BROOKINGS – When The Pheasant Cafe first popped up amidst prairie farmland outside of Brookings in 1949, the building was crowned with an 8-foot folk-art rendition of the business’ namesake and South Dakota state bird.
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BROOKINGS – When The Pheasant Cafe first popped up amidst prairie farmland outside of Brookings in 1949, the building was crowned with an 8-foot folk-art rendition of the business’ namesake and South Dakota state bird.
As part of a series of commemorations celebrating the destination’s 70th continuous year as a lively local hub, that crown will once again return to its original, historic perch. A new, three-dimensional painted folk art cast metal sculpture of the “parrot of the prairie” will reclaim its original roost on the roof of the Pheasant Restaurant and Lounge this summer. The giant Chinese Ringneck Pheasant was sculpted and painted by Curt and Darla Wieneke of Windom, Minnesota.
The massive bird is slated to be hoisted onto the roof of the Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge on South Main Avenue in Brookings on Wednesday, July 24.
“It’s just such a fun part of the Brookings story that we want to give back to the community. My grandmother and I have been conspiring to surprise my grandfather with this. They’ve owned The Pheasant since 1966, but the bird sculpture wasn’t up there when they took over. He’s only seen it in pictures. It’s a full-circle thing,” said Michael Johnson, general manager and head chef.
