Wilder Days - Wisconsin and Missouri

Summer is over, autumn is just around the corner, and the kids are back in school. But the end of summer isn't the end of fun at the Laura Ingalls Wilder historic homesites.

This weekend, September 13-14, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days will be celebrated in Pepin, Wisconsin. Activities will include craft demonstrations, children's pioneer games, wagon rides, and musical entertainment. Events will be held Saturday from 9 am to 10 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm.

Historians Sarah Sue Uthoff and Kitty Latane will be speaking in the Pepin Public Library beginning at 11 am Saturday. Girls ages 5-13 may participate in the "Pepin Laura" contest Saturday afternoon. The events will conclude with a Sunday afternoon parade at 2 pm. Of course, attendees will want to visit the museum and "Little House in the Big Woods" replica cabin while visiting Pepin. Call 1-800-442-3011 for more details or visit the Pepin website.

Meanwhile, in Mansfield, Missouri, "Little House" fans will be celebrating Wilder Days as well.

On Saturday, September 13, the "Little Laura" and "Little Farmer Boy" lookalike contests will begin at 9 am. Afterward, children can participate in 19th century games, followed by a parade at 1 pm, with the theme "On the Way Home." At 3 pm and 8 pm, the Ozark Mountain Players will perform their "Laura's Memories" pageant at the Mansfield City Park.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Mansfield (Rocky Ridge farm) will be open for tours all day. Pa's fiddle will be played at 10:15 and 1:30 on the museum grounds. Other entertainment will be provided throughout the course of the day. Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home website for more information.

We hope many of you are able to attend one of these events, and have a very enjoyable weekend celebrating the life and books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.