LAURA INGALLS WILDER PAGEANT MOUNTS PRAIRIE STAGE IN DE SMET

With prairie grass softly swaying, actors portray pioneer life as experienced by Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family during the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, held outdoors July 11-13, 18-20, and 25-27. This year’s pageant re-creates scenes from Laura’s book “Little Town on the Prairie.” 

After five years of performing historical accounts of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life based on local research and documents, this year’s pageant revisits actual scenes from Laura’s book. Director and pageant writer Jennifer Dobson’s objective in writing this year’s script was to provide family entertainment while maintaining the integrity of Laura’s book, “Little Town on the Prairie.” 

“My main goal was to stay close to the book and the world that Laura created,” Dobson said. “People from all over the world read the books time after time and feel as if they know Laura personally. I hope when readers attend the pageant, they will walk away having enjoyed a family show,” she said. 

Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children. Gates open at 7 p.m. each night with the pageant beginning at 9 p.m. Visitors can see the Ingalls homestead and the five original cottonwoods planted by Pa Ingalls. Free wagon rides will be offered to children throughout the evening.

For information call (605) 692-2108 or visit www.desmetpageant.org or www.travelsd.com.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant has been designated a “Great Event” by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development. With that designation, the department provides assistance to event coordinators and creates and funds promotions for the event. The objective of the “Great Events” program is to boost attendance at South Dakota events and to increase economic impact in host communities.

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