Join The Celebration Of Young Women At Miss South Dakota Event

Twenty young women from across South Dakota are getting ready to take the stage in Brookings for the 78th annual Miss South Dakota competition, happening May 29 through 31 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on the SDSU campus.

The candidates, ages 19 to 26, will be showcasing more than just evening gowns and dazzling smiles. Over the three-night event, they’ll be judged on everything from public speaking and personal interviews to talent performances, fitness, and stage presence.

At the end of the competition, one woman will walk away with the title of Miss South Dakota 2025, plus at least $13,000 in scholarships and awards. Altogether, more than $54,000 in scholarships are up for grabs.

The competition kicks off with preliminaries on Thursday and Friday nights, both starting at 6:30 p.m. The final night of competition — where the new Miss South Dakota will be crowned — happens Saturday, May 31, also at 6:30 p.m.

If you can't make it in person, Saturday’s show will be livestreamed so fans can tune in from anywhere.

Running alongside the Miss South Dakota competition is the Miss South Dakota Teen program. Teen candidates will compete during the preliminaries on Thursday and Friday, with the new Miss South Dakota’s Teen titleholder announced at the end of Friday’s event.

Miss South Dakota 2024, Joelle Simpson, will also be a part of this year's program.  Over the past year, Joelle has traveled the state with her harp, promoting her community service initiative, “Nurturing Nature.” She recently represented South Dakota at the Miss America competition in Orlando this past January.

Whether you're a pageant fan or just curious to see some of South Dakota’s brightest young women in action, this is a weekend you won’t want to miss. For tickets and livestream information, go to Miss South Dakota 2025.