Events & What’s Happening
Free outdoor music festival held in Yankton Trail Park featuring regional and national jazz and blues acts over multiple days.
💡Bring a blanket and lawn chairs — the open park setting is very stroller-friendly and kids can dance freely near the stage.
Fourth of July celebration at Falls Park and the Big Sioux River corridor featuring live music, food vendors, and a fireworks display over the falls.
💡Stake out a spot on the east side of the park by 8pm for an unobstructed view of the fireworks; bring ear protection for small children.
Annual county fair at W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds featuring carnival rides, livestock shows, concerts, and fair food.
💡Purchase a ride wristband early in the week for the best value, and visit the 4-H animal barns with younger kids in the morning before crowds arrive.
One of the region's largest juried arts festivals held in downtown Sioux Falls, showcasing paintings, sculpture, photography, and craft from hundreds of artists.
💡Kids can participate in hands-on art activities in the youth area, making it a great way to introduce children to the arts in a lively outdoor setting.
Annual marathon and half marathon event winding through Sioux Falls neighborhoods and the scenic bike trail system, including a kids fun run.
💡Sign the kids up for the free Fun Run the day before, then cheer on runners near Falls Park where the energy is highest.
Falls Park is decorated with thousands of holiday lights each winter, drawing families to walk the illuminated grounds and see the waterfall lit up at night.
💡Bundle up and arrive around dusk for the best light display; the overlook tower offers a stunning bird's-eye view of the falls.
European-inspired holiday market in downtown Sioux Falls with craft vendors, hot drinks, holiday food, and festive entertainment.
💡Visit on a weekday evening to avoid weekend crowds, and let kids pick out a small handmade ornament as a holiday tradition.
Weekly story time sessions for toddlers and preschoolers held at multiple Sioux Falls branch locations, including read-alouds, songs, and craft activities.
💡Check the Siouxland Libraries website for branch-specific schedules and themed sessions — the Main Library branch tends to have the largest craft component.
Home to over 1,000 animals, the Great Plains Zoo offers a walkable, family-friendly experience with domestic and exotic species in the heart of Sioux Falls.
💡Sunday mornings are typically quieter; download the zoo map ahead of time and head to the big cats and African savanna first while kids have energy.
Bustling Saturday morning market in the heart of downtown featuring fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, flowers, and craft vendors.
💡Arrive before 9am to beat the crowds and grab kettle corn and fresh pastries before they sell out — kids love browsing the flower stands.
Weekly outdoor food truck gathering in downtown Sioux Falls bringing together a rotating lineup of local food trucks with diverse cuisines.
💡Arrive right at 11am for the shortest lines, and grab a spot on the nearby green space so kids can eat comfortably without worrying about restaurant seating.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The Falls Park observation tower is free to climb and gives kids an aerial view of the quartzite waterfalls — visit before 9am on summer weekends to avoid the selfie-stick crowds and get the best light for photos from the east-facing deck.
- 💡Scheels on West 41st Street has a free 65-foot Ferris wheel and a large freshwater aquarium inside the store — it costs nothing to enter and kids can easily spend 45 minutes here without buying a thing, making it a perfect rainy-day backup plan.
- 💡The Levitt at the Falls hosts free outdoor concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings from June through August at the East Bank amphitheater — bring a blanket, grab food from the nearby Remedy Brewing Company patio, and stake out grass space by 6:30pm for the best family-friendly spots.
- 💡The Washington Pavilion's Kirby Science Discovery Center offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month — this is the best time to visit with younger kids since the interactive science exhibits can get crowded on paid-admission days but are much more manageable on free Sundays.
- 💡The Big Sioux River Greenway has a dedicated bike rental station near Falls Park — families can rent bike trailers and tag-along bikes through the season, and the flat paved trail south toward Yankton Trail Park is the easiest 3-4 mile stretch for kids on their first trail ride.
- 💡Hy-Vee Market Grille on West 41st has a surprisingly solid and affordable family breakfast — the full-service restaurant inside the grocery store is a Sioux Falls institution that locals use to avoid weekend brunch waits at downtown spots, and kids eat cheaper here than almost anywhere else in the city.
- 💡The Great Plains Zoo is significantly less crowded on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings compared to weekends — arrive when it opens at 9am mid-week and you can often watch the giraffe feeding with your kids as the only family at the enclosure.