Things to do and know this week in Sioux Falls: There's a lot!

Shelton: Blake Shelton is performing Friday at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Photo: BlakeShelton.com

Bridge: Construction of the “Unity Bridge” on Sixth Street at the Big Sioux River starts Monday with vehicle traffic being rerouted. Photo: Illustration from City of Sioux Falls

Dinosaurs: Interact with animatronic dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds this weekend. Photo: JurassicQuest.com.

SIOUX FALLS — Country music fans have a big concert to look forward to this week as Blake Shelton returns to Sioux Falls.

His show promises to bring back the “honky-tonk.” We looked it up because that's what we do, and “honky tonk” means “tawdry nightclub or dance hall” that features country music.

We should probably have our South Dakota driver’s license card revoked for not knowing it verbatim.

Anyway, if you are not a fan of country music, there’s a beer tasting event, an intracity basketball rivalry and animatronic dinosaurs to keep you entertained.

As always, you can hit our calendar of events for the latest.

MUSIC AND ART

Blake Shelton show at Premier Center nearly sold out

The “Back to the Honky Tonk” tour from Blake Shelton pulls into the Premier Center on Friday, Feb. 17.

Shelton, who is also the host of “The Voice,” at least until season 23 ends, has more than 30 top-20 hits on the U.S. country charts.

A few tickets are still available starting at $86. The show in Sioux Falls is the second of the tour after Shelton performs in Lincoln, Neb., on Thursday.

Carly Pearce and Jackson Dean are scheduled to open.

• It’s art meets game show at the Full Circle Co-up as two artists face off in a Live Art Party on Saturday, Feb. 18.
  Two artists have 30 minutes to fill a blank canvas, and attendees will get to vote on their favorites to advance to a future round. The competition will be held over the next few months.
  The event starts at 8 p.m., and there also will be a Q&A with each artists.

MOVIES AND THEATER

Film festival helps support Friends of the Big Sioux

The second annual Big Sioux Film Festival is Thursday, Feb. 16, at the State Theater, and four river-related short films will be shown.

The event includes films “Be Wild to Rewild,” “Blue River Documentary,” “Cedar Creek,” and “Fox2-O” and a discussion from Friends of the Big Sioux on the work being done to clean the Big Sioux River.

Tickets start at $10 for the film festival or $30 for cocktail hour, which includes five beer/kombucha tasting tickets and hors d’oeuvres.

Cocktail hour starts at 5:30, with films beginning at 6:30.

A silent auction runs through Feb. 16.

• The Premiere Playhouse in Sioux Falls is performing a pair of one-act plays at the Washington Pavilion Belbas Theater. The performance features the plays "The Theater at Night" and "Broadly Speaking ... And other B.S." Tickets are $35 , and the shows are 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday. 

SPORTS

Cougars and Vikings face off on basketball court

The University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University campuses are separated by just a few blocks in central Sioux Falls, making for a pretty unique rivalry amongst the Division II schools. SDSU and USD don’t have anything on that.

The USF and Augustana men’s and women’s basketball teams face off in a true doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18, in the last game of the regular season for both teams.

Final positions for the NSIC tournament are up for grabs. The Augustana women (16-4) are one game behind Minnesota State in the South Division, with USF tied for last at 4-16. On the men’s side, the Cougars are tied with Wayne State for first place in the South Division with a 12-8 record. Augustana is 10-10 and in sixth place in the division.

The men’s game tips off at 3:30 p.m. at the Stewart Center on the USF campus with the women playing at 5:30 p.m.

CITY

Sixth Street Bridge closed starting this week

You may have heard about the Unity Bridge Project and how it’s going to cost a heck of a lot more than originally thought.

Well, it’s happening. And starting Monday, Feb. 13, it’s going to affect traffic in downtown Sioux Falls.

Work on the $21.8 million project starts this week and is estimated to continue until July 2024. The project includes lighted piers, landscaping, diagonal parking, plaques honoring Sioux Falls leaders and elements for a future “quiet/whistle reduction” railroad crossing. Utility work will also be done.

It all sounds great and it looks nice, but some city councilors were outraged last month when they found out the project would cost $21.8 million after originally being told it was going to cost $11.1 million. That’s quite the sticker shock.

As for detours, access to Lutheran Social Service and Cherapa Place will be maintained via Sixth Street from Weber Avenue. The bike path under the bridge will also be detoured throughout the project.

POLITICS

Sioux Falls Day at the state legislature

Want to spend a day in Pierre? OK, we realize that might not be as enticing as we thought, but consider this more of a work trip than leisure.

It’s Sioux Falls Day at the legislature on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce is organizing a trip to Pierre. For $60 , you can ride on a bus to and from Pierre (lunch included), or $30 for lunch if you are driving yourself.

The day’s festivities include an opportunity to visit with House and Senate members and listening in on committee discussions and the afternoon session of the main chambers. For more information and for a schedule, visit the Chamber’s website .

The Chamber is asking all attendees to wear blue.

FAMILY

Dinosaurs come to life in Sioux Falls

Welcome to Jurassic Quest.

If you’re a fan of the movies or just fascinated by creatures from 65 million years ago, visit the Jurassic Quest event at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds Friday, Feb. 17 through Monday, Feb. 20.

The event is touted as the “most popular interactive dinosaur” exhibit and features animatronic “life-like dinosaurs” and dinosaurs that can be ridden. Unlike at Jurassic World, chances of injury are very, very, very low.

Come for the dinosaurs, stay for the interactive science and art activities, bounce houses, photo opportunities and scavenger hunt.

Tickets start at $22, and rides cost extra.

FOOD AND BEER

Sioux Empire on Tap event offers dozens of beers, ciders and seltzers

If you love beer, we can’t think of a better place to be on Saturday night than the Sioux Falls Convention Center and Premier Center, where dozens of brewers will be sampling more than 100 varieties of beers, ciders and seltzers during the Sioux Empire on Tap event. It’s taking place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., though the early session is sold out.

Breweries from South Dakota and the Sioux Falls region are well represented, but you’ll also be able to try beer from Nebraska, Minnesota, Oregon, Montana, Texas, California, Maine, Missouri, Illinois and other states.

Tickets are $48 and include an unlimited amount of 2-ounce samples, but please drink responsibly! Designated driver tickets are available for an additional $10.

Food will be provided at an additional cost, and the band Too Drunk to Fish will be performing.

Parking is free, but event organizers strongly encourage getting an Uber or Lyft or having someone drop you off and pick you up.

For more information and to see the full list of breweries participating, visit the event’s website .

ETC.

Plan your upcoming wedding 

Getting married soon and looking for help? Drag your significant other to the Sioux Empire Wedding Showcase from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.

The showcase features hundreds of vendors offering every wedding service imaginable, plus a bridal runway fashion show.

Tickets are $10 apiece and can be purchased on the event’s Facebook page .