Star Village neighbors Light Up The Night

RAPID CITY — Star Village neighbors and community partners spent Wednesday strengthening connections and improving public safety during a full day of activities at the Light Up The Night event Wednesday, June 10.

The celebration featured a parade, games, food, youth programming and volunteer projects focused on making the neighborhood brighter and safer. The event was funded through the Mayor’s Love Your Block Grant and held in conjunction with Fountain Springs Church’s Love Your Neighbor Week.

Volunteers worked throughout the day on improvement projects, including building a shed for the neighborhood’s tool lending library and installing new lighting in the Star Village Community Garden. Black Hills Energy crews repaired seven light poles and added LED fixtures across the area to increase visibility after dark.

Kelly Oakley, outreach director for Fountain Springs Church, said the event gave residents and partners a chance to connect in meaningful ways.

“People always want to help, and they just don’t know how,” Oakley said. “We give them opportunities to slow down, take a look at what’s going on in our community, and get plugged in. It meets tangible needs, but it’s also about building relationships.”

As evening approached, families gathered around food trucks for dinner, with children lining up for ice cream while adults sampled burgers and fries. Youth activities earlier in the day included tipi teaching, a poster decorating contest and reflective tape installation on bicycles and helmets. The Rapid City Area Schools Food Truck served lunch to youth, guardians and elders.

For many families, the parade that followed was the highlight of the day. Star Village community member Christopher Alexander Piña (Wacante Ognaka Wicasa), who served as Grand Marshal, said the procession reflected a deeper shift happening in the neighborhood.

“Serving as the Grand Marshal for the procession was an absolute honor, but the true beauty of the evening lay in the unity on display,” Piña said. “Looking out across the crowd, the spirit of collaboration was undeniable.”

He noted the presence of key community leaders walking alongside residents. “Leading the way with our relatives were Mayor Jason Salamun, Rapid City Police Chief Don Hedrick, and the dedicated team from Journey On,” he said. “Walking shoulder to shoulder with us in solidarity was also Native Sun News Editor in Chief Ernestine Chasing Hawk, documenting a moment where leadership was defined not by authority, but by presence and prayer.”

Piña said the most meaningful moment of the night came not at the front of the parade, but when he stepped away from the spotlight and sat at the drum with Delaney Apple.

“I felt a wave of nervousness at first — sitting at the drum is a sacred responsibility,” he said. “But the moment I joined that circle, the nervousness dissolved into a pure sense of belonging.” He described each beat as vibrating through him, adding, “It felt as though we were making the stars dance above Star Village.”

Star Village resident Ernestine Chasing Hawk, who regularly brings her grandsons to Love Your Block activities, said the event reflects the pride she feels in her neighborhood.

“I love living in Star Village, and I believe I have the most beautiful view of the city from my deck,” Chasing Hawk said. “I want my grandchildren to enjoy their neighborhood and be part of the community. These events help foster that.”

Her grandsons “loved the ice cream,” she added, while she enjoyed a mushroom burger with mozzarella sprinkled fries. Earlier this spring, her family also participated in the community garden planting, and on Wednesday they joined the parade of lights as children shook glow boxes and wore glow necklaces and bracelets. Several youth received new bike helmets as families moved together through the illuminated streets.

For Piña, the night carried a deeper meaning. “To sit at the drum and share the heartbeat of the people — that’s what leadership really is,” he said. “Tonight wasn’t just a community event. Tonight was healing.”

The event was hosted in partnership with the Rapid City Police Department, Journey On, Black Hills Energy and several other community organizations.

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