Photo courtesy of Matt Coleman Coleman has played a variety of characters in the Wilder Pageant.

WALNUT GROVE — For 27 years, Matt Coleman has played a part in the Walnut Grove Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant and has no plans in stopping.

And all these years later, the Marshall resident claims everybody involved in the pageant as family.

It started in 1998 when he took his children to see the pageant for the first time. The next year his daughter — who was 12 years old at the time — wanted to act in it. Coleman traveled back and forth to Walnut Grove for next two years so his daughter could participate. By the year 2000 he decided to also joined in on the pageant.

“I’ve been in it ever since. They can’t get rid of me now,” Coleman said.

In his 27 years performing for the Wilder Pageant, Coleman has played a variety of roles. He started off with small roles with little to no speaking lines. He slowly moved up year after year, playing everyone from Dr. Hoyt to the Rev. Alden. However, Coleman seems to have found his favorite role. For the last 15 years, he’s played Eleck Nelson, a saloon owner and close family friend to the Ingalls.

Nelson acts in a notable moment in the play — saving Charles Ingalls from a prairie fire that would have enveloped the Ingalls’ house.

Eleck Nelson, as well as most all the characters in the Wilder Pageant, are not fictional. In fact, the real life Eleck Nelson’s grave lies in Walnut Grove, which Coleman has visited. While many elements of Nelson’s life in the “Little House on the Prairie” TV show are fictionalized, the Wilder Pageant makes an effort to stay true to accuracy.

“They found some more stories that she’d written, so this is just spreading it out. Each script is a year or year and a half that they’re in town,” Coleman said.

Coleman shared a couple memorable moments.

One time, in the middle of a live performance, a racoon darted across the outdoor stage. Coleman said they got lucky, and that it looked like part of the performance.

Another error that couldn’t be shrugged off so easily, a horse with a full-sized buggy attached got spooked and just started running off. Thankfully, he said nobody got hurt.

“He ran through the gate, ran out on the blacktop, and ran home before they caught it, with the buggy still attached,” Coleman said.

Despite the 40-minute drive back and forth every day, Coleman said it’s worth it. The other members of the cast and crew have become a second family, he said. He’s seen many actors in every stage of their lives.

“I watched these kids grow up and get invited to their graduations, get invited to their weddings, you know? From the time they were 6 years old, till they’re out of college, and start getting married. It’s neat watching the kids grow up,” Coleman said.

The pageant’s first performance is on Friday, continuing on July 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25. The gates in Walnut Grove will open at 7 p.m. and the pageant starts at 9 p.m. The pageant is expected to last about two hours.