Pageant

Families and Little House fans attend every year for an evening of music, history, and heritage. While the shows change from year to year, the performance always holds to the pioneer spirit Laura captured in her stories. Beginning in 2024, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant introduced a new trilogy of shows that presents not only Laura’s stories but also offers a glimpse into her writing process and the editing she and her daughter, Rose, did to craft the beloved Little House books.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant is held every July for the three weekends - Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings - following the July 4th holiday. All ages are welcome to this family-friendly show. The gates open at 6pm with the performance beginning at 8pm. The performance lasts approximately 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. The program (playbill) for the show includes historical articles and visitor information. Guests are invited onstage following the performance to meet the cast and ask for autographs.

Arrive early! Live music begins at 6:30pm each night, featuring regional musicians and bands. Wagon rides are available for all guests before the show begins. Special activities happen around town each pageant weekend as well. Every Saturday afternoon, the pageant players present a reader’s theater style tour at the De Smet Cemetery featuring characters from the Little House books as well as early De Smet residents. Sunday mornings at 10am, a small non-denominational religious service is held at the pageant grounds led by a local faith leader.

Following a successful arts festival in 1968 that featured a theatrical production of The Long Winter, a few dedicated De Smet residents worked towards making an annual pageant a reality. In 1971, volunteers came together to host the first pageant performance. The Ingalls homestead land, which was farmland at the time, served as the pageant site until it was able to purchase a permanent home across the road at its current location. Over the years, De Smet and the surrounding communities have continued to take pride in welcoming visitors from around the world to enjoy our unique cultural heritage.

Grab a bite to eat or a memento to take home. The concession stand offers pork sandwiches, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, snacks, and drinks. The Whatnot Shop, named for Ma's shelf that held the family’s special items and books, has a wide selection of books, gifts, toys, clothing, t-shirts, sunbonnets, and aprons. Both the Concession Stand and Whatnot Shop are open from 6pm through intermission.

Tickets are available at the gate, and advance purchase is not necessary. Adult tickets (ages 13+) are $15/person. Child tickets (ages 6-12) are $10. Ages 5 and under are free. There is plenty of seating available; most of the seating is bench-style without backs. There is a limited number of benches with backs. Lawn chairs, camp chairs, and blankets are welcome. Guests may set up chairs between the rows of seating. Parking is free and plentiful. Please inform the front gate greeters if you need handicap parking.