Custer's 4th of July parade features a wave of kids on bicycles all decked out in patriotic red, white and blue.
swooped over the crowd and climbed back into the sky, the engines blazed a fiery orange and a huge roar rattled our chests. Our ears were still ringing as the parade began with a swarm of kids on bicycles decked out in red, white, and blue riding past. The town's dignitaries followed, marching in step and bearing flags. We had to block our ears once more when the fire engines rolled by, sirens blaring. Even Uncle Sam appeared, walking on stilts and waving his top hat at the crowd. In the evening we climbed up on a hill to watch the town's fireworks display a few streets away over Pageant Hill. These fireworks are well known in the area, and the town was packed to the gills with people picnicking in the park and on the surrounding hillsides. Soon, fireballs rocketed into the sky and split apart in colorful sprays, exploding in thunderous bursts. The finale was breathtaking. The town of Custer is named for Lt. Col. George Custer who led a huge expedition to the area back in 1874. The wagon train of explorers, scientists, engineers, photographers, and news reporters extended for two miles from end to end as they traveled from the area around present-day Bismarck, North Dakota, to South Dakota's Black Hills in search of gold and a location for a military outpost. Along with 1,000 military men,
SOUTH DAKOTA'S BLACK HILLS Story by Emily Fagan Photos by Emily and Mark Fagan
When the 4th of July arrives each season, we love to take our RV to a small town that celebrates in style. One of our favorites is Custer, South Dakota, where they call their Independence Day festivities "An Old Time Country 4th of July." During our visit, a few days before the holiday, we bumped into the mayor, Corbin Herman, while strolling through town. He was excited about the upcoming celebration and encouraged us to get to the parade just before it started because it would kick off with a flyover by a B-1 bomber from nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base. Sure enough, on the morning of the 4th, to the whoops and hollers of hundreds of people waving flags and looking up at the sky, a B-1 bomber appeared in the distance. Before we could blink an eye, the massive jet zoomed down the parade route right above us. As it
SOUTH DAKOTA'S BLACK HILLS
COAST TO COAST SUMMER MAGAZINE 2020
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