One of our members raised an excellent question in an email last week.
What should she wear this summer to LauraPalooza?
This question, fraught with potential faux pas and challenging for those flying in, deserves a deeper discussion here on Beyond Little House.
Presenters, of course, should dress up for their presentations. None of us wants to look unofficial or unapproachable.
The official Beyond Little House/LIWLRA T-shirt would work well for those not presenting. Laura attire of all sorts will be encouraged. We will have two other T-shirt designs to pick from this summer, available in the LIWLRA booth in the vending area. One focuses on Laura’s Farmer Boy; the other is the conference T-shirt. Members get 10 percent off these items. Any other home site tees or other Laura-related attire would work if you have it, but it’s not required. Business casual dress would be ideal.
We will also encourage people to dress in period attire, if they have it and can fit it in a suitcase, for the Ice Cream Social Wednesday night and for the Spelling Bee, to be held during the Tin Pail Lunch on Saturday before the Walnut Grove field trip. (By the way, those who participate in the Spelling Bee will be eligible for prizes, including a Laura bobblehead courtesy of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove.)
Good walking shoes for Friday morning activities at the Betsy-Tacy Society and the Walnut Grove field trip are encouraged, also. Plum Creek is clear and pristine, but it’s still a creek, so be prepared to clean your feet off if you choose to wade in it as Laura did.
No matter where you’re coming from this summer, think business casual this summer. And think cool–while all our buildings are air-conditioned, including the Sears residence hall, July in Minnesota can get HOT. And humid.
Bonnets are optional.
I was planning to bring my costumes and some handwork antiques for my Handwork Heritage and craft session to ‘show-and-tell’. I will just plan on wearing one that day, or each day, drawers and all.
Will one of the vendors have sunbonnets to purchase? (Loftus Store, the homesites, etc.)
– Connie
Connie, would you be able to recommend any period-appropriate patterns for a knitted or crocheted shawl? I’d love to get one done before the conference so I can stave off the air conditioning chill.
I’m actually in talks with a vendor of bonnets and pinafores for the conference, but have not firmed that arrangement just yet.
Amy
For those of you going on the WG field trip: don’t forget an extra pair of pants, sweatshirts and some bug spray for the pageant. It can get buggy!
Yeah…and you can wear shorts and tee shirts in the day time, but it can really turn off FREEEEZING COLD at night during the pageant…I know from experience! I had to go change clothes to keep from shaking in the middle of JULY!!