Last Friday night thousands of residents from in and around the Sioux Empire showed how much they love a parade, as an estimated 54,300 people attended the 30th Annual Downtown Sioux Falls "Parade of Lights" on Phillips Avenue from 13th Street to 5th Street.

You knew the crowd was going to be huge because the weather here in Sioux Falls on Black Friday was damn near tropical for this time of the year.

A good friend of mine was in town from Rochester, Minnesota and he and his wife went to the parade and they loved it. They said it went it for almost two hours and it was PACKED with people everywhere you looked!

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Dakota News Now is reporting that there were over 60 parade entries this year. Some floats were new, some were old favorites from the past making another appearance.

Like every year, Downtown Sioux Falls held its annual Parade of Lights After Party and Awards Ceremony at the Holiday Inn City Centre after the festivities concluded on Friday night. During the ceremony, they announced the Parade of Lights winners for 2022.

According to Dakota News Now, there were a total of six different awards handed out that evening, in various categories ranging from the Best Use of Lights to the Hometown Pride Award.

Your 2022 Parade of Lights winners are:

The Lebahn Family Train in the Best Use of Lights category
South Dakota Urban Indian Health for Best Workmanship
Catfish Bay for Spirit of Sioux Falls
Pinnacle Productions picked up the Mayor's Choice Award
El Riad Shrine won the Downtown Sioux Falls Award
And Dakota Alliance received the First Bank & Trust Hometown Pride Award

Pigeon 605 (with permission)

Pigeon605 (with permission)

If you missed the parade like me, and still need to scratch your Christmas lights itch, you can do that nightly during Winter Wonderland at Falls Park. That elaborate Christmas lights display happens every night from 5:00 PM till Midnight through January 8th at Falls Park at 131 East Falls Park Drive in Sioux Falls.

Source: Dakota News Now

The Ultimate Sioux Falls Visitor's Guide: A to Z

Sioux Falls has lots to explore; fun stuff for the whole family, food of every kind, educational opportunities, and more! If you have out-of-town guests visiting, show them around our city. Eat at places they've never eaten. Take them to places they'd never go. Take some great photos to post on social media (and don't forget the hashtag #HiFromSiouxFalls). We've even listed some cool hotels where they can stay if you don't have the room.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We call it the 'Sioux Empire.' It's the biggest city in the state with a population of nearly 200,000. We’re known for our namesake, Falls Park, along the Big Sioux River. Sioux Falls has received numerous accolades for its quality of life. We have been named the number one best place to rent in America. We’ve topped the list of Best States to Find a Job. Sioux Falls is the Best City in America for Young Professionals.

We've appeared on lists such as Most Charming Small Cities, Top 10 Place to Raise Kids, and even ranked 10th in the 2020 Top 100 Best Places to Live. We have an abundance of achievements and you can see them on the Sioux Falls Development Foundation's website.

It's a pretty awesome city and that's why we think you should come and visit. If you're coming on business or pleasure, we've put together a list of places to go and things to see. We know you want to explore the attractions the city is known for like Falls Park, the Arc of Dreams, and the Sculpture Walk, but there's a lot more to see and do than just the touristy (that's really a word) stuff. The best places to go are where the locals go and we have a not your average, ordinary visitor's guide.

Here's a list of over 100 things to do and places to go in Sioux Falls.

Click HERE for a list of all the places we mention and links to each one. Print it out or save it to your phone and use it as a reference when you're visiting. See you soon!