The Branding Iron Steakhouse brought a little bit of Kentucky to Belle Fourche on Saturday, May 3 for its annual Kentucky Derby Party. In celebration of the first horse race of the yearly Triple Crown, attendees came to the party dressed up in Derby attire with fancy dresses and big hats, from wide-brimmed hats to feathery fascinators. Some also wore horse jockey attire, with bright-colored patterned silks!
Derby-themed festivities included mint juleps—a classic Kentucky Derby cocktail—at the bar, random door prizes, stick horse races, chances to win beer and bourbon, a photo booth with a backdrop designed by Michaela Horn of the Chamber of Commerce, and Best Hat and Best Jockey Attire contests.
There were also Derby-themed Bingo sheets for the tables, with squares that read things like “Woman with Pink Dress,” “Man with Black Hat,” and “Celebrity Says Riders Up.” When it came time for the race, those who wished to make a small bet paid $5 towards a pot to draw a horse’s number from a basket. If that horse won the race, the pot was theirs!
Roxi Dobesh, Manager of the Branding Iron, said that they’ve been throwing Derby parties for about 7 years now. “Sometimes it’s bigger than others, but we’ve got a lot of people doing branding this weekend. But we just throw it together and it is what it is. We just have fun,” she said.
