Sioux Empire Fair

The sign for the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, as pictured on Dec. 12, 2022, in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Severe weather becoming larger factor for concert-goers, fair director says

BY: - November 21, 2023

SIOUX FALLS — Insurance coverage allowed South Dakota’s most well-attended fair to avoid the sting of financial loss in 2023. Sioux Empire Fair Director Scott Wick told Minnehaha County commissioners on Tuesday that a severe weather shutdown on two separate days could have tanked the fair’s profitability, but a $313,000 insurance payout and strong attendance […]

The sign for the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds, as pictured on Dec. 12, 2022, in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Consultant: $100 million Expo building replacement would secure fairgrounds future

BY: - December 12, 2022

A $100 million investment in the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds Expo building would translate into another 100 days of use each year and another half-million dollars in economic impact for the Sioux Falls area. Those figures represented just a few of the conclusions from a consultant who presented to a Monday meeting of the Minnehaha County […]