Pioneer your way to Laura Ingalls Wilder Days

Writing to preserve American history on the pioneer front, Laura Ingalls Wilder may have had no idea the outcome of her tales of the lost era. Her successful series “Little House” among others have been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Readers of all ages still enjoy Wilder’s tales of a family’s simple joy and elemental struggle as they work together to build a life on the frontier.

To honor the author and her birthplace, Pepin holds Laura Ingalls Wilder Days. The two-day celebration is jam-packed with events, stories, demonstrations and history.

The event will be Saturday Sept. 8 to Sunday Sept. 9 in the village and surrounding hillsides.

The television series “Little House on the Prairie” is based on Wilder’s book series, making her historical accounts of prairie life even more popular.

“Only the pilot and first episode had ties with Pepin,” said Joel Anderson, chairman of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Days committee.

“Her first recollections deal with that spot,” he said. “There is certain nostalgia element associated with her work but the it is also a piece of history – it’s part of our heritage.”

Wilder was born in 1867 in the wooded bluffs above Pepin. The humble Wisconsin log cabin was the setting for “Little House in the Big Woods,” the first in her series of stories featuring the adventures of the Ingalls as they traveled the west when she and the nation were young.

“The unique thing about Wilder is that she wrote it down,” Anderson says of her successful work, “but from the perspective of a child, even though she was 60 years old or even older when she began. Her stories are from memory as child, so there is a lot of history there and they are just fun to read.”

Anderson has read the entire series and says he especially likes to reread the books pertaining to the Pepin area.

The Village of Pepin is home to a historical museum (open May through October) featuring artifacts from Wilder’s time. Pepin also marks the starting point of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, which links Wilder sites across Midwest.

Wilder’s birthplace itself is an area of attraction. A reconstruction of the “Little House in the Big Woods,” built on land once owned by “Pa” and “Ma” Charles and Caroline Ingalls, is located seven miles north of Pepin on County Road CC. The Little House Wayside is cared for by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society of Pepin and is open year-round for self-guided tours.

Frontier life lives on with the festival of traditional music, crafts, sunbonnets, quilts, pioneer games, the Pepin Laura Contest and an old-fashioned small town parade, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days is a destination for family-friendly fun on the banks of the Mississippi River.

“Just about everything in the form of entertainment is free,” Anderson added. Look for the $2 ticket charges for the children’s train ride, the shuttle bus to Wilder’s birthplace, a quilt show and the wagon ride.

A group of about 10 people plan, coordinate and prepare the festival compose the Laura Ingalls Wilder Days committee. A total of 30 to 40 volunteers help make the weekend possible and are necessary – last year Anderson said they had people attending from at least 20 different states.

Saturday’s events include: 9 a.m. 5K/10K races; 10 a.m. medallion hunt; 10 a.m. spelling bee; 11 a.m. square dance with caller Corey Mohan and the Rush River Ramblers; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. petting zoo; noon Pepin Laura Contest & Little Sisters; 2 p.m. “Laura Days” presented by Sarah Uthoff; 3 p.m. old-time fiddle contest with Yata Peinovich and Tom Weisgerber; 7 and 8:30 p.m. live music by the campfire from U.K.E, a ukulele ensemble; and 7:45 p.m. Traditional Crafts candlelight demonstration.

Sunday’s event include: 7 a.m. pancake breakfast at the Pepin School; 10 a.m. community worship; 11:45 a.m. the Medicine Show, a combination of music, magic, dance and comedy; 1:15 p.m. “Pepin in the Time of Laura Ingalls Wilder,” by local historian Kitty Latane; 2 p.m. grand parade; 3 p.m. family fun including pie eating contest and 3 p.m. tomahawk throw contest.

Festival highlights

Frontier life lives on with the festival of traditional music, crafts, sunbonnets, quilts, pioneer games, the Pepin Laura Contest and an old-fashioned small town parade, Laura Ingalls Wilder Days is a destination for family-friendly fun on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Pepin Laura Contest

Contestants demonstrate their talents and knowledge of the life, times and literature of Laura Ingalls Wilder as articulated in her stories. There are four age categories: 8, 9, 10 and 11. Little Sisters, ages 5 to 7, will be introduced on stage.

More info: Call Jeannie at 715-442-2712 or visit www.lauradays.org

Old Tyme Fiddle Competition

Musicians compete for $1,000 in cash prizes in five divisions including: PeeWee, ages 9 and under; Junior, ages 10-13; Young Adult, ages 14-19; Adult, ages 20 and up; and Trick & Fancy, all ages.

More info: Call Yata at 715-285-5101 or visit www.lauradays.org

5k Walk/5k and 10k Races

The race will assemble at Locust and Highway 35 at 9 a.m. Saturday.

More info: Call Kathy at 715-442-2016 or email finchqe@centurytel.net

Horse-drawn wagon

Amble the streets of Pepin in a wagon like when Laura Ingalls Wilder went to town in the “Little House in the Big Woods.” Horseback rides are offered.

Spelling Bee

Second- through fifth-graders who would like to participate in the Spelling Bee should report to the main stage by 10 a.m. Saturday. There is no need to pre-register.

Traditional Crafts Demonstration

Hammers swing and woodchips fly as artisans demonstrate their skills blacksmithing, spinning, quilting, basket-making, woodturning, woodcarving, food preparation and open hearth cooking as practiced in the pioneer days. Step back in time at candlelight craft demonstrations and enjoy music around the campfire Saturday night.

Ingalls Quilt Show & Sew

Original designs, 19th century replica quilts and quilt blocks represent stories from Wilder’s books. Barbara Olson of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa, tells stories uses quilt blocks. Enjoy sewing patchwork pieces and win prizes by identifying quilt blocks. Live music will be provided by Sue West from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event will be at the Wilder’s birthplace, shuttle service is available both days.

Children’s Pioneer Games and Activities

Make a corn cob doll, button buzzer, paper hat or other fun-from-scratch toys in this activity area.

Featured food

Enjoy an old-fashioned picnic with chicken, baked beans, sweet corn and more. The festival also features an assortment of sweet and savory treats from a variety of vendors.

Tags: arts and entertainment, lifestyle, wisconsin