The Chamber Christmas Prince & Princess

For one magical year in 1958, the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce crowned its first — and only — Christmas Prince and Princess. Nearly 1,000 children from across the Sioux Empire submitted hand-drawn holiday scenes, and on Nov. 28 two young finalists took center stage: Michael Darnbusch of Hartley, Iowa, and Darlene Drivenes of Humboldt.

Dressed in satin capes and shiny crowns, the pair turned on Sioux Falls’ Christmas lights at 7 p.m., officially opening the holiday season downtown. Before the ceremony, they appeared on KELO-TV with Captain 11, who interviewed them on air — a thrill nearly as big as their royal duties on Phillips Avenue.

Local businesses donated more than 30 gifts for each winner, all displayed in elaborate downtown “show windows.” The prizes ranged from dolls, toy trucks, games, and Morrell hams to dazzling items such as a Raven Industries home ice rink, boxed and ready to flood a backyard for winter fun, and a year’s supply of ice cream. Today’s archive photos show the treasures — board games like Monkeys Wild, toy airplanes, cowboy sets, dolls from Woolworth’s, bottles of soda and a shiny new sled from Sears.

The royal duo also joined Santa Claus when he arrived by helicopter and were introduced at local theaters during a full day of free children’s movies.

Although the Christmas Prince and Princess were crowned only once, their brief reign — captured in flickering streetlights, mid-century storefronts and wide-eyed smiles — remains a charming chapter in Sioux Falls’ holiday history.