- Pepin County is home to the revered birthplace
of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
- Laura was born here
in 1867.
- Little House in the Big Woods is set here,
the first book of Wilder's
influential Little House series
on pioneer life.
[bell ringing]
- Any boys and girls that want to come in
for a quilt block story...
- Thousands come annually to celebrate the author.
- People come from all over.
- They're drawn by the chance
to get a taste of the past.
- Doing what Laura did.
Run through the fields
with your bonnet flying off
and having a good time.
- If you could, would you try living like a pioneer?
- Yes. - She would.
[laughter]
- But it may be more than playing pioneer
that brings out Wilder's fans.
The book's celebration
of simple virtues also resonates,
according to celebration organizers
like 92-year-old Maxine Johnson.
- Well, I think they like that homespun philosophy
that Laura had.
She always pointed out
that even though many years have gone by,
those principles that were taught at that time
are still the things that we should rely on today.
[marching band playing]
- Today the village of Pepin
celebrates their connection to Wilder and her legacy
in classic small-town fashion.
The community puts on a parade
and they hold old-fashioned events
like fiddle contests
and spelling bees.
- "Chocolate."
C-H-O...
C-O-L-A-T-E.
"Chocolate."
- Okay, I guess
we have our winner.
[applause]
- Children learn about Wilder's
hardscrabble life and then make
a mad scramble for Life Savers and lollipops.
[slow fiddle music]
It's easy to see all that's changed
since Wilder's day,
but her influence remains.
- And the values.
I think her values are just
what families and the world needs to get back to.