Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival Sept. 26

Feel the earth shake as the hooves of more than 1,400 buffalo thunder through the valley at Custer State Park’s 60th annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival this Friday, Sept. 26. 
During the event, cowboys and cowgirls on horseback will round up and drive the herd of buffalo about five miles over the ridge, down the hill and into corrals for sorting. There, the buffalo are sorted, branded, tested and treated to maintain a strong and healthy herd. 
Riders consist of Game, Fish and Parks staff as well as volunteers with years of experience riding in the roundup. The park also has a long tradition of partnering with private citizens to help with the annual Buffalo Roundup. Each year, “draw riders” are selected to be a part of moving the herd over five miles to the corral system. Draw riders fill out an application stating their riding experience, and then numbers are drawn out of a bucket to see who is selected to ride in the event.
Depending on the cooperation of the herd, the Buffalo Roundup begins at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26, with as many as 20,000 or more spectators present. All guests must stay in the viewing areas until the herd is safely in the corrals, which is generally around noon.
Parking lots open at 6:15 a.m. and close at 9 a.m. Reservations are not required, and handicap parking is provided in all areas. Attendees should arrive early if they want to pick their spots and must determine which viewing area they will be going to prior to Friday morning. 
For north parking and viewing, head south from the Game Lodge area on Wildlife Loop Road, and for south parking and viewing, head east on Wildlife Loop Road near Blue Bell campground. All vehicles will depart the way they entered.
Bus and motorcoach tour group parking will be in the south viewing area parking lot. They must access the area using the north viewing area route. Driving a camper or RV is not recommended, but owners can call 605-255-4515 for drop-off locations. They will follow the green route on the map, park in the north overflow lot and be shuttled to the roundup. 
Attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs, cameras, binoculars, layers of clothing, rain gear, water, snacks and sunscreen. For the safety of the public, staff and the bison, the use of drones is prohibited during the roundup. Pets should be left at home. If they must be brought, they should remain in vehicles. 
A pancake breakfast is available at 6:15 a.m. in both viewing areas, with proceeds going to Feeding South Dakota, and a buffalo BBQ lunch is served at the corrals once the buffalo are rounded up. There is a cash fee for both meals. 
After the roundup, a free shuttle service is provided from the viewing areas to the corrals and back. Guests may also walk down. Testing, branding and sorting of the buffalo begins at 1 p.m. and lasts until approximately 3 p.m. Crews will work the remainder of the herd in October. 
Certain animals are selected for the fall auction. The roundup and auction are conducted to keep the bison and the park’s grasslands healthy. With the park’s grasslands only able to support about 1,000 bison through the winter, about 400 surplus buffalo are sold at the annual auction. Revenues from the Nov. 1 fall auction help support the day-to-day operations of the South Dakota State Park System.
For those who cannot attend the live roundup, it can be watched online through the South Dakota Public Broadcasting website video live feed. Guests can also go to the Visitor Center Panoramic Theater, where the live feed will be showcased while the crowds gather by the corrals.
The roundup is just part of the festivities. At the arts festival, attendees can enjoy three days of endless entertainment along with 100-plus arts and crafts vendors near the State Game Lodge on Hwy. 16A. 
Attendees can visit with artisans and crafters, hear cowboy poets spin tall tales, catch the energy of live performances and do some dancing to some of the area’s best western-style musicians at the open meadow festival. A few local breweries will also be around to top off the fun. 
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. On Friday, Sept. 26, the festival kicks off at 10 a.m. with music until 7 p.m., and hot air balloons at the festival grounds. The hours Saturday, Sept. 27 are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, go to custerstatepark.com or call 605-394-2693.