Sioux Falls Winter Wonderland Kicks Off With A Blast This Weekend

It's a Sioux Falls tradition and a grand celebration. But, this year, a very special year for this holiday event- it is even bigger than ever!

Believe it or not, Winter Wonderland is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. This Friday evening, November 17 at 6 PM will be the opening of the attraction and you can expect fireworks. So make sure you get there early for a good spot.

Chuck Wood/Townsquare Media

Because the weather is forecast to be nice, the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department is advising people to plan ahead, expect traffic delays, and be patient.

Over the last 20 years, this display has grown from 10 miles of light strands to 25, from 170,000 lights to nearly 300,000! Light-up arches, mini trees, giant spheres and bulbs, candy canes, and many other decorations have been added over the years, too.

Winter Wonderland Falls Park-Getty Thinkstock Images and Canva

It takes about seven weeks and at least ten team members to set up Winter Wonderland, so you can just about guess how labor-intensive this effort is.

So this Friday, at 6 PM when you're oohing and aahing at the fireworks and amazing displays, remember to send good thoughts to the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department!

The 10 Most Redneck Towns in South Dakota

Are you a 'Redneck?' I guess to some people, all of us in South Dakota are rednecks.

If we use the Jeff Foxworthy Scale of Redneckeness, I have, in fact, been too drunk to fish. So by definition, I am a redneck. And so are many people I know.

Not that being from the country is a bad thing, and it can be fun to poke fun at ourselves.

With that in mind, we found that the folks at RoadSnacks put together a list that claims 'These Are The 10 Most Redneck Cities In South Dakota.'

What is a Redneck?

The dictionary says that a redneck is someone "...who lives in a small town or in the country, especially in the southern U.S., who typically has a working-class job, and who is seen by others as being uneducated and having opinions and attitudes that are offensive."

Well, a few things. First, South Dakota isn't THAT kind of 'south.' We're to the south of North Dakota, but to the north of 'The South.'

Plus that definition sounds awful mean and serious. I thought we were having fun here.

RoadSnacks leaned into the funny, Jeff Foxworthy-based version of a redneck. Then they rounded up select data on places in SD to determine their rankings. RoadSnacks Redneck Criteria: