What's on at South Dakota State University this week — games, concerts, shows
and campus happenings, straight from SDSU's own event calendar.
For Jackrabbits schedules and results, see Local life.
Midterm grades are due Wednesday, October 21, marking the halfway point of the fall semester at SDSU.
Hobo Day dominates the week's calendar, with the Hobo Day Committee hosting a Rally at the Rails on Wednesday and a Bum Fire on Thursday, alongside winning shanty displays throughout the week. Athletics bring soccer against USD on Thursday at 6:00 PM and volleyball against USD on Friday at 7:00 PM. The University Program Council is running several events including Jacks' Got Talent on Tuesday, Mulligan Stew on Thursday, and HOBO Bingo on Friday.
For those interested in the arts and gardens, McCrory Gardens hosts a Fall Garden Workshop on Monday covering cut flower production and gourd diseases, and a Bloom and Grow Series talk on spooky plants on Thursday. The South Dakota Art Museum's Yule Market opens Saturday at 10:00 AM, featuring handcrafted items from local and regional artists. Music offerings include the Annual SDSU Jazz Second Option on Monday and a Dylan Hartman Recital on Sunday at 4:00 PM.
The first half of fall term ends October 16, so this week brings both final pushes and a break in the academic calendar. Native American Day on Monday keeps McCrory Gardens open from 10 a.m. for visitors.
Theatre takes center stage with auditions for *Almost, Maine* on Tuesday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center — open to any registered SDSU student, bring a 60-second prepared monologue. The theatre department's fall show, *Dearly Beloved*, runs Thursday through Sunday evenings, with additional performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. featuring silent films accompanied by pipe organ.
Friday brings a Hispanic Heritage Month Fiesta at the University Student Union at 11 a.m., while Saturday offers free drop-in art activities at the South Dakota Art Museum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for all ages. A Steiger Manson Recital wraps the week Sunday at 4 p.m. Also on Thursday, the Brookings Area Master Gardeners meet at McCrory Gardens at 5:30 p.m.
SDSU's arts and athletics schedules fill the week ahead. Theater takes center stage with "A New Brain," a semi-autobiographical musical about a composer facing a life-threatening brain condition, running Thursday through Sunday at The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Soccer and volleyball games span the week—men's soccer faces Oral Roberts on Thursday and Kansas City on Sunday, while volleyball hosts Kansas City on Thursday and Oral Roberts on Saturday, all at their respective athletic venues. Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performs Sunday evening at the performing arts center.
Several academic conferences and campus programs are also scheduled: the South Dakota Student Water Conference meets Tuesday morning at the University Student Union, with a separate 2026 Eastern South Dakota Water Conference (themed "Balancing Economic Development with SD Water Resources") on Wednesday at McCrory Gardens. FCCLA and a Regional Microbiology Conference convene Monday and Friday mornings. On campus, All State Prep Day runs Thursday morning at the performing arts center.
The Fall Festival at McCrory Gardens opens Sunday at 10:00 AM with free admission, horse-drawn hayrides from 1:30 to 4:00 PM featuring commentary from an expert, and the option to bring dogs for $1 each.
This week at South Dakota State University features a series of faculty performances and campus celebrations alongside competitive events. The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center hosts several music recitals: mezzo-soprano Dr. Emily Toronto takes the stage Monday at 7:30 p.m., followed by Dr. Michael Walsh on Thursday and organist Andrew Schaeffer on Friday, both at 7:30 p.m. A faculty lecture on Black Midwestern histories with Dr. Ashley Howard from the University of Iowa runs Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the South Dakota Art Museum, paired with community dialogue.
Monday brings a pair of campus milestones—a retirement celebration for Dr. Alan Young at 3:00 p.m. in the University Student Union and ribbon cuttings for Larson Commons at 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. The Jackrabbit Forensics Tournament runs Saturday and Sunday starting at 7:00 a.m. at Lincoln Hall. Special events include Economics Club Trivia Night on Monday, Family Feud on Thursday, the Miss SDSU 2027 Scholarship Competition on Sunday morning, India Night on Sunday evening, and a public launch of the new Museum Studies minor on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.
Family Weekend takes center stage at South Dakota State this Saturday, September 26, with a tailgate near Hobo Day Plaza offering ice cream, yard games, and giveaways from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. The same afternoon brings Senior Day at the performing arts center, and the University Program Council hosts tailgate activities throughout the day.
Friday evening splits the spotlight between two outdoor performances: Dance On the Sylvan Green, featuring the Dance Ensemble at Coolidge Sylvan Theatre at both 6:00 and 7:00 PM (moving indoors if weather turns), and a Beyblade Tournament at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center at 6:00 PM. Earlier in the week, the South Dakota Art Museum hosts a conversation with interdisciplinary artist Skye Gilkerson on Tuesday at 3:30 PM, and Community Days returns to McCrory Gardens on Wednesday at 10:00 AM with free admission. Sunday rounds out the week with a Wind Symphony Concert at 4:00 PM and soccer against North Dakota at 1:00 PM, plus live music and refreshments at Party on the Porch (1–3 PM) at McCrory Gardens.
SDSU's week opens with Constitution Day and voter registration activities Thursday morning at Lincoln Hall, followed that afternoon by the ribbon cutting for the university's new Metro Center location in Sioux Falls. Several campus groups—including dance and salsa nights and a campus ministry movie night—are hosting events Thursday evening.
On the athletics side, the Jack 15 Road Race runs Saturday at 6:30 AM. The week also features the Stuart Artist in Residence Lecture by Elizabeth Morrisette on Wednesday at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, and a Pre-Law Expo on Tuesday where visiting colleges discuss their Pre-Law Programs. McCrory Gardens hosts a free "Party on the Porch" music event Sunday from 1 to 3 PM, with refreshments available for purchase. Earlier in the week, the Make & Take Monday craft series returns September 14 at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum ($1 per craft).
Labor Day falls on September 7, closing the Agricultural Heritage Museum for the day; McCrory Gardens remains open. The deadline to submit a graduation application for fall 2026 arrives Friday, September 11.
Several campus events welcome students back this week. The Wintrode Student Success & Opportunity Center hosts a kickoff and ice cream social on Tuesday at the University Student Union. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences holds a block party and ice cream social on Wednesday at the Raven Precision Agriculture Center. That same evening, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance runs a trivia night at the University Student Union.
Thursday marks the 10th annual One Day for STATE, SDSU's 24-hour online giving celebration featuring the South Dakota Art Museum. Also Thursday, University Program Council auditions for Jacks' Got Talent begin at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.
The Department of Animal Science celebrates 10 years of the Cow-Calf Research and Education Facility with an open house on Saturday at noon. That afternoon, McCrory Gardens and SDSU Extension host a free Insect Festival at the gardens. Sunday brings Party on the Porch (free admission 1–3 p.m.) and a faculty recital by Dr. David Reynolds at 4 p.m. at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. The College Panhellenic Council holds Bid Day at Coolidge Sylvan Theatre at 6 p.m.
South Dakota State University opens the fall semester this week with two key deadlines affecting students. The last day to drop or add courses and adjust final fees is September 3, followed by the tuition and fees payment deadline on September 4, when 'W' grades begin for students who withdraw.
Athletics take center stage with volleyball facing Nebraska on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Stanley J. Marshall Center, and soccer matches against Colorado College on Thursday and Idaho on Sunday. Football hosts a multiday tournament Friday and Saturday, with SDSU playing Bradley at 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.
Beyond athletics, the Concrete Lab Expansion opens Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Crothers Engineering Hall. A faculty recital featuring music inspired by artworks of Edward Munch and Mary Cassatt takes place Monday at 7:30 p.m. at The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center. Social events include the FSL Block Party Monday evening, Cinema on the Sylvan Tuesday, a bingo and trivia night Thursday, a movie event Friday, and Party on the Porch at McCrory Gardens on Sunday.
SDSU events for the week of August 24–30:
- Fall classes begin: 2026-08-24
- Campus Community Fall Festival (C2F2): Monday 24 at 10:00 AM, University Student Union
- CRU Outdoor Games and Pizza: Monday 24 at 5:00 PM, Outdoor Areas – Athletics
- Wintrode Autism Support Information: Tuesday 25 at 11:00 AM, University Student Union
- Army ROTC Fitness Challenge: Tuesday 25 at 12:00 PM, Outdoor Areas
- RHA Opening Block Party: Tuesday 25 at 5:00 PM, Outdoor Areas
- After Cru Tacos and Games: Tuesday 25 at 8:00 PM, Outdoor Areas
- Community Days 2026 at McCrory Gardens: Wednesday 26 at 10:00 AM, McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center
- Wintrode Autism Support Information: Wednesday 26 at 11:00 AM, University Student Union
- Graduate School Welcome Back Ice Cream Social: Wednesday 26 at 3:00 PM, Coughlin Campanile
- Wintrode Autism Support Information: Thursday 27 at 11:00 AM, University Student Union
- Downtown at Sundown: Thursday 27 at 5:00 PM, Off-Campus
- Downtown at Sundown: Thursday 27 at 5:30 PM, Off-Campus
- University Program Council (UPC) - DIY Dorm Decor: Thursday 27 at 6:00 PM, University Student Union
- Soccer vs Western IL: Thursday 27 at 7:00 PM, Outdoor Areas – Athletics
SDSU's fall semester kicks off this week with a busy schedule of welcome events and academic gatherings. The Indian Students' Association holds celebrations Monday and Tuesday mornings at the University Student Union, while faculty and professional development conferences begin Wednesday, anchored by the Fall 2026 Faculty Conference at 8:00 AM.
A slate of social events takes over the weekend. The Welcome Back Bash runs twice Friday evening (6:30 PM and 7:30 PM) at the University Student Union, followed by the New Jacks Class Photo and Playfair icebreaker Saturday morning at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, and a HEROH Welcome Back Dance Saturday night. Sunday brings the official SDSU Convocation at 2:00 PM at Coolidge Sylvan Theatre, where university leadership marks the new academic year, alongside college-specific welcome events across campus at 3:00 PM and other connection opportunities throughout the day.
On the athletic side, the soccer team hosts Washington State Thursday at 7:00 PM at the outdoor athletics facilities. Meanwhile, the Brookings Area Master Gardeners meet Thursday evening at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center.
