Lemmon Area Charitable and Economic Develoment Corp.

05/27/2026

The Grasslands Triple Crown is a collaboration between Wall, Pierre, and Lemmon, SD gravel bicycle enthusiasts. One of the 3 races in the Triple Crown is our own Thunderhawk Wide Open gravel grinder race which features both our amazing artists and our beautiful landscape. The race brings people from all over the country to our community to enjoy the event, stay in our lodging, eat at our restaurants and shop at our stores.
Pictured below is Lemmon area artist Ethan Thom in our wide open landscape, whose work is featured in the race series awards.

NEW in 2026! ALL 3-event finishers will receive a commemorative metal sculputure by Lemmon, SD artist Ethan Thom.

Ethan created the custom winners' crowns last year. This year, we decided the accomplishment of completing the series should get something special from Ethan too - no matter which route distance you ride at any given event.

Ethan Thom is a full time rancher and part time artist. Having never received formal artistic training, his process tends to be wildly chaotic and highly experimental, leading to unique and bold artworks. That's a perfect fit for us!

Registration for all 3 events is live, and the starting gates open with the Grassland Gravel event in Fort Pierre on July 18. Get registered to get eligible for artwork! Details here: https://oahewheelmen.wixsite.com/grasslands-triple-cr

05/19/2026

Happy EMS Week to the fine crew from Lemmon EMT Association!

Stop by tomorrow!!!

05/13/2026

Congratulations to Lemmon Market and Stefanie Skjoldal Dauwen on your partnership with South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development! The store is such an important part of our community and it's great to hear that it is continuing to be in good hands!

Longtime manager buying northwest South Dakota grocery store with Governor's Office of Economic Development-backed loan; De Smet's DeSCo Architectural Inc. also OK'd for low-interest financing

05/06/2026

Agriculture is the biggest driver of our economy here in NWSD/SWND, and we’ve got some of the best farmers and ranchers in the world right in our own community. We’d like to congratulate Dan and Sharon Anderson and Darling Creek Ranch, LLC for being selected for the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award! Well done!

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02/11/2026

This fun event shows off our natural resources and brings more people to town every year! It’s a race, yes, but also a great gathering of locals and bicycle enthusiasts with live music, great food and drink, and a happy vibe that you shouldn’t miss! They are just opening registration, so you have time to start training for the race and/or for the after party! 🚴🏻‍♀️🚴🍻🌮🍔

NEW ROUTES. SAME THUNDER.

Big news from Lemmon, South Dakota
Registration is officially OPEN for the 2026 Thunderhawk Wide Open, and with it comes a brand-new lineup of routes.
Mark your calendar for August 15th 🚲

For 2026, we’re shaking things up with all-new courses—new gravel, new views, new challenges, and new reasons to fall in love with your bike and the prairie all over again. Expect wide-open country, rolling terrain, and that unmistakable Thunderhawk grit you’ve come to expect.

And don’t worry…
While the routes may be new, everything else you love is staying exactly the same:
🔔 The cowbell will be LOUD
🔥 The energy will be unmatched
🤝 The community will still feel like coming home

Different roads. Same finish-line celebration waiting to welcome you back.

📅 Registration is OPEN
📍 Lemmon, SD
⚡️ Thunderhawk Wide Open 2026

Register Here:
https://www.bikereg.com/thunderhawkwideopen

02/11/2026

Great turnout for WRCTC’s cybersecurity training at the Beeler Center!

01/01/2026

The Palace Theatre and Beeler Center complex are public use projects that we continue to own and manage for the benefit of our community. Big improvements have been made this year, including replacement of the patio between the two buildings and many changes at the Palace Theatre. Much of our work is "behind the scenes" and isn't glamorous so It's fun, on occasion, to showcase the work that looks good and isn't just a spreadsheet or contract!

Happy New Year and THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of our patrons, sponsors and volunteers! YOU are why we can have a great theatre in our community!

2025 was a year that brought a lot of changes to the Palace Theatre. Most of the notable changes happened in the concession and lobby area. The organizational structure was changed in February and we moved to volunteer staffing of the concession stand. This allowed us to provide $7,000.00 in honorariums to non-profit organizations, student sports and travel groups, giving them a new funding resource and helping the theatre run smoothly at the same time. Over 50 volunteers took time out of their weekends to serve hot popcorn and other treats to customers and then cleaned the theatre after each movie showing. We can’t thank them enough!!

The Palace Theatre Committee worked long hours to make the lobby look fabulous with it’s Old Hollywood glow-up, including paint, beautiful decor and a brand new chandelier! They also filled in at the concession stand as needed and helped to bring more vibrancy to the theatre with fresh ideas and different perspectives. We hope to be able to put more of their ideas into action in 2026!

People have been so generous with their time, and for that we are very grateful. We are also grateful to those who provided sponsorships. Many local businesses sponsored the movie for a weekend, as did several organizations and anonymous donors. Because of you, we could bring in programming for people of all ages, as well as continue to provide a nice facility for school events, live concerts, lectures, birthday parties, Boss Cowman Queen Contest, SDSU/NDSU Extension programs, special movie showings for the school, LIVE Inc, Lemmon Public Library, and more!

Here’s to continued success in 2026—we’ve got some exciting things in store for you all at the Palace!

12/10/2025

Thank you, Commissioner Even, for visiting us in Lemmon!

12/04/2025

Commissioner Bill Even from South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development is in town today and tomorrow. He was in Gettysburg earlier and they told him to be sure he saw John Lopez’s Kokomo Inn Gallery. Dave Johnson and Judy Larson were happy to give him a little tour in between meeting with businesses, since John is traveling right now.

10/18/2025

There’s a new business in town, thanks to some local investors who filled the gap when the previous laundromat closed. Check it out!

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