Happy Friday, Sioux Falls. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Sioux Falls Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.

In today’s edition: City arts and culture plan, Etc. Expo for Her, a corn maze, and more.

Let’s get to it.

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Inspiration for your big day: Gonna Get Wed Bridal Showcase returns under new owner Michels Communications, publisher of Unveiled, with vendors, giveaways, signature drinks and chocolate-covered strawberries, plus swag bags for the first 250 brides — see how and when to attend.

Classroom simulations boost skills: Southeast Technical College has introduced virtual reality tools across programs, including a VR paint sprayer and a law enforcement vehicle simulator, giving students realistic practice and safer, cost-saving training — read the full story.

Building a shared cultural vision: Sioux Falls has launched a city-led arts and culture planning process, with a kickoff session held Tuesday at the Orpheum Theater. Residents can share ideas by phone, email, or online — see how to share input.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Highlights this week

• Tour Sioux Falls’ haunted past by bus
• Help pack food for South Dakotans
• Brave the Jaycees Feargrounds haunted house
• Experience Halloween classics by candlelight
• Save big at Sioux Falls Home Expo
• Avoid surprises with $300 off auto repair coverage
• Compare life insurance providers for free

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We have a few spots open as early as next week. Fill out our advertiser form if you’re looking for a simple and effective way to reach engaged locals in Sioux Falls.

🫶 We got your back

More Saturdays ahead: Falls Park Farmers Market isn’t hibernating. After the outdoor season wraps Oct. 25, a new indoor market will run twice a month for six months at Mosaic Arts & Events (500 N. Main). It starts Nov. 15, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with about half the summer vendors, live music, and producer-focused goods like root veggies and greens. Get dates and vendor lineup.

Local commerce in transition: Sioux Falls’ business scene is in flux: Sioux Falls Thrive has closed after seven years, and Select Specialty Hospital will shut its Sanford-campus site by year-end. Drybar has reopened. Fareway is planning a northwest store, and Arizona breakfast favorite Over Easy is slated for March 2026. More bank and wellness builds are on deck. See what’s opening and closing.

Float + recharge, anyone?: Slip into the Renew Float Lounge at Radiance Day Spa for a zero‑gravity reset with an optional infrared sauna warm-up. Keep the calm going with massage, facials, reiki, ayurveda, and body therapies. Serenity that lasts longer than your to‑do list.

An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.

Break up with debt for good: These guys can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a victory dance and happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Have an event to share? Submit it here for free →

Today

🎭 Improv Falls @ Icon Event Hall + Lounge | Friday (10/17) at 8:00pm – Whether you love spooky season or just need a laugh without a pumpkin spice pun, Improv Falls at Icon Downtown delivers chaotic fun. No scripts, no safety net, just whatever you and the crowd toss out, plus a bartender who remembers your order.

👩 Etc. Expo for Her @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center | Friday (10/17) at 12:00pm – If your errands list includes me-time, the Etc. Expo for Her obliges with two days of shopping, entertainment, and unapologetic pampering under one roof. Bring your bestie, wear comfy shoes, and prepare to leave with treats, a chair massage, and suspiciously smooth hands.

This weekend

🛍️ Craft Fair @ St. Lambert Parish | Saturday (10/18) at 9:00am – St. Lambert Craft Fair is taking over the church on Bahnson with handmade finds, free admission, and the kind of baked goods your resolve cannot handle. Wander, chat, support the makers, then grab lunch, a cookie, and probably a run-in with your old neighbor.

🕵️ The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show @ Sheraton Sioux Falls | Saturday (10/18) at 6:00pm – Trade your dinner out for a plate of clues at this interactive true crime mystery. Based on real cold cases, you will feast, get interrogated, and maybe become the Prime Suspect. Put your Dateline degree to work, solve it, score bragging rights, and a prize.

🎤 Terry Fator @ Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort | Saturday (10/18) at 8:00pm – Skip the flight, keep the spectacle. If your playlist spans Elvis, Garth, Bowie, and yes, Taylor, this one-man, many-voices show nails it. Terry Fator blends ventriloquism, celebrity impressions, and sly humor into a nostalgic jukebox you actually get to sit for, not stand.

🌽 Corn Maze @ Heartland Country Corn Maze | Sunday (10/19) at 12:00pm – Trade screen time for stalk time at an 11-acre corn maze where you follow a map, answer checkpoints, and sniff out a hidden one for a free treat. The Concession Barn, shade, and restrooms keep it civilized, and yes, it is cash or check only.

🎮 Belles & Chimes SuFu Women’s Strikes Pinball Tournament @ The Pinball Room | Sunday (10/19) at 2:00pm – Whether you grew up on arcade carpets or just know where the flippers are, the SuFu ladies pinball tourney is calling. Friendly, beginner-welcoming vibes, a $6 buy-in plus coin drop, four-strike format, and prizes for the top four. Bring quarters, confidence, and a smirk.

🎾 MarketBeat Open ATP Challenger Tour @ Huether Family Match Pointe at 10:00am | Sunday (10/19) – Pro tennis in South Dakota for the first time. The ATP Challenger Tour hits the Sanford Sports Complex with big serves, crisp volleys, and actual pros, not your cousin’s pickleball crew. Grab a seat, sip something warm, and enjoy rallies close to home.

Next week

🖌️ Guided Painting Class @ Mosaic Arts & Events | Monday (10/20) at 5:30pm – Trade doomscrolling for a brush and join Alex from A.L. Arts & Prints for a guided, spooky painting night. Twenty bucks gets you step-by-step help, a drink, and zero experience required, bring a friend, pre-register online, and leave with your 8×11 masterpiece.

🥫 Volunteer to Pack Food for Families, Seniors, and Kids @ Feeding South Dakota | Tuesday (10/21) at 9:00am – Roll up your sleeves for a two-hour shift packing food for South Dakota kids, seniors, and families at the distribution center. It’s meaningful work with assembly lines, boxes, and bulk produce, plus better conversation than the gym, and fewer burpees. Bring friends, family, or coworkers.

🌸 Rosemaling Demonstration @ Old Courthouse Museum | Tuesday (10/21) at 1:00pm – Swing by the Old Courthouse Museum for a live Norwegian rosemaling demo, where Eileen Halverson turns bold colors and elegant scrolls into heirloom-worthy swirls. It’s less YouTube tutorial, more neighborly wisdom, so drop in, ask questions, and claim you’re “researching” that trunk project.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 10/17 Pork Tornadoes @ Grand Falls Casino – 8 pm
• 10/18 Totally Rad and more @ Bigs Bar – 6 pm
• 10/18 How I Learned to Drive @ Last Stop CD Shop – 7:30 pm
• 10/22 Open Mic + Karaoke Night @ Lucky’s Bar – 8 pm
• 10/23 Ceili Dance @ Old Courthouse Museum – 6:30 pm
• 10/24 Blaise Kautzman and more @ Lucky’s Bar – 7 pm
• 10/24 A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics @ The Social – 8:45 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Sioux Falls edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Amy M Stockberger (Amy Stockberger Real Estate)

Quiet cul-de-sac in Mystic Heights near Fred Assam Elementary and the Brandon School District. A walk-out ranch with coffered ceilings, an oversized living room, sleek fireplace, and motorized blinds. Quartz kitchen with custom birch cabinetry, big island, and hidden walk-in pantry. Three main-floor bedrooms include a spa-worthy suite with heated floors and twin-head shower.

Finished lower level brings a second fireplace, wet bar, party-ready game space, and a heated floor bath, plus a versatile flex room. Outside, covered deck, stamped patio, and a basketball or pickleball court with permanent holiday lighting. Oversized heated garage and custom storage solutions.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →