De Smet to host documentary, cast from ‘Little House on the Prairie’ TV show

Some of the cast members of the “Little House on the Prairie” television show will be coming to the “little town on the prairie” this month.

De Smet will host cast members for a weekend of special events and a screening of the new documentary “Little House Homecoming” on July 11-13.

Cast member Dean Butler, who played Almanzo Wilder, signs autographs. Photos courtesy of Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant Society

Cast members Dean Butler, Wendi Lou Lee and Charlotte Stewart are scheduled to attend. Fans will have a chance to meet the actors, attend screenings of the documentary, get autographs, listen to panel discussions and book readings, and attend a special Sunday luncheon.

“We are thrilled to welcome the cast and share screenings of ‘Little House Homecoming’ in De Smet,” Ann Lesch of the Ingalls Homestead said in a statement. “Seeing the enthusiasm for all things Laura, from this new documentary to the Laurapalooza conference in Sioux Falls this July, the forthcoming streaming adaptation of ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ to the visitors we welcome to town and our surrounding landscape every day, shows the lasting impact of Laura’s stories and how important this cultural heritage is to our community.”

“Little House Homecoming,” directed by Jonathan Parker, is a feature-length documentary. Screenings will be at 4 p.m. July 11-12 and 1 p.m. July 13 at the De Smet Event & Wellness Center Midstate Theater. The visiting cast members, who appear in the documentary, will join the director for a panel discussion following each of the screenings.

Butler, who portrayed Almanzo Wilder; Lee, who portrayed Grace Ingalls; and Stewart, who portrayed Ms. Beadle; will make appearances around De Smet through the weekend. They will be at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant on July 11-12, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Memorial Society on July 11 and the Ingalls Homestead on July 12. A special Sunday luncheon will be held with the Little House television actors July 13, followed by a screening of the documentary.

Tickets are available for purchase, and a full schedule of events can be found at desmetpageant.org/homecoming.