When the evening sun goes down, you will find me hanging ‘round,
The nightlife ain’t no good life but it’s my life …..

Custer’s nightlife is no Willie Nelson song. First of all, the fun begins well before the sun sets. Mount Rushmore Brewing Company (aka the Pounding Fathers) opens for lunch with their own craft brews; some, like Log Splitter, are inspired by the four faces. Gold Pan Saloon, the oldest drinking establishment in the Black Hills, is haunted by miners and drifters but the ghosts always respect today’s revelers. For a night view of Battle Mountain and the lighted “Custer” sign, grab a table on the Buglin’ Bull’s rooftop patio. Want a real blast? Mark the nights of June 26 and Sept. 6 on your calendar; on those dates the carvers at Crazy Horse Memorial stage a light show after dark that concludes with a dynamite blast. Willie wasn’t writing about Custer.