Nine More Reasons to Visit Deadwood this Summer

Deadwood, South Dakota is one of my favorite quick-trip weekend getaways. The easy drive is less than five hours from Billings, making it entirely possible to take a half-day on a Friday and hit the road. Timing it right, you can be checked into your room and  sitting down at the all-you-can-eat crab leg buffet by early evening and playing blackjack or slots an hour later.

We frequently like to visit during the quieter "shoulder seasons" like early fall or spring, before thousands of tourists cram the Black Hills and surrounding areas. You'll want to plan ahead if you're thinking of coming to Deadwood during Sturgis time (Aug 6 - Aug 15, 2021). Many hotels and other accommodations like camp sites and cabins are already booked for those days, as well as the days before and after the official event.

Gambling is certainly a big draw to what would otherwise be a sleepy mountain town, but there are tons of other fun things to do, especially for fans of western and cowboy history. Great restaurants, bars, gift shops and hotels also make the town a fun weekend getaway.

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You can now add more live entertainment to the list of events in Deadwood for 2021. As reported by South Dakota's KNBN News Center 1, Deadwood will host the "largest open-air concert series in city history" this summer. The concerts will take place at the cities new outdoor venue called Outlaw Square. The 2,500 person capacity stage and venue is set on historic Main Street near the south end of the "strip", directly across the street from the Silverado Franklin Hotel.

Here are the shows and dates:

• May 29 - Big & Rich featuring Cowboy Troy
• May 30 -  Sublime With Rome
• June 13 - Clay Walker
• July 2 - Jamey Johnson
• July 3 - Dwight Yoakum
• July 11 - Dustin Lynch
• July 25 - Gary Allen
• August 1 - Old Crow Medicine Show
• September 4 - The Frontmen of Country (members of Lone Star, Restless Heart and Little Texas)

Season tickets go on sale March 29th. Tickets for individual shows go on sale April 9th at 10 and more info can be found at at deadwoodlive.com or by calling 605-717-7016