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The Fine Arts
The arts have had a significant presence in Sioux City since the beginning. Operas, vaudeville exhibitions, and cinematic movies have also provided visual forms of entertainment in Siouxland. A large variety of musical groups have also played here in Sioux City: classical bands and orchestras, national and international stars of rock and roll, and everything in between. Some groups such as the Monahan Post Band, the Municipal Band, and stars like Tommy Bolin call Sioux City home. The city has provided the arts with a magnificent set of venues over the years, such as the Peavey Grand Opera House, Municipal Auditorium, and the Orpheum Theatre. Today the arts still have a strong presence in the city. The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra provides regular concerts and calls the refurbished Orpheum Theatre home. The Orpheum also hosts Broadway tour plays and all manner of other shows as regular entertainment, and the Sioux City Community Theatre and LAMB Production studios put on plays and musicals locally as well. The bandshell at Grandview Park is another hotspot for concerts, including the yearly Saturday in the Park music festival. And of course, the Sioux City Art Center offers a fine display of local and national paintings and sculptures.
Sports
Apart from the school-sponsored activities, Sioux City has also had many local sports teams. Baseball especially has been huge in the city’s history. The Cornhuskers were Sioux City’s first Western League professional team, and they later became the Chicago White Sox. Other Sioux City baseball teams include the Packers, Cowboys, and the Sioux City Soos, one of our longest running baseball teams. Today baseball is still alive in Sioux City with the Sioux City Explorers, who play at Lewis and Clark Stadium. Sioux City also has a team in the United States Hockey League, the Sioux City Musketeers. We also have the Sioux City Bandits, a minor league football team who, like the Musketeers, use the Tyson Event Center. Other sports in the city include automobile and soap box derby races at tracks in Woodland Park and in North Sioux City. Horse races were held at Evan’s Driving Park, and the various boat clubs in the city held boat races as well.
Festivals and Festivities
Parades and festivals have promoted Sioux City’s interests and celebrated the unique culture of the Siouxland area. In the late 19th century Sioux City was famous for her Corn Palaces, large buildings vibrantly decorated with grain that celebrated the harvest and agriculture of the area. The Interstate Livestock Fair was a huge, multistate fair held at the grounds in Riverside Park, where people brought crops, livestock, and home goods for show and sale. Anniversary celebrations lie the Centennial held in 1954 celebrate the city’s history from pioneer town to bustling urban center. Since 1964 the annual River-Cade festival has celebrated Sioux City’s relationship with the Missouri River and her history as a port city. And festivals like ArtSplash celebrate the arts in the city. Other forms of recreation like public dance halls and amusement parks have also had a presence here in the city, providing entertainment and good times to Sioux City citizens for generations.
