Melissa Gilbert Warms Fans’ Hearts at Modern Prairie Event

Little House on the Prairie’s Melissa Gilbert received an outpouring of adoration when she arrived in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, for her first ever Modern Prairie Warehouse sale in early September. Over 1,000 fans of the star and her wardrobe, kitchen, and home decor line showed up and got the chance to connect personally with Gilbert, who, in tandem with the sale, raised over 1,000 pounds of food to support the local Beaver Dam Food Pantry.

Gilbert gave thanks to city leaders, community volunteers and her fans. “This was a remarkable day,” Gilbert said. “Everyone was so kind, so patient and so helpful to one another, and so mindful of one another. It really was a beautiful event. There were lots of really chubby babies to play with, which I loved. And I will be eternally grateful to everyone who volunteered and worked so hard to help us and to everyone who came. We definitely will be doing this again.”

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Gilbert was hands-on for the sale, labeling packages and autographing plenty of the merchandise. She spent hours chatting with fans and taking photos with them.

While drawing door prizes, she shared a story about her friend, actress Eva Mendes, who is married to Ryan Gosling, who she sent a package of Modern Prairie items to. “Turns out that Ryan Gosling is such a huge fan of Little House that he absconded with the bonnet mug … too bad I can’t auction him off with it,” she joked.

Fans were beyond impressed with the overall experience.

“The warmth and grace that Melissa Gilbert exuded, along with all of the volunteers who were there to provide support, was appreciated by the hundreds of fans, especially children. It was truly moving,” shared Chris Breur, an attendee.

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Following the event, Gilbert took to social media to thank her fans and the Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, community.

“Seeing Modern Prairie come to life like this — not on a screen, but in a space filled with people connecting, giving back, laughing and supporting one another — was an absolute joy,” she shared with a photo of a truck filled with the food that was donated. “Yes, there were some pretty amazing deals. But this day was about so much more than shopping. This is Modern Prairie. This is community. And this is what can happen when we show up for one another.”

Inspired during the Covid-19 pandemic, Gilbert started Modern Prairie in 2022 alongside Nicole Haase, a business leader and visionary. Together they established a business philosophy that celebrated women and honored “the beauty of heritage while embracing what’s modern.” Their mission goes beyond just selling merchandise; it’s a movement to inspire, uplift and support.

 

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“I not only wanted to create a retail space, but we wanted to elevate and promote female entrepreneurs, female makers and then also create an environment where women can share the things going in their lives at this age, whether it’s transitioning into a new job or children leaving the nest or the hormonal changes our bodies are going through, and the grief that comes with all of those things, and the fear; a lot of women feel stuck,” Gilbert told CNN in 2023. “We wanted to create a place where women could talk to other women about it.”

And talk about it they did, and continue to do. Fans left the community with warmth, inspiration and some good bargains!

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