Pageant History
1951 Families gathered around their radios to listen to the Hallmark Playhouse presentation of "The Long Winter." If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you can still find it here!
1955 After receiving permission from Hallmark Playhouse to use its script, local actors performed "The Long Winter" in the high school auditorium at no charge to the public.
1968 As part of the summer arts festival, local actors once again performed "The Long Winter" in the high school auditorium. People poured in, and extra chairs were brought in from the Lutheran Church, and still more people continued to come in.
1971 Encouraged by the overwhelming response to the 1968 production, a group of local volunteers developed plans for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, an outdoors family drama to celebrate the life and writings of our home town author. Several local civic organizations-- the Kiwanis, Jaycees, and Chamber of Commerce assisted in the production.
1973 The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Society was founded, a non-profit organization committed to the preservation of Laura's legacy.
1974 The LIW Pageant Society purchased thirty acres of land to become the pageant's permanent home. This beautiful section of land is nestled between the Ingalls Homestead, the big slough, and Silver Lake.
Over the years, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant has become a local tradition. Each summer more than a hundred volunteers combine their talents to present a family-friendly drama based on the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder. People from all over the world gather together on the beautiful South Dakota prairie and step back into history to a time when the West was just opening up to a wave of pioneering men and women. It is our goal to preserve--through drama--the family values and pioneering spirit of the Ingalls family.
Get Involved!
The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant thrives because of the generous time and talent of many individuals. If you are interested in getting involved, we’d love to have you help. Contact us here, or reach out to use on social media.
ACTORS & TECHNICAL CREW
We are always on the look out for actors and technical help. Auditions are generally held in late April or early May. We place announcements here, on our website, via our social media channels, and in regional newspapers and on radio stations.
VOLUNTEERS
Looking to be involved in the pageant, but not comfortable with the acting or tech duties? Hosting visitors from around the world every summer requires a many helping hands. If you are interested, we are always excited to find volunteers to help greet visitors, hand out programs, help in the concession stand, register visitors for our book giveaways, and park cars to name a few duties. Reach out to use via phone, email, or on social media and we’ll be in touch!
Our organization
For over 50 years, we have worked to share Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories and history with visitors from around the world. The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was formed in 1971. Our Board of Directors includes Kristy Hubbard (President), Jim Pekron (Vice President), Jenny Todd (Secretary), Eric Fairchild (Treasurer), Snookie Stoddard, Susan Thomas, Kathy Ostrander, Dedra Birzer, and Megan Ostrander, with honorary board members Curt Bau, Tim Sullivan, and Marian Cramer.
Our financial information is available for review at the following links. 2022 990