Photo by Griffin Peterson | The Wilder family played by Jennie Clapp, Sarah Manley, Raelynn Mattison and Ellie Benedict look out at a prairie fire which used real fire from the play.

WALNUT GROVE — As July comes around once again, Walnut Grove continues its yearly tradition they started in 1977. Putting on the yearly Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, the residents of Walnut Grove come together and remember what’s special about their little town.

According to the Wilder Pageant website, the pageant covers Wilder’s time in Walnut Grove where she lived from 1874 to 1876 and 1877 to 1879. Her time living there inspired her to write the book “On the Banks of Plum Creek.”

Implemented in the play were elements of what was happening during real life in America, including some contemporary issues, such as the woman’s rights movement. Local and federal elections, and the clash between the new settlers in America and indigenous peoples for the land were settled.

“We wanted to implement elements of what was happening in America at the time into the play,” said Erin Altmann, the Wilder Pageant director. “Things like the election with Rutherford B. Hayes, the Native Americans things like that. We wanted to show that in the play.”

According to the Wilder Pageant website, this year’s pageant is part of a three-year “Fragments of a Dream” trilogy. Each year covers a different part of Wilder’s time in Walnut Grove — from the initial move to enduring a prairie fire to preparing to move away to eventually coming back to build a hotel.

The 2026 edition covers part two of the “Fragments of a Dream” trilogy, meaning it will cover the Ingalls family discussing their move to Burr Oak, Iowa, adjusting to a new child on the way, and the family enduring a blizzard reminiscent of the real life children’s blizzard in that swept the Great Plains in 1888, said Altmann.

Each year the pageant tries to upgrade the props, set design and costumes. This year, the play will include a wall of fire to imitate a prairie fire the family survives when they are first adjusting to their new home in Walnut Grove.

“You could cook marshmallows on it,” Altmann said.

The cast members consist almost entirely of the 750 local residents. Many cast members come back each year, for many, participating in the play has become tradition. One cast member, Errol Steffen, has been in all 49 performances. He started the first play when he was still in high school, and has at this point played in roles across every age group.

Pageant performances will be on July 10-11, 17-18 and 24-25. The gates at Walnut Grove will open at 7 p.m. and the pageant performance will start at 9 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the Walnut Grove Wilder Pageant Website. General admission costs $20, however you can reserve seating for 25 and get VIP seating for $30.