Lumberjack show, logging days kicking off Hill City’s 150th Birthday Celebration

The Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce the return of the Heart of the Hills Lumberjack and Logging days. This exciting free family event will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24, in downtown Hill City on Elm Street just off Main. 

Hill City traditionally hosted the Heart O’ the Hills logging competition annually beginning in 1973, with the last one in 2014.  Area loggers would come to town once a year to show off their skills, give demonstrations of logging equipment and compete for cash and prizes.  

“We thought it appropriate to re-visit Hill City’s nostalgic logging history to kick-off our birthday season,” said chamber executive director Erica Layton.

The weekend events will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 23, with a tribute to Hill City’s logging families and loggers.

“We have contracted with Lumberjack Enterprises out of Stillwater, Minn., to come to Hill City to perform a free show,” said Layton.

They will put on three shows daily at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. The shows will feature 11 different events, including log rolling, boom running, hot saw racing, springboard tree topping, obstacle pole racing, stock saw, bow saw, double buck saw, ax throwing and chainsaw carving. No two shows will be the same. There will also be two interactive kids’ camps daily at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., during which kiddos can try log rolling and sawing with a parental signed waiver.

Activities for adults will include ax throwing (fee of $5) with all proceeds going to Hill City area charities, a dunk tank (fee of $5) and a cornhole tournament with cash prizes.  

Activities for kids will include inflatable ax throwing and a saw dust treasure hunt, both at no charge.

Smokey Bear will be on hand for photo ops. 

Free musical entertainment is scheduled as follows:

• 2-4 p.m. Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24,  Brent Morris (country)

• 4:45-6 p.m. Saturday, May 23, Sequoia Crosswhite (Native American flute, guitar, drums)

• 4:45-6 p.m. Sunday, May 24, JJ Kent and the Aces (country)

Cohort Brewery Beer tent opens at 11 a.m. on Elm Street.