A Visit from Laura Bush

The town of Mansfield, Missouri, is gearing up for a visit from First Lady Laura Bush, scheduled for this coming Friday, October 3. Mrs. Bush will visit Rocky Ridge Farm around noon on Friday to tour the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum.

The "Little House" books have been favorites of Mrs. Bush's since her childhood days, and she has stated that her mother read Little House on the Prairie to her before she could read. Mrs. Bush in turn passed the "Little House" books on to her own girls, and has often mentioned the series in her talks on the importance of reading.

We are sure that she will enjoy her visit to Laura's Ozark home. We encourage anyone who has not yet made the trip to Rocky Ridge to do so as it as an experience that no Wilder fan will want to miss.

Update: (posted October 3, 2008)

Click here to watch KY3 news video of Laura Bush's tour of Rocky Ridge Farm held earlier today. (Wait through the brief commercial and the news piece will begin.)

Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura DVD Release

We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of a new documentary entitled "Almanzo Wilder: Life Before Laura." The DVD is produced by Dean Butler of Legacy Documentaries. Many will recognize Dean as the actor who played the part of Almanzo Wilder in Michael Landon's television series "Little House on the Prairie."

Dean Butler has traveled to the childhood home of Almanzo Wilder in Burke, New York, to retell the story of Almanzo's youth as written about by Laura Ingalls Wilder in Farmer Boy. Using historic photographs, interviews with historians, animated Garth Williams illustrations, re-enacted scenes from Farmer Boy, and footage shot on location of the Wilder Farm near Malone, Dean Butler has put together a spectacular production that "Little House" fans will appreciate and enjoy for years to come.

The DVD will be released September 25, 2008, and is available for purchase only through the Almanzo Wilder Farm. Thanks to the generosity of Dean Butler, all proceeds will benefit the Wilder Farm. We encourage you all not to miss this opportunity to obtain an amazing documentary while supporting the Wilder Farm. We will post a reminder and link to purchase when the DVD is officially released.

Watch the trailer below for a taste of what the documentary will be like. We hope to see more "Little House" related productions from Legacy Documentaries in the future!

Click here to watch the video.

Harvest Fest -- New York

Bring the kids to the Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke, New York, on Saturday, September 27, to celebrate the annual Harvest Fest. Children can paint pumpkins, make scarecrows, and play old-fashioned games.

The original farmhouse lived in by Almanzo Wilder and his family during his childhood, described in Farmer Boy, as well as the replica barns that have been built on the property will be open, and guests are free to walk through and look around as they wish. Textile demonstrations, such as spinning and weaving that Mother Wilder did, will be given.

A Civil War encampment and live musical entertainment will also be part of the festival. Activities run from 10 am to 4 pm. Contact the Almanzo Wilder Farm for more information.

Almanzo Wilder Farm
Malone, New York
(518) 483-1207

Kansas Pioneer Girl Day

Kansas Pioneer Girl Day will take place from 10 am to noon on Saturday, September 27, in Olathe, Kansas (near Kansas City).

Visitors are encouraged to dress "like Laura" or pioneer-style to participate in the old-fashioned games and activities available. Period music and stories of the Ingalls will also be featured.

Activities take place at the Ernie Miller Park in Olathe. Admission is $4. Advance registration is required and the event fills quickly. Call (913) 764-7759 to register.

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.