Melissa Gilbert, the original “Little House on the Prairie’s” Laura, is coming to Beaver Dam on Sunday for the inaugural Modern Prairie Warehouse Sale, featuring the brand she co-founded.
The Modern Prairie Warehouse, N6543 Highway 151, will be open to the public for its warehouse sale and community event featuring Gilbert and co-founder Nicole Haase.
“Melissa and I met through a mutual friend in 2020 and connected almost immediately,” Haase said. “After working on an event together, I had the opportunity to see firsthand what Melissa meant to so many women. She felt familiar to them like someone they had welcomed into their homes and trusted for years.”
Modern Prairie is primarily an online lifestyle brand and community. It offers apparel, accessories, kitchen and entertaining pieces, home décor, craft and quilting supplies, gardening products, and special collections inspired by the spirit and values of the prairie, she said.
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Its merchandise is housed and fulfilled from the warehouse in Beaver, which is the hometown of Haase’s husband and the company’s chief financial officer, Jason Haase.
The couple regularly returns to Beaver Dam, where his father, Steve Haase still lives.
“We come to Beaver Dam regularly because our warehouse and fulfillment operation is based here, and because of our family’s longstanding connection to the community,” Nicole Haase said.
“Building a company takes a great deal from an entire family, and I could not have done this without him beside me,” she said. “The Modern Prairie warehouse has been operating in Beaver Dam since 2023, and we’re excited to continue deepening our relationship with the town and finding new ways to support its community.”
From left, Nicole Haase, Melissa Gilbert and Chef Cheryl Perry pose for a photo promoting their company Modern Prairie. The three will be in Beaver Dam on Sept. 6 at the Modern Prairie Warehouse, N6543 Highway 151.
Around the time she was met Gilbert, Haase was considering starting a business that would support middle-aged women.
“I wanted to create a place where we could find one another, explore what interests us now, and rediscover parts of ourselves we may have set aside along the way, she said. “I shared the idea for Modern Prairie with Melissa, and together we began building both a lifestyle brand and a community centered on creativity, curiosity, connection, and the belief that there is always more for us to discover.”
The company also offers virtual classes, cooking experiences, book discussions, community gatherings, and other ways for women to learn and connect.
On Sunday, the doors of the warehouse will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for the one-day sale and community event. They will also be hosting a brat fry that will benefit PAVE. In recognition of Hunger Action Month, they will also be collecting nonperishable food donations to support our local community.
The event is free and open to all, Haase said. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Events page at ModernPrairie.com, or search “Warehouse Sale” on its website, for complete information and to RSVP.
”That helps us plan and keep attendees informed of any updates,” she said. “We’ll have exceptional warehouse pricing, special finds, and products from across our collections, along with giveaways throughout the day.”
Along with Haase and Gilbert, Chef Cheryl Perry and members of the Modern Prairie team will be in attendance, Haase said.
“We want Beaver Dam to know how grateful we are to be here,” she said. “Modern Prairie is built around the idea that community is created when people show up for one another, and that is exactly what we hope this day will represent.”
