Laura Ingalls Wilder 150th Birthday Celebration Part 1

Celebrate Laura Ingalls Wilder's 150th Birthday

As a Wilder Companion reader, I suspect you may want to celebrate the 150th birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder on February 7, 2017. Like many others, I'm partnering with some others to plan events near me. (Updates will be on my schedule and announced on Facebook.) If you don't have a Laura Ingalls Wilder 150th birthday event near you, create your own! Here is a partial list of Laura Ingalls Wilder resources. Now is the time to plan!

Whether you are just a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan or on staff at a school, library, or bookstore, this series is designed to help you plan an event to celebrate the life of an author who is still relevant today.

This post is part 1 of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Birthday Celebration series.

Who?

Consider who you want the Laura Ingalls Wilder birthday celebration to be for. Do you want it open to your community? Store or library patrons? Homeschool group? Friends? Adults only? Families? Children? With this, you may also want to consider if you will need to charge a fee.

When?

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867. Her 150th birthday will be in 2017. Based on who you plan to invite to the event will determine if you want the Laura Ingalls Wilder party on her actual birthday.

Where?

You might host the 150th birthday celebration in your own home, or you may want to ask your library, bookstore, or other community organization to get involved. If you experience mild weather in February, consider having the party outdoors.

Invite

If you want your party-goers to know about the party, make sure you invite them! You can create a simple invitation on parchment paper or cream colored card stock. Send an evite. Or use these directions to create a personalized Little House invitation using Microsoft Word. Change it to focus on Laura's birthday, of course!

If your event is open to the public, be sure to let your local newspapers and media know about it!

Up next, we'll explore the idea of providing information or a presentation during your Laura Ingalls Wilder 150th celebration party. If you haven't already subscribed to Little House Companion or my newsletter, please consider doing so!

Edited: Now that The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (Chicago Review Press, 2020) is out, you may want to consult that for food, games, and activities...and lots of historical information!