BELLE FOURCHE—The Butte County Sheriff’s Department, headed by longtime Sheriff Fred Lamphere, will serve as Grand Marshals for the Black Hills Roundup Parade this year.
This beloved Fourth of July celebration has been a part of Belle Fourche’s history for more than a hundred years, and the Grand Marshals are a special title whose role is to lead the parade’s precession through town.
The department staff is comprised of eight full-time dispatchers, a chief deputy, four patrol deputies, a transport/civil deputy, a civil deputy, a secretary deputy, and two 24/7 technicians. There are also six to eight active and starring reserve deputies. “It’s a huge honor. Very unique to be recognized as a working agency and including the staff,” said Lamphere. “It personifies how we work. It’s not just me; it’s everyone that makes it work.”
The staff is reportedly very excited to be part of the parade as marshals; in fact, dispatch was already talking about doing something in the parade when they received the invitation from the Roundup Parade Committee. “It was perfect timing,” said Lamphere. “They do a lot behind the scenes; they’re the ones who stay back and make everyone work well. Including them was neat.”
Lamphere has been involved with the Black Hills Roundup since he first began working in law enforcement in 1990. His experience as a law enforcement officer of Butte County for 34 years has allowed him to work closely within the community and form relationships with organizations like the Roundup that support the local area and help the county prosper.
“I am appreciative of my staff and all the things that bring everybody together and work well. To be recognized for that and be the parade marshal is an awesome feeling.
It shows the community recognizing people. Everyone is doing their part,” said Lamphere.
Lamphere emphasized the significance of the Roundup Parade. It’s one of the largest parades in the state of South Dakota; thousands of people, both local and international, come to experience it every year.
The event has even drawn the state’s governors and congresspeople over the years. “A lot of politicians have made an effort, just because it draws so many people,” he explained. “It’s a very significant part of the Fourth of July. Very American.”
The parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. on July 4 and is free to attend. Bring a chair and find a spot along the route, which begins at the intersection of National Street and Thirteenth Ave. and continues for two miles before stopping at the intersection of Eighth Ave. and National Street. Enjoy the fun parade floats, decorated according to the “Throwback Thursday” theme, and don’t be late—the celebration will kick off with a B-1 bomber flyover!
