HILL CITY, S.D. — The sound of chainsaws, cheering crowds and rolling logs will return to Hill City later this month as the Heart O’ the Hills Legendary Logging Days makes its comeback after more than a decade away.
The event is scheduled for May 23 and 24 in downtown Hill City as part of the community’s yearlong celebration honoring its 150th birthday. The return of Logging Days is meant to celebrate the area’s deep roots in the logging industry while introducing a new generation to the traditions that helped shape the Black Hills community.
Erica Layton, executive director of the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce, said the event originally began in 1973 and became a longtime community tradition before ending in 2014 after the local logging industry declined. Layton said local loggers once gathered in Hill City to showcase their equipment and skills while competing for prizes and recognition within the industry.
To revive the event, the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce partnered with Lumberjack Enterprises from Stillwater, Minnesota, to bring professional lumberjack performers to downtown Hill City for two days of competitions and demonstrations.
The event will feature three lumberjack shows each day at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Planned activities include log rolling, hot saw racing, springboard tree topping, chainsaw carving and axe throwing. Layton said the performances are designed to showcase traditional logging skills in an entertaining and family friendly setting.
The weekend is designed to appeal to both longtime residents and visiting families. Children will have opportunities to participate in interactive logging camps, inflatable axe throwing and hourly sawdust treasure hunts throughout the event grounds.
Layton said the chamber wanted to create an event where multiple generations could spend the day together while experiencing a piece of Black Hills history. She said the activities were planned so both children and adults could participate instead of simply watching from the sidelines.
Additional activities planned throughout the weekend include live music, a cornhole tournament, food vendors, a beer garden and Native American performances. Brent Morris, Sequoia Crosswhite and JJ Kent and the Aces are all scheduled to perform during the two day celebration.
According to the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce, Hill City was once considered a major hub for the logging industry in South Dakota, and the return of Logging Days is intended to honor the workers and families who helped build the community over generations.
The celebration will begin May 23 with a tribute honoring longtime logging families from the area. Chamber officials said the event is intended to reconnect the community with its history while helping launch several months of anniversary celebrations planned throughout Hill City.
Layton said additional events tied to the city’s 150th anniversary celebration will continue throughout the year, including Fine Arts in the Hills, a Fourth of July parade and pie social, the Stardust Festival and a citywide summer music festival.
Admission and parking for the Heart O’ the Hills Legendary Logging Days will be free, although some activities and food vendors will charge fees. The Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce encourages visitors to spend the day downtown, attend multiple lumberjack shows and take part in the activities happening throughout the weekend as Hill City celebrates 150 years of history.
