MARCH 13, 2020 – On Friday, March 13, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem mandated that all schools are to be closed and sporting events will be postponed and cancelled for the immediate future. Because of these recent announcements, the Deadwood’s St. Paddy’s Leprechaun Olympics games scheduled for today and the St. Paddy’s Parade on Saturday, March 14 will be cancelled. This is not a decision we have made lightly, and we apologize for the inconvenience and any confusion.
A pandemic is a highly fluid situation with things changing hourly if not quicker and we are adhering to the most recent requests made by state and national officials to help curb the spread of COVID-19. We ask that everyone take CDC health precautions very seriously. Deadwood’s annual pub crawl on Saturday, March 14 has already been adjusted so revelers will not be part of large groups. Visitors will go place to place on their own. The official St. Paddy’s DJ at the Silverado Franklin on Saturday night, March 14, will be cancelled as well. We know a number of visitors are currently in Deadwood celebrating the holiday and we welcome them. Deadwood is not closed and visitors will find plenty to do. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience but in light of today’s announcements we have made a necessary decision.
Deadwood information locations will be open regular hours to assist visitors. Deadwood Chamber & Visitors Bureau staff will be on hand at the Franklin Hotel on Saturday from 11am to 3pm to further assist those visitors who are in town. Until further notice, trolleys will be restricted to seated-capacity-only. Additional disinfection measures are being taken. The City of Deadwood takes the safety and wellbeing of our guests very seriously. If interruptions of service are necessary, there will be ample notice given, however, we do not anticipate this. Again, we recommend that visitors follow all CDC recommendations, including staying home if you are feeling sick or if you have a sick family member in your home.