Chamber Retires Sioux Empire Livestock Show, looks to future agriculture programming

After careful review, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce has made the difficult decision to retire the Sioux Empire Livestock Show, with 2025 marking the final year. The decision was driven by long-term financial losses, staffing and volunteer challenges and facility limitations — not by any lack of passion or support from agricultural partners.

The Sioux Empire Livestock Show has been an important part of the Chamber’s work in supporting agriculture, and stepping away from it was not done lightly. However, recent years have brought significant challenges. The event has operated at a substantial financial loss, making it difficult to justify the continued investment. A smaller pool of available staff and volunteers, along with the loss of certain specialized skills and roles, has made it harder to produce the show at the high standard expected by participants and the community. Additionally, ongoing ventilation and climate-control issues at the current venue affect the comfort and experience of guests, staff and volunteers. The Chamber emphasizes that these facility challenges are not the fault of Sioux Empire Fair Association Inc. leadership or the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds. Rather, they are shared concerns that call for a broader community conversation about potential future improvements.

Another factor in the decision is the imbalance in payouts. While South Dakota exhibitors receive strong support from local sponsors and buyers, more than 80 percent of top titles go to out-of-state participants. This results in a growing share of sales dollars leaving the state, lessening the economic benefit to the local agriculture community.

None of these factors diminish the Chamber’s commitment to agriculture. That commitment remains strong, and planning is already underway for new, sustainable programming to celebrate and support the agriculture industry in ways that meet evolving member needs. The Chamber will continue to host Ag Appreciation Day and National Farmer’s Day at the Barn, maintain partnerships with the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, South Dakota Pork Producers Council, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, South Dakota Beef Industry Council, South Dakota Dairy Producers and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and advocate for agriculture at all levels of government.

The Chamber’s Agribusiness Manager will continue to lead the Chamber’s agriculture programming and education, advise the public policy team on agriculture-related advocacy and use her relationships with sponsors, commodity groups and agriculture leaders to help shape new initiatives. She will also serve as a bridge between the Chamber and the agriculture community during this time of transition.

While the Sioux Empire Livestock Show has closed its chapter, the Chamber looks forward to writing new ones — creating fresh opportunities to honor and support agriculture in our region for years to come.