Yotes and Jacks go rural

     In the midst of the annual Dakota Days festivities, one event outside of Vermillion has brought students together for dancing, laughter and fun for almost 10 years.

     The annual Yotes Go Rural barn dance is set to take place Saturday, October 3 at Fleurish Farm’s Seed Shed outside of Elk Point.

     Chad and Christy Heckathorn, hosts of Yotes Go Rural, started this event to share their joy of country dancing with USD students.

     “We thought ‘Let’s give it a try. We’ll use our seed shed that we have on our farm as the setting for it.’ It went over really well, so we’ve continued doing it every year now,” Christy Heckathorn said. 

     Lessons for jitterbug style, also known as swing dancing, start at 7:00 p.m. Chad and their daughter, Mariah, help teach the lessons. 

Students who have mastered these dance moves also help teach others. All the guided leaders wear a “Yotes Go Rural” t-shirt, so others know where to ask for help or questions when learning.

     “It’s really fun to watch because everywhere you walk there are people just like dancing and it’s really cool,” Christy Heckathorn said.

     The barn dance has drawn students in from many different colleges, such as SDSU, Dordt University and Briar Cliff. 

     “We welcome whoever wants to come. It’s not meant to be exclusive to just USD students, but we definitely recognize and put the focus on USD students. That’s why we called it Yotes Go Rural,” Christy Heckathorn said.

Morgan Meyer, a third year student at USD, attended the event for the first time last year, where she met lots of new people.

     “You get to meet people you dance with and their friends. It’s just a very welcoming community, just a very fun environment that is safe,” Meyer said.

     She already had previous dancing experience, but she wanted others to join in on the enjoyment..

     “I’ve grown up swing dancing, so I brought my roommates and just thought it would be fun for them to learn,” Meyer said.

     The Heckthorn family began this event in the evening, so people could attend after the Dakota Days football game. They also saw this as an opportunity to give students another fun option to celebrate the week.

     “We really wanted to offer an alternative to people who didn’t really want to go out and drink or party, who wanted a place to come and meet other people and just come out and have fun,” Heckathorn said. “I think over the years that has definitely grown. We are 20 minutes or less from Vermillion, so we’re not that far away.”

     This event is alcohol-free, and there is no cost to attend. Karli’s Kitchen food truck will be offering food for the attendees. A bonfire will also be going throughout the evening at the farm.

     The Heckathorn farm is located at 47663 SD Highway, 50, Elk Point, South Dakota, and the event goes till 11 p.m.

     “We just really want to provide an opportunity for students to get together and hang out and have fun in a safe environment,” Heckathorn said.