsor: Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission; Adam-Mastrovich Family Foundation, Mary Adams Balmat; Rapid City Journal; Black Hills Pioneer; Celebrity Hotel; Chubby Chipmunk Hand-Dipped Chocolates; The Historic Bullock Hotel; Saloon No. 10; TDG Communications
Contact: Adams Museum (e-mail or web), 605-578-1928

Event: Searching for Spooks: Researching Ghost Stories - Archives Month Program
Description: Author Lori Orcer will give a presentation on her recently completed book Spooky Creepy North Dakota and her research on the upcoming South Dakota version.
Location:  Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: October 10, 2010; 1 p.m. CT
Admission:  Free
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: Archives (e-mail or web), 605-773-3804

Event: Along the Grapevine Trail by Starley Talbott - History & Heritage Book Club
Description: The book is a guide to vineyards and wineries in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Book club members will travel to ChrisaMari Vineyards & Winery north of Pierre to learn the history of that winery and to learn about the process of making wine. Cheese & crackers will be provided by the Heritage Fund.
Location:  Meet at Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre; then caravan to ChrisaMari.
Date/Time: October 12, 2010; 7 p.m. CT
Admission: Free or $5 per person if participating in wine tasting
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society & the South Dakota Heritage Fund
Contact: Dorinda Daniel (605) 773-6006, dorinda.daniel@state.sd.us
Additional Comments: The History & Heritage Book Club is open to everyone. People who want to join the discussion by telephone are welcome to do so by making arrangements in advance with Dorinda (see above).

Event: Liturgical Stained Glass: Vermillion and Wakonda - Preservation Wednesday
Description: Evelyn Schlenker will give a presentation entitled "Liturgical Stained Glass: Vermillion and Wakonda". The public is encouraged to attend.
Location: Vermillion Public Library, 18 Church St., Vermillion
Date/Time: October 20, 2010; 7 p.m. CT
Admission: Free
Sponsor: Clay County Historic Preservation Commission
Contact: Jim Wilson (e-mail or web), 605-624-4579
Additional Comments: This informative and entertaining series of presentations of popular and obscure facets of local history and historic preservation in general is held every 3rd Wednesday of the month, September through May.

Event: Abandoned Cemeteries of Minnehaha County - Minnehaha County Historical Society monthly meeting
Description: Margaret Novak, chair of the Minnehaha County Abandoned Cemetery Board and member of the Minnehaha County Historical Society, will give the presentation. This free program is open to the public. Bring a friend.
Location: Old Courthouse Museum, 200 W. 6th St., Sioux Falls
Date/Time: October 21, 2010; 7 p.m. CT
Admission: Free
Sponsor: Minnehaha County Historical Society
Contact: Jim Carlson, 605-366-8403

Event: 18th Annual Island in the Plains - Black Hills Archaeological & Historical Symposium
Description: The Annual Island in the Plains conference attracts speakers from a wide range of disciplines concerned with the environmental and cultural history of the Black Hills. Researchers, interested members of the public, teachers, and students are all encouraged to attend. Symposium presentations are shceduled for all day Saturday. The banquet will be Saturday evening with keynote speaker to be announced. Field trips will be scheduled for Sunday morning.
Location: Spearfish Holiday Inn, Spearfish
Date/Time: October 23-24, 2010; Times to be announced
Registration: to be announced
Sponsor: South Dakota Archaeological Society, Black Hills National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, South Dakota State Historical Society-Archaeological Research Center, South Dakota Association of Professional Archaeologists
Contact: Mike Fosha, 605-394-1903

Event: Finding South Dakota's Aviation History - Archives Month Program
Description: Author Norma Kraemer will give a presentation on aviation in South Dakota. It will include stories about the research that led to her recently released book South Dakota's First Century of Flight. Following Kraemer's program, excerpts from two SD Division of Aeronautics' films will be shown.
Location:  Cultural Heritage Center, 900 Governors Dr., Pierre
Date/Time: October 24, 2010; 1 p.m. CT
Admission:  Free
Sponsor: South Dakota State Historical Society
Contact: Archives (e-mail or web), 605-773-3804

Event: Shaping Preservation's Newest Frontiers - National Preservation Conference 2010
Description: Join us in shaping Preservation’s newest frontiers—the Next American City, and the Next American Landscape. The National Preservation Conference has always been a great opportunity to get inspired, share ideas, and learn from practitioners who are setting new standards for the preservation field. This year in Austin, it will be even better, thanks to the ideas and feedback we’ve received this past year. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has made some significant changes to the conference format and content in Austin in order to provide an invigorating, challenging, and one-of-a-kind educational experience. There will be two new general sessions on Thursday and Friday mornings, one focusing on preservation issues for the Next American City, the other for the Next American Landscape. The new session formats are more interactive and inspiring.
Location: Austin, TX
Date: October 27-30, 2010
Registration: see website
Sponsor: National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
Contact: e-mail, web, 202-588-6100


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