Have you seen this new 'party deck on wheels'? Catch SuFu Tractor in downtown Sioux Falls
If you see a tractor driving down Philips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls, don't be alarmed. It's probably just SuFu Tractor, a new "party deck on wheels."
The company was started by life-long best friends Tanya Harder and Ava Ohnstad, along with their husbands Jason and Shawn, respectively.
While on vacation in May of last year, they rode on something similar and thought it would be a neat idea to bring a tractor trolley in the city.
"We're empty-nesters now, so we were needing some place to put some time, and this seemed like a really great place to have fun and meet new people," Harder said.
"We spend weekends pretty much with each other anyway, so we figured why not do something productive," Ohnstad added.
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Who can ride on SuFu Tractor? What are the drinks?
SuFu Tractor trailer rides are open for adults ages 21 and up. The tractor pulls the trailer full of people throughout downtown Sioux Falls, hitting highlights like the Arc of Dreams and The Falls.
A bar on board serves beer, seltzers and Carbliss cocktails, as well as beer from Remedy. Drinks are not included in the ticket price, but are usually $5-$7 and water is available. Outside drinks are not allowed.
The whole endeavor had been in the works for awhile, Ohnstad and Harder said.
"It took a long time to get all the pieces in place with licensing, regulations, insurance —that sort of thing," Ohnstand said. "Honestly, we get asked that question of, 'How did you do it?' a lot," she added with a laugh.
Their goal was to have it up and running by May this year, but they missed that mark.
“It wasn’t easy, but we were blessed to deal with people that were very nice to us, and we ended up coming up with something that worked out for everybody,” Harder said.
Their VIP opening weekend was July 14, and since then, the crew has been busy. Originally, they just wanted to do Fridays and Saturdays, but the crew is already getting booked for Thursday nights and taking special requests for other days when they can.
The husbands drive the tractor, while the wives DJ and run the party.
“We'll try to alter the music to what they're celebrating," Harder said.
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What kind of parties happen on the tractor?
Those celebrations might include a wedding, bachelorette/bachelor party, birthday party or after-work event. The two have also led party activities like limbo or played games for prizes.
"We want to make it something special and memorable," Harder said. “Our favorite compliments we get is when the group says, ‘What can we do to stay on here for one more ride tonight?’”
Each party lasts 75 minutes. They try to wrap up parties by about 10:30 p.m. each night to be respectful of those who live in the area.
Remedy Brewing is the drop-off and pick-up location for rides, and SuFu Tractor asks people show up 30 minutes early to go through registration.
Party tractor pricing, tickets
People can either book their rides online in advance or come the day of and see if there are seats available for the next ride.
Tickets can be purchased individually for $29 plus taxes and fees, or groups can rent out the whole trailer (25 seats) for $625 plus taxes and fees.
“One of the things we like to say for the single rides that won’t have groups, is that our tractor’s where strangers become friends. That’s our motto,” Ohnstad said.
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The season will run into October, and the crew has talked about adding fun themes into the mix by possibly having costume contests.
Dates are already open for 2023, and the rest of this year is filling up fast, so book early, they said.
In the future, Ohnstad and Harder said they might think about getting a second tractor/trailer to offer more rides. They also plan to create merchandise like T-shirts and water bottles with the logo that was designed by Ohnstad's daughter-in-law if enough people show interest.
“We’re proud of it. I know we're having a lot of fun shaking things up in Sioux Falls," Ohnstad said. "We also want people to walk away saying that they had so much fun. That's main goal, and I think we're doing just that."
People can follow along with SuFu Tractor on their Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SuFu Tractor brings party on wheels to downtown Sioux Falls
