July 17, 2025

This piece is sponsored by Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

An annual art trail, popular restaurant and pick-your-own flower farm are among the fun stops waiting with a quick trip to Garretson.

Palisades Art Gallery/Garretson Art Trail

You might know the community of Garretson for its destination parks – but get ready to appreciate it for art too.

Palisades Art Gallery features the work of artist Susan Hartenhoff, who grew up in Sioux Falls, developed her art career in Arizona and returned to South Dakota in 2013.

“When we came back, I moved into Garretson because we wanted to be out in the country,” she said. “Small-town living was nice after living in Phoenix.”

She started the downtown gallery four years ago at 506 N. Main Ave.

“I always wanted to open up a space in town because people want to come see what I’m doing,” she said.

Susan Hartenhoff Fine Art specializes in wildlife art, especially horses, along with more recent work in landscapes. Much of her work is through commissions. The gallery often hosts special events.

“It’s a lot of fun, and it invites people in because they’re kind of bashful about coming into a gallery,” she said. “I’m not going to make them buy anything!”

For information on Palisades Art Gallery, visit here.

You’ll also find plenty of outdoor art in Garretson too. The community’s art trail expands each year with a changing collection of work, from a downtown art alley to installations to find throughout the community.

Pick up a pamphlet in many area businesses and treat yourself to a scavenger hunt of sorts for about 30 pieces this year, through October. 

And don’t miss searching for Billy the Kid this year – call him the Goat of Garretson.

“It’s a very enthusiastic type of art,” Hartenhoff said of pieces on the trail. “People that are from South Dakota or the Garretson area or have lived here at one point are all included in the show.”

The Gulch

Looking for something to eat in Garretson? Check out The Gulch, also located in heart of downtown at 516 N. Main Ave. and a favorite of locals and visitors.

“I’ve got very nice, friendly staff, good cooks and good food,” owner Tracie Jellis said.

The menu features steak, broasted chicken and a weekend salad bar with special features.

“We do everything from prime rib to lobster tails, crab legs, sirloin, walleye,” she said. “Every weekend, it’s something different.”

Since buying the business eight years ago, she has expanded the seating and offers happy hour and football season specials. The Gulch is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

The kitchen generally closes at 9 or 10 p.m. depending on the crowd.

Two Little Bees Family Farm

And don’t leave town without a stop just a few miles east at Two Little Bees Family Farm.

The property began as a family dairy farm, but Brittany Lessman and her husband, Kyle, now open it to the public for flower picking, starting in July.

“You can come out during the summer Friday and Sunday nights and enjoy the flowers and nature and pick from about 30 different flowers and colors, everything to fit anybody’s mood,” Lessman said.

For $25, you’ll leave not just with a beautiful bouquet but a memorable experience.

“You’ll be able to purchase a 20-ounce cup, we’ll provide you with snips to borrow for the evening, and you can put as many flowers and different colors as you want within that cup,” she said. “You have about two hours to pick, and you can choose anything and everything.”

The flowers will be here until first frost, and pumpkins will be available in the fall.

Saturday mornings, the farm stand is open beginning at 8 a.m. until dusk with eggs, flowers, pumpkins and sometimes extra treats.

 Visitors tend to be happily surprised when they discover it, Lessman said.

“This is just a little nook in the country you don’t usually hear about, and they love that it’s so peaceful,” she said. “It’s just kind of a little oasis.”

To learn more, visit here.