We are very excited about this year’s conference with speakers ranging from William T. Anderson to Little House Cookbook author Barbara Walker to Little House on the Prairie actress Alison Arngrim, in addition to host of interesting submitted papers (I’m looking forward to the one about Laura Ingalls Wilder dolls). What everyone seems to remember most though is the people who attend. To experience that you have to attend. So please, if you’re still debating about whether to come to LauraPalooza or not time to climb down off the fence and climb into the Ingalls Family wagon and register.

We’re also asking that anyone who reads this share it with at least one person, by e-mail, on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn or whatever. We really want to make sure that everyone who’d like to come has a chance too.

Please comment if you’d like to switch. Thank you.

That project is now well under way, I’m happy to say. And I’m excited to share it. Come on over.

Dean Butler With Fans at LauraPalooza Ice Cream Social

As part of the build up to LauraPalooza we’re going to be presenting our favorite things about the conference or what we’re looking forward to most.

Although there wasn’t enough time to just visit, which has been corrected in this year’s schedule, my favorite thing about LauraPalooza was just talking with other fans. It was great to see old Laura friends, to finally put faces with the names of others, and to meet brand new Laura friends. It’s so wonderful to talk with people who get “it” and don’t think you’re strange for trying to track down the oddest things or exact facts about Laura’s life. Before LauraPalooza started it was only at odd and unexpected times I ran into Laura friends. Events like the Wilder Conference at the Hoover Presidential Library and the big De Smet event sponsored by South Dakota Humanities a few years ago are few and far between. To have a regular meeting place is a great boon to the Laura community. For example, the Pa’s Fiddle program that we’ve been talking about started as a conversation at LauraPalooza between Dean Butler and Dale Cockrell. Great things can happen when Laura friends come together and after all “We’re all good friends together.”

As a slight adjustment of the future conference schedule has been made to more closely align with major anniversary dates coming up,  there won’t be another LauraPalooza conference until 2015. I hope as many as possible of you will attend this time. See you there.  Remember, registration is now open!

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair

First, the next LauraPalooza will not be held until 2015. That gives us more time and flexibility in scheduling the next conference, as well as helps set us up to celebrate Laura’s 150th birthday in 2017. Final dates will be announced at LauraPalooza 2012.

Second, we do have a limited refund policy. If you cancel your registration for 2012 before our registration deadline of May 31, you will receive a full refund. However, after that date, we’re unable to offer refunds because we must pay for you whether you’re there or not. Your best option at that point is to find someone to go in your place.

Third, we are planning a special LIWLRA member meeting at LauraPalooza just prior to Alison Arngrim’s Friday performance. LIWLRA members will want to stop by the LIWLRA booth to get your membership sticker, which will allow you admittance to that event.

Fourth, advertising space in the program is available. If you have a business or other entity you’d like to advertise to a select crowd of Laura fans, academics, scholars and historians, contact me or Laura Welser for a rate sheet.

Keep your questions and registrations coming!

Reader Kirsten Johnsen was wondering what in the world was up with this documentary. People want to see it! Sarah Sue Uthoff responded that basically, we have no update, but she suspected that the upcoming PBS pledge drive special might give the distribution a boost.

In fact, she’s on the right track. And there is an update. It just came in over the weekend, and I have not had a chance yet to post it.

The documentary will be available not singly as we’d been expecting, but as part of a package for PBS’s pledge drive special in June. From Dean:

I’m delighted to announce that LHOP: The Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder will be available through PBS as part of “The Pa’s Fiddle Collection” that supports PA’S FIDDLE: THE MUSIC OF AMERICA.

The Pa’s Fiddle Collection is composed of five items available exclusively on PBS for a $275 pledge to your favorite PBS member station:

1. Pa’s Fiddle Concert DVD
2. Pa’s Fiddle Concert CD
3. Making of Pa’s Fiddle DVD
4. Pa’ Fiddle Primer CD
5. LHOP: Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder DVD

So although we cannot obtain it singly, by pledging to PBS, we can obtain it.

 See the video preview for the PBS event here.

1. We now have a vegetarian option for meals listed on the registration form.
2. The lunch on Friday has been renamed to Ladies’ Aid Social Buffet. (Better food, more choices!)

UPDATE: I just realized, thanks to Wayne’s comments, that I wrongly assumed anyone who saw this would already be up on the when and where or would quickly find it on the registration form. However, if one person is actually brave enough to ask a question, other people always have it, too.  So to rectify my oversight,  LauraPalooza will be held at the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, in Mankato, Minnesota, from July 12-14, 2012. The last day will also include an optional field trip to the Laura sites around Walnut Grove, Minnesota.

You can listen by either calling in live to just listen through your phone or to ask questions at (714) 242-5253 or toll free 1-877-633-9389 [numbers only work during live broadcast]
Or Chat while you Stream Live Episodes

Thurs., February 23, 2012 10 pm ET, 9 pm CT, 8 pm MT, 7 pm PT

Sarah S. Uthoff blogs at TrundleBed Tales; look for her on Twitter and YouTube and Blog Talk Radio
Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association, Vice-President and Membership Chair