Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant

11/26/2025

The Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Committee met Monday evening November 24.

A budget for 2026 was proposed. Discussion was also had about getting at least some, (maybe 6 stalls) of the new restroom up and running before the July 2026 production.

Bill did a presentation on his trip to the National Conference on Outdoor Theaters in Bardstown Kentucky in October. His takeaway relevant to the pageant was:
A. Get more accurate weather detection and
clear protocol.
B. Variety of programming helps to create
sustainability.
C. AI may help to target your specific audience
but it will cost money.
D. Simple fund raisers like the Scarecrow
Challenge may bring donations.
E. Increasing FM frequency overlap requires
more attention.
F. Balancing entertainment and historical
accuracy is a challenge for all.
G. Most productions faced challenges with
aging facilities.
H. Theater storytelling can have strong positive
impacts on community relationships and pride.

This year Laura's Birthday Celebration will be held on February 7th at the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and will be a joint venture between the museum and the pageant. More details coming in the near future.

There is an idea floating about the committee to have a Pay What You Can Thursday for those who would not normally come to see out show for one reason or another to come and enjoy the show for a donation of whatever you feel you can afford. It would probably be held on the second to the last Thursday during practices. It would be the complete show with lights, sound, costumes and the animals, and scaled back concessions. No tickets would be sold for the show, just show up and enjoy the show. More information coming about the Thursday show in the coming months.

A sub-committee was formed to go over contracts and policies to update them where needed. Wendy, Rick & Lori will start this task in January.

Thank you, Daniel, for the delicious chocolate chip cookies!

11/26/2025

Do you have your tickets yet? Virtual cinema showtimes for Little House Homecoming, the documentary celebrating all things Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House, begin today. Tickets → https://www.littlehousehomecoming.com/

Video clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PmodWIlata0ZQSrY5ImQIneuYZbr99iu/view?usp=share_link

Look for our Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in the documentary.

11/25/2025

Cast in the off season: In our Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant this past year Brooklyn played Sarah Nelson, this was Brooklyn's first year in the show. Ava had the role of Clementina Bedal and 2025 was also her first year in our production.

Ava and Brooklyn were in the Little Mermaid at the Fulda high school on last weekend. Great job to these two girls who are helping to keep theater alive. Theater teaches so many things to our younger generation, teamwork, brain building by learning lines, public speaking, time management; just to name a few.

The Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder director Erin Richards pictured below attended the show.

11/21/2025

In answer to some questions about whether the Little House Homecoming documentary only touches on the show from Jonathan Parker:

For years, Laura Ingalls Wilder fans have made the journey to Walnut Grove, MN to dip their toes in Plum Creek. This exclusive clip from the new documentary, Little House Homecoming, highlights the story from the real Walnut Grove. https://drive.google.com/file/d/17Jnf2IfWiuGaNdCSDN6Uh-i4TLA9ita0/view

Reserve your tickets to experience the full documentary beginning November 26 --> https://www.littlehousehomecoming.com

click on the clip below to watch a clip of Walnut Grove from the documentary

11/19/2025

Last weekend some of our actors and actresses performed in the production of Cinderella at Tracy High School.

Shout out to all of these fine performers, Sophia, Isabella, Skye, Olivia, Otto and Kerrigan. Their love of theater is apparent as they continue in our off season to entertain.

Great job to you all and thank you for helping to keep theater alive.

11/18/2025

Get ready to return back to the Prairie with Little House Homecoming, a journey that brings together members of the original cast and generations of fans in a shared tribute to love, hope, and belonging. Check out the trailer and get tickets to the worldwide virtual cinema event, hosted by Dean Butler and Alison Arngrim → https://www.littlehousehomecoming.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL5HBGVZcdI

Parts of this documentary were filmed at The Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in Walnut Grove! Click on the YouTube link above or below to watch the trailer.

Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler introduce the official trailer for Little House Homecoming, a documentary celebrating Laura Ingalls Wilder, her Little House b...

11/17/2025

This past weekend several of our Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder cast and crew were involved in the WWG production of "Anastasia-The Musical"

Madison had the lead role as Anastasia. Julie and Tyler had supporting roles, and Ethan was part of the light/sound crew in "Anastasia- The Musical"

Pictured below: L-R Chris, Madison, Tyler, Julie, Lowell, Daniel, and Ethan. These are all long-time actors or crew in The Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant.

11/16/2025

In the 2026 production of "Chasing the Dream", Act One Scene 5 is entitled "Vanity Takes the Cake".

Here we find Laura, Mary having a country party with some of the local girls. Of course, Nellie Oleson is invited. This scene is part of an original scene in the "Fragments of a Dream" "Laura's Revenge" script and adaptations by Bill Richards. This scene has long been a favorite for audiences and the cast & crew.

11/11/2025

As promised after harvest the restroom floor would be poured. This morning the Carter crew began the restroom floor and by noon the floor was poured. According to Bill Richards "Main pour is done. Waiting for it to settle to do the final work."

It has been a long process getting the project finished due to funding. The goal is to have the restrooms useable for this year's performances.

11/10/2025

Saturday Walnut Grove was graced with our first measurable snow fall. We had about one inch of the white stuff. The first flakes of winter are pretty and a bit calming as they fall gently to the ground.
Many are looking forward to more snow and snowmobiling, ice skating and making snowmen and snow angels and ice fishing.

In our Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, we have several scenes where there is snow. One is a blizzard where Pa gets lost in the snow and finds himself in a gully and waits out the storm, another is a search in a snowstorm for missing children.

What are your favorite winter activities?

11/07/2025

Over the years the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant has had several directors.

The first director was Greg Anderson in 1978. In the 1978 program it was stated that Greg was a Southwest State student with one semester of school left. He was asked by the playwriter to be the director.

Then for nine years Ross Alford was the director. Over the years Ross has also helped to rewrite some of the scripts. At the time Ross was the head of the Drama department at the Walnut Grove High School.

In 1988 Bill Richards took over the director reins and directed the play for 15 years. Bill has been a part of the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant since the 1978/1979 production years. Designing and building the sets. Even today if you are looking for Bill the first place to look is at the Wilder outdoor Theater doing any job that needs attention.

1993 and 1994 Deb Kuehl directed. Deb was also active in the pageant and had the role of Caroline Ingalls for 6 years before becoming the director. Deb was a housewife and owned an antique shop as stated in the 1981 pageant program.

In 1995-1997 Todd Snyder was the director. In the 1997 program Todd stated that "as a director of the pageant he seen many ties that linked himself and the cast to the people who lived here so many years ago"

In 2003 and 2004 the duo of Missie Erbes and her mother Deb Saxton co-directed the pageant. Their assistant in 2003 was Sara Saxton the sister/daughter of the directors. The Saxtons were involved with the pageant for many years as a family, acting, directing and helping with the sets.

2006-2008 Anna Belle Kelsey directed the show. Anna Belle Kelsey and her family also acted in the production over the years. In 2007 Anna Belle stated in her Prologue: "Everyone may have a different reason for helping, but in the end, giving a wonderful performance to our audience is our goal." This still rings true today.

Dan Wahl directed the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in 2014. Dan is a long-time resident of Walnut Grove. Dan remembered in his prologue watching the pageant in the high school gym. He said, "The messages felt right: How people must join together, work and play together, help each other get through hard times."

Our last but not least director is Erin Richards Altmann. Erin is the daughter of Bill Richards. Erin has directed the pageant for the past 11 years. When Erin gives her "talk" to the cast and crew it is evident her love of the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant. In the 2015 program Erin talks about growing up in the pageant.

11/04/2025

Hunting season in Minnesota is underway. Many hunters are already hunting goose, ducks, pheasant and wild turkey. Deer hunters who prefer archery have already began hunting and the rest will begin in November. Fishing happens pretty much year-round. Check your local hunting laws for exact dates. The people who hunt now still use the meat to feed their families and the furs are sometimes tanned and used for personal use, sold, or donated.

Charles Ingalls hunted to keep food on the family table. The food Pioneer families had was grown, foraged or hunted, very little was purchased in town. Charles trapped small animals, such as beaver, fox, mink and otters, to sell the furs in town as Laura wrote in "On the Banks of Plum Creek in Chapter 35. Keeping House". Charles also made a fish trap to put in Plum Creek and catch fish to eat for supper in Chapter 19 "The Fish Trap". In our Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Charles and Laura also go to check the fish traps. Besides fishing, Charles more than likely hunted for geese, ducks, wild turkey, rabbit, squirrels and deer. To preserve the meat over the long winters it was salted, pickled or smoked and stored away in a root cellar, which was usually a room under ground.