Annual winter festival in Hill City brings twice the excitement with a new change as residents have a good time amid the cold weather

February 19, 2023

Christina Holiday,

HILL CITY, S.D.– With a winter storm preparing to blow through the Black Hills area, Prairie Berry Winery and Miner Brewing Company held their annual Black Hills Winter Festival in Hill City to give residents a weekend of fun before they might be stuck inside for part of the week. Tap Room Manager Alison Thompson explains more.

What is the Winter Festival?

As Thompson says, it gives residents a way of celebrating the Black Hills and interacting with friends and other residents during the off-season. “We have beautiful days like we had on Saturday and Sunday was a little cooler, but we had “crowler fishing” to benefit our local Hill City Fire Department, we also had live music down here at the brewery, and then also a couple [of] other things smattered throughout the day,” Thompson said. The event also featured food, beer and wine from the local brewery and winery, along with fire pits for people to make s’mores and toast marshmallows. Many of the different activities also served as fundraisers for local organizations such as the Hill City Fire Department and Black Hills Badges for Hope.

A sign for Miner Brewing Company in Hill City
Large bottles on display bearing the brewery’s name
Marshmallows in a container for people to toast over nearby fire pits
Fishing pole for people to use for crowler fishing
A child preparing to give crowler fishing a try
A child participating in a kid-friendly version of crowler fishing at the winter festival
A woman and her co-worker attempting the crowler fishing game put together by the Hill City Fire department
A Hill City firefighter pulling up a beer can to see what a festival-goer had won
A sign by a food vendor with a list of specials during the festival
A food vendor selling hot food to festival-goers
People at Miner Brewing Company waiting to get a drink
A group at Miner Brewing Company enjoying the event

How long has this event been around?

According to Thompson, this year marked the Winter Festival’s third anniversary. And since last year the event was held during a significant cold spell, coordinators decided to make it a two-day deal in case the weather was bad again this year. “We had live music both nights, we added some additional events as well at the winery so we could involve our entire campus. I would imagine next year we will have some additional events at our new general store since that is just opening right about now.”

What is the general store?

Addie Camp General Store is a new shop preparing to open on the Prairie Berry Winery campus, paying tribute to the history of the Addie Camp settlement that was once part of the mining scene in the Black Hills. The store will be an important stop for travelers needing to pick up something during their trips into the hills, but also to learn about the history of the area. “We should have ice cream, we should have some great food items. Of course, all of our Prairie Berry wines. Miner beers [are] available for purchase to-go. Some food options as well,” she said. ” But it is a great option for customers to come in, grab a few things for their day at the lake, or for their day out on the ski slopes. Stock up for their campsite over the weekend– it should be a great hole to fill in this area at the moment.”