Deadwood's 150th Year Has a Few Weeks Left. Here's What's Still on the Calendar.

At 10 a.m. on October 1, people gathered on the Adams Museum lawn along Deadwood Street to watch the City of Deadwood and Deadwood History bury a time capsule. KOTA reported that the capsule holds a snapshot of local life in 2026, with items that represent modern technology, local architecture, education and the town's preservation work. A commemorative stone now marks the spot. According to Deadwood History, it opens on July 4, 2076.

Deadwood History Executive Director Jim Williams told KOTA what he hopes the people of 2076 will make of it:

"They're going to think that we are absolutely crazy; why did they think this was important? Or I hope they're going to see a sense of 'okay, this has been the chain of development, and history for Deadwood.'"

The "chain of development" is a good way to read what's left of the sesquicentennial. Most of the summer events looked back to 1876: Wild Bill Days, the reenactment of Hickok's funeral, the Days of '76 Rodeo. The final stretch moves forward to the decision that pays for all of it. Between now and the December 4 finale, nearly every event either marks legalized gaming or raises money for the groups that keep historic Deadwood standing.

Settling the score with Lead first

One piece of unfinished business came before the fundraisers. Deadwood and Lead turned their two sesquicentennials into a three-game vintage base ball series played under 1877 to 1885 rules. KOTA reported that Deadwood won the June game 12–8. Lead took game two at Mountain Top Field in July. The tiebreaker, billed as "The Finale," was set for Sunday, October 18, at 1 p.m. at Ferguson Football Field, free for spectators, with the trophy going to the winner.

After that Sunday game, the calendar turns to Halloween and then to November.

Two Halloween weekends, one at the Adams House

The Historic Adams House paranormal investigation runs this Friday and Saturday, October 23–24. Entry sessions start at 6, 7:30, 9 and 10:30 p.m. Admission is $35, and reservations are required in advance. Deadwood History runs the event, the same nonprofit that helped bury the time capsule.

Deadweird follows on October 30–31. Friday brings the 21+ Monster Ball at Deadwood Mountain Grand from 7 to 10 p.m. On Saturday, the 21+ costume contest and party fills the Historic Franklin Hotel from 6 to 10 p.m. Families get Halloween night too. Trunk or Treat runs at the Days of '76 Event Complex from 4 to 6 p.m., and free KidWeird runs from 5 to 8 p.m. The KidWeird listing names the Deadwood Gulch Convention Center as the venue. The main Deadweird page still says "TBD," so check closer to the date.

Both kids' events are on the official sesquicentennial schedule, the last family-focused items before the program turns to its own history.

November 5 is the date the 150th has been building toward

The official 150th schedule marks November 5 as the 37th anniversary of legalized gaming in Deadwood. It calls the occasion "an important milestone in the city's modern history." Gaming began in Deadwood in 1989. The city's 2026 Historic Preservation budget lists the preservation work paid for with gaming revenue, including projects funded through gaming-revenue bonds going back to that first year.

The same day, the free Preservation Thursday talk puts the two sides of that arrangement at one podium. Kevin Kuchenbecker is Deadwood's Planning, Zoning, and Historic Preservation Officer. George Milos is executive director of the Deadwood Gaming Association. The talk is titled "Reflections on Deadwood's Historic Preservation Efforts and the Impact of Legalized Gaming." It runs from noon to 1 p.m. at the Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center, 150 Sherman St.

Earlier Preservation Thursdays this year covered Seth Bullock, Casey Tibbs and the archives that hold Deadwood's past. This one is about the present-day machinery. It covers how a city in a National Historic Landmark district funds facade work, restorations and museum operations, and who sits at the table when those decisions get made. If you only go to one event this fall, this lunch hour explains the most about the town you live in.

The weekends that follow put that money to work

The rest of November follows the same pattern. Each event raises money for a local preservation or downtown cause.

• Saturday, November 7: Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Stroll. Check in from noon to 3 p.m. at the Deadwood Welcome Center, 501 Main St. The stroll runs from 1 to 6 p.m. Tickets include samples at participating locations and a commemorative glass, and proceeds benefit Deadwood's Main Street Initiative. The 2026 menu and list of stops are still marked "Coming Soon" on the event page.
• Saturday, November 14: Deadwood's 150th Motorcycle Giveaway Party. From 1 to 5 p.m. at Saloon No. 10, Deadwood History hosts live music, a silent auction, and whiskey and bourbon tastings, then draws the winning raffle ticket.
• Friday and Saturday, November 27–28: Candlelight Christmas Tours. The Historic Adams House at 22 Van Buren St. offers tours every half hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The motorcycle deserves a closer look, because it's a commemorative object built in town. Jason Mook of Deadwood Custom Cycles started with a 1991 Harley-Davidson Softail frame and a 93-cubic-inch V-Twin with a Panhead top end. He added a Paughco narrow springer front end and one-off parts throughout, including the tank, handlebars, exhaust, luggage rack, pegs, grips and solo-seat mount. Deadwood History lists tickets at $100 each, with 500 tickets in the raffle. Proceeds support its preservation and education work. At the party, Mook will tell the story behind the build before the drawing.

The holiday ornament tradition is already spoken for. The organizer reports that Holiday Ho-Ho Horseshoes, which runs November 20 through December 30, has sold out of its horseshoe ornaments.

A new stage inside Deadwood's largest historic building

One opening this fall fits the same story. Ian Munsick's Cowboy Bar & Western Grill opened September 18 inside The Landmark Hotel & Casino at 53 Sherman Street. The Wyoming-born country artist partnered with the hotel on the venue. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has two performance stages, one indoors and one outdoors.

According to The Landmark, the structure went up between 1894 and 1920 and is Deadwood's largest historic building at about 35,000 square feet. The Cowboy Bar takes up more than 2,600 square feet of it. A hotel and casino keeps that century-old building in use, and now it has a new music room. Posted hours vary across the venue's page, so check before you go.

How the year closes

The Community Christmas Gathering at Outlaw Square on Friday, December 4, officially ends the anniversary. The Chamber awards start at 5:30 p.m., and the tree is lit at 6 p.m. The official schedule says the evening will include a telegraph message from the Governor to mark the holidays and the end of the celebration. The next morning, December 5, Deadwood History holds a Holiday Open House at the Days of '76 Museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The organizers note that all 150th activities are subject to change.

Owning a piece of Deadwood means owning a piece of that preservation story, from the historic district's rules to the gaming-funded programs that shape its streets. If the 150th has you thinking about what a historic property here involves, I'm glad to walk you through it over coffee on Main Street. Let's Connect with Jenni Sneesby.