How local development experts teamed up with a new Crooks wedding venue

Megan Raposa -

This is a paid piece from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance.

Simplified: A new, industrial-style wedding venue will open in Crooks this year. Here's a look at what's coming and how a local development group helped make it possible.

Why it matters

  • Winter-Green Acres will be one of the larger wedding venue options in the northwest area of the metro. Owner Tammy Winter said she's wanted to start a business like this with her husband for more than a decade. The couple lives in Crooks just west of the venue.
  • The venue will also bring a new aesthetic option for couples in the region. As popular as the barn style has been in recent years, Winter said she wanted to go more modern and industrial.
  • Part of what's made this business possible is help from the South Dakota Development Corporation in planning and navigating the process of starting a small businesses.
"They've offered a tremendous amount of guidance," Winter said. "Overall we are just really excited about the growth and the potential there for Crooks."

Tell me more about the venue

Winter-Green Acres is expected to open mid-July on the north side of Crooks at the intersection of the main road that runs through town (470th Street) and 256th Street.

The aesthetic is industrial, with concrete floors, exposed ventilation and pipes on the ceiling, glass garage doors and space for up to 425 people.

Here are some of the other features:

  • Private rooms for each member of the couple to get ready,
  • A bar area,
  • An outdoor venue with benches and an arbor for the wedding party to stand under,
  • And a full-size prep kitchen.

Tell me more about the unique financing option

Winter-Green Acres is working to acquire what's called a 504 loan, which is a special type of fixed-rate loan for small business owners.

  • The loan is run through the federal Small Business Association with local help from the South Dakota Development Corporation (SDDC).
  • Essentially, it allows the borrower – in this case Winter-Green Acres – to put less money down in order to get a loan. That frees up capital for things like startup and construction costs, said Brad Jankord, vice president of lending for SDDC.
"The 504 loan program is made to help grow economies, and that’s really what we’ve seen the last couple years," Jankord said. "Our economy continues to grow, and more recently it's really been to the benefit of small businesses."