People walk dogs along the paths, yclists cut across town, nglers work the edges of Rapid Creek. Families spread out under the trees at Founders Park. What began as a response to one of the darkest chapters in the city’s history has become part of daily life.
This weekend, that stretch of parks, trails, and open space becomes the center of Greenway Days, a four-day celebration of the greenway system that grew from the aftermath of the 1972 Black Hills Flood.
Hosted by Friends of Rapid City Parks, Greenway Days returns June 11-14 with a packed schedule of free events spread across the city. The annual event honors the 238 lives lost in the flood while highlighting the greenway’s role as both a memorial and one of Rapid City’s most heavily used public spaces.
The weekend begins Thursday evening at the Journey Museum with An Evening with Theodore Roosevelt: Public Lands and the Duty to Protect Our Water. Historian and actor Joe Wiegand, known nationally for his portrayals of Theodore Roosevelt, will lead a discussion on conservation, public lands, and the responsibility of protecting waterways.
Friday, Founders Park hosts a community gathering featuring a 5K fun run, environmental information booths, and a performance by Blue Collar Brass Band, South Dakota’s only brass band. Across town, the Dahl Arts Center opens Tailings, an exhibition curated by Marty Two Bulls Jr. featuring artists exploring the relationship between landscape, development, and the natural environment. Later that evening, Roosevelt Park Ice Arena trades hockey for disco during Vintage Vibe Night, a 1970s-themed roller skating party complete with throwback music and retro attire.
Saturday brings the widest mix of activities.
Some participants will start the morning with yoga at the Stone Fish. Others will head to Rapid Creek, where volunteers can help clean a stretch of waterway before earning a chance to participate in the One-Fly Fishing event. Nearby, kids can test their skills at Cycle Spot, a bike course hosted by the Club for Boys and Strider Bikes near Founders Park’s Big Fish.
Live music continues throughout the day, including a performance by Tom Haggerty & the Nervous Turtles. At the Minneluzahan Senior Center, the Counts of the Cobblestone Car Club will display classic vehicles, including historic law enforcement cruisers and a Rapid City fire truck that responded during the 1972 flood.
Elsewhere along the greenway, visitors can browse the Black Hills Farmers Market, explore the Journey Museum Summer Festival, learn more about the flood through exhibits from the Rapid City Library Bookmobile, or stop by Trinity Eco Prayer Park for an evening gathering that concludes with a performance from Rapid City musician Rowan Grace.
Sunday offers one final day to get outside before the event wraps up.
Among the highlights is the Humane Society of the Black Hills Dog Parade, which features some of the shelter’s longest-resident dogs still waiting to find homes. Founders Park will also host games, family activities, and a performance by Cold River Canyon. Later in the afternoon, the Journey Museum will screen Surviving the ’72 Flood, a documentary sharing the stories of survivors and rescuers from the disaster that changed Rapid City forever.
More than fifty years after the flood reshaped the city, the greenway continues to serve a different purpose than anyone could have imagined in 1972. On one weekend in June, it becomes a place where brass bands, art exhibits, creek cleanups, classic cars, rescue dogs, cyclists, anglers, and families all end up sharing the same path along Rapid Creek.
