The last several posts were about the great outdoor activities we enjoyed while living in Sioux Falls. While we thoroughly relish our time spent in nature, nosotros also savour checking out local activities and festivals.

On Sat, September viii we drove to downtown Sioux Falls to check out two festivals that were taking place. The Sidewalk Arts Festival and German language Fest 2018.

Sidewalk Arts Festival

Crowd at Sidewalk Arts Festival

The Sidewalk Arts Festival is a fundraiser for the Visual Arts Heart at the Washington Pavilion. Information technology is also the region's largest one-day arts festival. Over 300 vendor booths were ready on the streets surrounding the Washington Pavilion in downtown Sioux Falls. There was a broad multifariousness of art, crafts, jewelry, and food products.

We walked through the entire festival area, even the parking lot set upwardly with children's activities.

Balloon Palm Trees at Sidewalk Arts Festivasl
Balloon palm trees at Sidewalk Arts Festival

We enjoyed looking at all the products on display. Our merely purchase was a pair of handmade earrings and a bag of kettle corn.

While walking around, we stopped at the berth exterior the Get-go Lutheran Church building on S. Dakota Artery. There, we learned the church building was built in the belatedly 1920s. The adult female working the booth invited united states inside the church to see the stained drinking glass windows and piping organ. Since we savour the architecture of older churches, nosotros thanked her and went within.

Altar at First Lutheran Church
Altar First Lutheran Church
Pipe Organ at First Lutheran Church
The pipage organ in the balcony at First Lutheran Church building
Booths at Sidewalk Arts Festival
View of the art festival from the steps of First Lutheran Church

German Fest 2018

Crowds at German Fest

After walking through the arts festival, we collection the curt distance to Fawick Park, where the High german Fest was in progress. This free event is Sioux Falls' fashion of jubilant the country of Germany and their long-continuing partnership with the City of Potsdam. We are both of German descent and it merely fabricated sense that we check information technology out.

Stopping at the entrance to become our beverage bands (proving we were over 21) and beer tickets, we headed towards the large tent. It was afternoon and we were fix for lunch and a cool drinkable.

Chicken hats in beer tent
Inside the tent, nosotros saw people wearing traditional Oktoberfest chicken hats.
Lines for melted cheese

After purchasing our German beer, nosotros went looking for nutrient. We checked out all the vendors before making our selection. Alee of us, we saw a long line forming at a red booth. Getting closer nosotros could smell the melted cheese.

The vendor, Raclette Corner, was making a traditional Swiss raclette; a semi-hard cow'south cheese, melted and scraped over a plate of bread, potatoes or meat. The dish is also pop in Germany.

I am certain it tasted good, just I couldn't get past the aroma. After seeing what other vendors had to offer, nosotros bought a couple of brats on pretzel buns, topped with the best sauerkraut ever!

Listening to the music at German Fest
Band and dancers at German Fest

With our beers and brats in hand, we walked towards the stage and tables. We enjoyed our meal while listening to music and chatting with strangers.

Dashound Races

Our beer and brats eaten, we were gear up to walk effectually. It was almost time for the wiener dog races, so we headed towards the track.

A fundraiser for the Dakota Dachshund Rescue, the races are entertaining and very popular. The closer we got to the race track, the more wiener dogs we saw. Many were wearing costumes for the contest prior to the races.

Crowd watching Dashund Races
Crowds gathering for the wiener domestic dog races

Unfortunately, we were not able to go shut enough for pictures of the costumed contestants. We walked around the back side of the bleachers and worked through the crowd to see the track.

Waiting for the race to start
Waiting for the race to begin
Last minute instructions to participants
Last minute instructions before the race

Afterward the starting time race, we backed out of the crowd and walked towards the Big Sioux River. Fawick Park is forth the river, and we recalled floating by when we kayaked through downtown.

It was almost 6 pm and time to get back to our pups. It had been a overnice solar day walking effectually downtown, looking at the artwork, wiener dogs and people watching.

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German Fest attendee