B.A. Soulja

Festival-goers can choose from a diverse variety of activities throughout the four-day celebration, including Middle Eastern music groups, booths and vendors, and the Roo Ranch show. Most people will find something to do or see.

Activities for children include face painting, tossing water balloons, jousting and a show by the Roo Ranch.

The children's activities will be between the main stage and the food vendors.

Bands, located on the main stage, will be playing throughout the afternoons and evenings with genres including rap, country western, gospel (on Sunday) and rock 'n' roll. Other tribute bands will perform music by Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

An acoustic stage will be set up by the food vendors.

Margaritas and a variety of South Dakota wines are new to the beer tent and garden, which will be an open area by the main stage.

A service will be provided to give people a safe ride home by asking in the main tent.

Heritage Festival president Steve Dary said there will be more activities, and people should come check them all out. Dary noted that the festival is free through donations and sponsorships.

A highlight of events

Thursday, July 3

Main stage entertainment

* 4 p.m. - midnight: Fairbanks Blue, Cavanaugh Park, Doe Boy & Minnie, Switch, Abyss and.
K.O.D.
- Rapid City Journal

WINFIELD, Kan. - I attended both of the "Just Plain Folks" showcases at Knight's Cellar in Spearfish on Sept. 8 and at The Road House in Rapid City on Sept 9. Eighteen Black Hills acts played in Spearfish, and 27 played in Rapid City.

I hope Brian Austin Whitney, the Just Plain Folks guru, was suitably impressed. I was
It is unfair to all the other acts to single out one, but I must give a nod to Rapid City rapper K.O.D. I didn't know Rapid City had a rapper. He's a good one. If there is one, there must be others - Rapid City Journal

Rolle to the Fullest.”

That initial success led to major-label interest, a spot on the

Billboard charts and slots opening for Afroman, 2 Live Crew,

Tone-Loc and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Now, KOD is getting his second album ready and has landed a

sponsorship deal with rapper Lil Jon’s Crunk Energy Drink. That

sponsorship has allowed KOD to build his street team of 25 people up

to more than 75.

But beyond the continuing flirtations with fame, the local rapper,

whose name is Andre Truitt, is finding ways to give back to the

community that has embraced his music.

And he’s starting by putting on a hip-hop workshop for kids at the

Rapid City Public Library. During the two-hour workshop, KOD will

cover writing, performing and marketing.

“It’s open to all ages, but it’s mostly geared toward the kids,” he

said. “I’ll be talking about how I got into the music business.”

The workshop will also have time for the kids to write some lyrics

themselves.
- Rapid City Journal

Last weekend's Eighth Annual Kids Fair raises money for Youth & Family Services' youth programs by offering fun things for kids to do. More than 60 businesses and organizations hosted booths at the three-day fair, with the emphasis on providing hands-on activities, shows or give-aways just for kids. Featured booths included pony rides, petting zoo, inflated castle and slide, mini-train, rock wall, animals from Reptile Gardens, and a Humvee from the South Dakota National Guard.

Also at the fair were children's entertainers Phil Baker, the Ronald McDonald Magic Show, "The Ugly Duckling" performed by the Garfield Players, the Hot Shot Dancers, Karuz Rythm Team and hip hop artist K.O.D.

The Kids Fair keeps growing every year, and raises more than $20,000 for Youth & Family Services. YFS is a United Way agency with programs that reach 8,500 children in western South Dakota. It sponsors Girls Incorporated of Rapid City, Western Prevention Resource Center, Nutrition Services, Head Start, a counseling center, child care and Teaching SMART. YFS maintains six facilities in Rapid City and Ellsworth Air Force Base - Rapid city Journal