It’s time to burn the beetle

An angry mob-style march complete with torches and pitchforks, a drum corps leading the way, and a giant pine beetle effigy awaiting a fiery demise. To an unknowing outsider, this could easily appear to be some bizarre cult ritual, but to many locals and visitors alike, Burning Beetle makes a cold day in January one of the most exciting of the year.
And “Burn, beetle, burn!” will be the chant echoed through Custer Saturday as the 11th annual Burning Beetle celebration is set to brighten up the town again with the torch-lit march to Pageant Hill, where a more than 20-foot tall beetle effigy will be set ablaze as a community reckons with its role in an ever-changing forest environment.
“Burning Beetle was an event created as a way to process and get our frustrations out over the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. But since it’s been a number of years since that outbreak, we have expanded our event to celebrate art and our community. There’s celebration of talent in our variety show and in the various musical acts playing throughout town the night of,” said Carrie Moore, one of the event organizers.  
Of course, the brightest flash in the fiery line-up of events is the Burning Beetle itself, but there is a blaze of other events before and after the burn to make this a whole day of fun.
“People should always come out to Burning Beetle. Especially locals, as this event is a way for our community to kick off the new year in a fun way, with our friends, and with our whole town.  Everyone else is welcome, but this is for Custer,” said Matt Fridell, president of the Custer Area Arts Council, which supports the event each year.
The fun on Saturday starts at 2:30 with a pre-burn party at the South Dakota Outdoor Shop. The party will feature live music by the Lonely Ranger Band and a tap takeover from Sawyer Brewing Co.
At 3:30 p.m. will be the Burning Beetle Variety Show at the Custer Jr./Sr. High School theater. Prior to the show, there will be a limited quantity of $20 torch tickets for sale for those interested in bearing a torch for the  march to the beetle. Selling will start at 2:30 p.m..
“If you want a torch ticket you got to get to the variety show early.  Also,  there is no benefit to standing out in the cold waiting for the variety show to end.  If you have a ticket, you are good.  Come in, warm up, enjoy the fun. Nothing with the torches starts until the drum corps leaves the building at the end of the show,” said Fridell.
Following the variety show, revelers can gather in the Custer Jr./Sr. High School  parking lot to get ready for the march to the beetle, which will be waiting on its pyre at Pageant Hill.
When the CHS cross country team arrives carrying the ceremonial first torch, the other torches can be passed to those with tickets. Then, the whole mob will begin the march along Pine Street to the beetle at approximately 5:15 p.m..
“My favorite moment is when you walk in the march and come up the hill and just see the crowd of people already at the beetle, waiting for us. It gives me goosebumps every time,” said Moore.
The mob will set the beetle ablaze shortly after arrival, under the direction of the Custer Volunteer Fire Department. A firework display during the burn is also provided by the fire department.
If you thought the event was just about the burn, think again. After the burn is the downtown Bug Crawl, a pub crawl when folks can find a warm spot to enjoy live music, food and drinks at a variety of sponsored venues.
The Gold Pan Saloon will offer live music by JJ Kent beginning at 6 p.m., as well as hot beverages and cocktails and a full food menu.
The Custer Beacon will have food and drinks with live music beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Beacon will feature live entertainment by both Ponder the Albatross and the Tanner Johns Band.
The Custer VFW will have food and drinks as well as the music of the Stateline Ramblers Band at 7 p.m. and a youth event in the basement hosted by Custer High School HOSA.
The Custer Wolf will have food and drinks, including a tap takeover by Lost Cabin Brewing Co., as well as live music by Josh Williamson.
Old Pine Social will have axe throwing, hammerschlagen and live music by Jonathan Jacky as well as a tap take over by Dakota Point Brewing.
Thursday Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m., a new event, a forum called “Living in Community in Our Forested Environment” will bring together interested community members with four different speakers in the Pine Room at the Custer County Library.
Dave Thom has been involved with Burning Beetle since the beginning back in 2013 and said this event is a part of Burning Beetle’s aim to bring awareness of all the different elements of living in a forested community—whether it be of various insects or pests, fire, or our own human impacts on the forest.   
Lily DeLange from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and Custer State Park will talk about “Resilient Forest Lands— caring for your piece of the Black Hills.”
Jason Virtue and Jeni Lawver, representing the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) will take on  the topic of  “Living with Fire — fire history and preparing your home and property.”
Keith Sherburn, an NOAA and National Weather Service metrologist will talk on “Understanding our Physical Environment— thunderstorms, hail, snow and floods.”
Rob Hoelscher, the district ranger for the Hell Canyon Ranger District of the BHNF will talk about “Living in the Black Hills— OHVs, fences, timber, RVs and more.”
“Whether you’re a lifetime Custer resident and landowner or new to the community, we hope you’ll attend the forum to hear advice and ask questions,”  reads an announcement for the event.
Thom said it will be a workshop and conversation  that is “designed for people new to the area or if you’ve been here a long time and you want to know about living in a forested environment.
“Now, with more and more people moving here, there are other issues in the forest that people should be aware of,” said Thom.
“I’m guessing a lot of folks haven’t come from another forest. They’ve come from an urban jungle,” said Hank Fridell, an event organizer.
“Or some ag land in Iowa or Kansas,” said Thom.
“They’re just not dealing with the kind forest issues we’ve got,” said Fridell. “Not everybody wants to spend their retirement years logging 200 trees.”
So, whether you want to enjoy a fiery spectacle, learn about living in the local environment, sit back and enjoy some live music, or all of the above, this weekend has it all.
“What else are you doing on a January night? Come out and support your local businesses and friends. Celebrate our community and reconnect with neighbors. Like Matt said, this event is truly for Custer.” said Moore. “We on the committee are so grateful for not only all the event sponsors and bug crawl hosts, but the volunteers, organizations and other entities who help us put on this event every year. It really wouldn’t happen without the volunteers who work months in advance— not just a few weeks before the beetle goes up in flames!”
More information and any updates can be found at  facebook.com/barkbeetle
blues.