With the recent warm weather, my thoughts have been turning to summer in the Black Hills. And among my favorite summer things here are the free street festivals. A warm evening, cold beer, live music, lively food and lots of people. You can’t go wrong.

Summer Nights in Rapid City is one of the biggest. This weekly Thursday night street festival began in 2008 on Seventh Street. Last year it expanded into a sprawling event that stretched down Main Street and Seventh Street. The first Summer Nights festival is scheduled for June 7, with Groove Daddy performing. It ends Aug. 30 with Pumpin’ Ethyl.

I haven’t heard what the new layout will be, but the new Main Street Square at Sixth and Main will likely play a bigger role in the 2012 lineup.

Downtown Friday Nights in Spearfish has really taken off. Initially, it was a once-a-month event. This summer there will be an outdoor concert every Friday night, beginning with Groove Daddy on June 8 and ending with Pumpin’ Ethyl on Aug. 31.

Organizer Scott Temple has been busy coordinating the acts so that 10 of the 13 bands will play Rapid City on Thursday night and Spearfish on Friday night. And some bands will add a third night to the tour, playing at the Deadwood Mountain Grand on Saturday night. That kind of coordination allows the Black Hills to attract bigger acts from farther away.

Also, the Black Hills host a number of one-time special events. Perhaps the biggest is Wild Bill Days in Deadwood. The Deadwood Chamber of Commerce just announced that Rick Springfield and the Marshall Tucker Band are booked for this year’s Wild Bill Days, set for June 15 and 16. Concert goers show up hours early to set up their folding chairs on Main Street and by show time the street is packed.

Today marks the official start of spring — the vernal equinox occurred at 1:14 this morning — but it already feels like summer in the Black Hills and Badlands.

In fact, it’s been that way for more than a week. Temperatures last weekend were downright balmy — mid to  high 70s both days. The lilacs are starting to bud, the tulips are emerging and there’s a hint of green on some of the pastures.

The spring equinox, by the way, is the moment that the sun passes directly over the equator as the Earth — its axis slightly askew from its orbital path around the sun — begins exposing its northern hemisphere to direct sunlight. The first day of summer, June 21, is the day that the sun reaches its northernmost point, the Tropic of Cancer, and starts heading south again.

But in the Black Hills, summer is well underway by June. And on March 20, you are just as likely to see a foot of snow piling up in your front yard as you would see the crocus emerging from the flowerbeds. So how do you know that spring has arrived?

Here are eight signs that spring has arrived in the Black Hills:

1. Motorcycles suddenly seem to be everywhere. It’s not unusual to see motorcycles in the Black Hills. The biggest difference is the ear-to-ear smiles you see behind the handlebars at this time of year.
2. On Interstate 90, the eastbound trailers loaded with snowmobiles meet westbound trailers loaded with four-wheelers.
3. Skis and snowboards mounted atop Subaru Outbacks are replaced by knobby-tired mountain bikes.
4. The needle on those fire danger signs jump from “moderate” to “high.”
5. 5. On weekdays, you see seniors pulling their golf bags through the parking lot at Meadowbrook and other golf courses around the Black Hills.
6. On weekends, the golf course parking lots are full of cars.
7. Motorhomes, RVs, Airstreams and Buick LaCrosses start appearing on the highways as retirees and snowbirds begin their annual northward migration.
8. Help wanted signs sprout from motels, hotels, restaurants, retail shops and seasonal attractions.

If you’re into the outdoors, but can’t decide between winter sports and summer fun, don’t worry. In the Black Hills at this time of year, you can do both.

“We actually had some members who golfed on Wednesday and skied on Thursday,” said Rob Kortan, head professional at the Spearfish Canyon Country Club. The scenic 18-hole golf course, at the mouth of Spearfish Canyon, operates pretty much year around, he said.

Meanwhile at Terry Peak on Friday, skiers and snowboarders were swarming down the Stewart Slope in the bright sunshine. (Check out the webcams.)

As the crow flies, Spearfish Canyon Country Club is really not all that far from the Stewart Lodge at Terry Peak Ski Area. It’s all about altitude. Terry Peak, the second-highest point in the Black Hills, stands at 7,044 feet above sea level. Spearfish is at 3,648 feet. That 3,400-foot difference makes a huge difference when it comes to temperature, snowfall and recreation choices.

On top of that, climate and weather patterns tend to favor the Black Hills’ towns and cities along the foothills in winter. That’s why we call it the Banana Belt. Hot Springs enjoys an average January high temperature of nearly 38 degrees — that’s its coldest month.

And March 2012 has been warmer than usual in the Black Hills. On Friday afternoon, the temperature in Spearfish was about 74 degrees.

Terry Peak Ski Area officials are optimistic they can keep the slopes open until April 1, but with the last reported snowfall there March 4 it could be a challenge. We’ve had great snowfall in April, May and occasionally in June.

You know the old saying: If you don’t like the weather in the Black Hills, wait a minute.

It’s nice to hear what  other people think of you, especially if it’s favorable. That’s why it was so great to see the recent Public Policy Polling results that showed South Dakota had the fourth highest favorable rating among the 50 states. I have to believe the beauty of the Black Hills had a lot to do with that rating. Not many states can boast this much scenery, outdoor recreation, cultural interest and geological diversity.

The top three spots were taken by Hawaii, Colorado and Tennessee, in that order. A bonus: Illinois was irked that we ranked so high. The Land of Lincoln was third from the bottom. Here’s a quote from a recent Chicago Tribune editorial:

Ancient paleo Indians used to hunt with a particularly effective weapon called an atlatl. It was a long, concave stick with a cup carved into one end. An arrow or dart was laid into the groove and thrown. The atlatl afforded the thrower incredible leverage. (Wish I could have found a good photo or drawing.)

This summer, the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs will be offering a one-hour class for teenagers who want to learn the history, types and techniques of the atlatl. And of course, students get to try one out. It’s one of three programs students can take this summer, and there will be a new Education Program Building to house many of these classes.

The Mammoth Site, if you’ve never seen it, is one of the coolest things you can see in the Black Hills. It was once an ancient warm-water sinkhole, an attractive place for mammoths and other Ice Age beasts to venture. But it was a death trap; once they went in, they couldn’t get out. They died down in that hole, their bodies covered by mud. This apparently went on for several generations.

The mammoth’s loss is our gain. Today, the skeletons of these great beasts — more than 50 so far — are being excavated by paleontologists and volunteers in a running project that has been going on for four decades. The folks in Hot Springs constructed a very nice building over the entire dig. These days, you can tour the site in air-conditioned comfort a few feet above the dig. Many of the fossils are displayed right in the ground where they were found. It has also become one of the world’s most important sites for research and education about the Columbian mammoth, the woolly mammoth and other species.

The new Education Program Building, 54 feet by 54 feet, should be completed in mid-April, according to Joe Muller, business manager at the site.

Here are the programs:

* Junior Paleontologist Excavation is designed for ages 4-12 and allows up to 16 children to become a Junior Paleontologist while they dig for fossil replicas. This one hour class is available June 1-August 15 for $10.00. A guardian must accompany children and is required to purchase admission to the Mammoth Site.

* Advanced Paleontological Excavation is for ages 13 and older and allows 16 participants to learn proper excavation techniques, bone identification and how to map and jacket a bone. Guardian is required to stay with participants 16 yrs. and younger. This two hour program is available June 1-July 31st for $20.00.

* Atlatl Throwing Experience is for ages 13 and older and allows 20 participants learn an ancient paleo Indian hunting technique. They are taught the history, types and techniques of the atlatl, and practice throwing the atlatl. Guardian required to stay with participants 16 yrs. and younger. This one hour class is available June 1- August 15th for $10.

Although winter is still upon us — in fact, more snow is headed our way this week — it’s not too early to start thinking about summer. The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks announced that you can now reserve a campsite for Memorial Day Weekend, which starts May 25 this year year.

The reservation window opened on Saturday for all campsites, lodges and recreation areas over Memorial Day Weekend. All parks except Custer State Park require a three-night stay during holiday weekends.

Custer State Park, just east of Custer, is South Dakota’s most famous state park. But you can also find Black Hills camping at state campgrounds at Angostura State Park south of Hot Springs, Bear Butte State Park near Sturgis and Rocky Point Recreation Area on Belle Fourche Reservoir (Orman Dam) near Belle Fourche.

Out-of-state residents must pay a non-refundable $7.70 per site reservation fee, which is waived for state residents. To make a reservation, visit www.campsd.com or call 1-800-710-2267 between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT daily. You can also get a cell phone reminder about reservations by sending the text “SDGFP ROD” to 368638.

Dallas Chief Eagle and Jasmine Pickner perform at the Library of Congress. (http://www.sdarts.org/folkarts/)

The Lakota hoop dance is a colorful spectacle. Vivid colors, amazing acrobatic movement and music that leaves an unforgettable impression. The hoop dance is steeped in Lakota culture, and there’s deep meaning in every hoop, every move. If you’ve never seen it performed, you’re missing out.

But here’s your chance. On Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Historic Homestake Opera House in Lead, Dallas Chief Eagle II will be doing a presentation on the Lakota hoop dance. His performance starts at 7 p.m.

Chief Eagle will talk about the respect, balance and sharing of power that is demonstrated in the hoop dance. His program, “Nurturing the Tree of Life,” tells the story of the hoop dance and the Lakota way of life.

Circles are an important Native American symbol, representing rebirth, renewal and the connections with nature, the four seasons and the four directions. This circle of life — “Cangleska Wakan” in Lakota — can be found in the Medicine Wheel in Wyoming and in all types of Native American visual arts. Even the Black Hills, with its surrounding “racetrack” foothills formation surrounding it, is a representation of the Sacred Circle.

A member of the Rosebud Lakota Nation, Chief Eagle is a world hoop dance champion, storyteller and touring artist. He has served as an artist-in-residence and mentor to other dancers through his Hoop Dance Society on the Pine Ridge Reservation. In 2007, he was invited by the American Folklife Center to perform at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center in Washington.

The event is open to the public, $5 for members of the Adams Museum & House and Homestake Opera House, and $10 for non-members. You can reserve a seat at Black Hills Central Reservations, (800) 344-8826 or 578-7702.

The performance is co-sponsored by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Adams Museum & House, Historic Homestake Opera House, Adams-Mastrovich Family Foundation, South Dakota Humanities Council, South Dakota Arts Council, Celebrity Hotel and the Black Hills Pioneer.

Good news for Texas-based fans of the Black Hills. United Airlines announced today that it will add new seasonal nonstop service between Rapid City Regional Airport and Houston. The daily service begins June 7 and will continue to Aug. 27. And if past experience is an indication, United could expand that route to year-around service. That’s what happened a few years ago when United added a Rapid City-Chicago flight.

The new route brings to eight the number of destinations served by Rapid City Regional Airport. United also flies to Chicago and Denver. Delta flies to Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. American flies to Dallas and Allegiant Air flies to Las Vegas and Pheonix. Last year, some 540,000 passengers flew into or out of Rapid City.

And we know that Texans love the Black Hills, especially during the summer heat of the Lone Star State.

The Black Hills area is home to half a dozen national parks, monuments, memorials and historic sites. And the Black Hills National Forest draws a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts who hike the Centennial Trial, bike the Mickelson Trail or ply the back roads of this scenic wonderland.