“Little House on the Prairie ”Cast Slams 50th Anniversary Organizer for Refusing to Announce Event Cancellations

Melissa Gilbert and other members of the cast said they would no longer support the "poorly organized and executed events"

The cast of Little House on the Prairie is speaking out and slamming organizers of the show's 50th anniversary events.

Stars of the Western, including Melissa Gilbert, Alison Arngrim, Karen Grassle, Dean Butler, Charlotte Stewart and Matthew Labyorteaux, announced on Sept. 6 that they were cancelling upcoming events in Lyles, TN, Keystone, SD, Branson, MO and Corsicana, TX after attending "poorly organized and executed events" in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE from the cast on Oct. 1, they also sent a letter to event organizer Jack Bishop and his company Gravel Road Markets LLC.

"Our letter to Mr. Bishop stated the following: 'This letter informs you that, effective immediately, the undersigned members of the original cast of Little House on the Prairie will no longer support, promote, or appear at any Gravel Road Markets, LLC events,'" the release stated.

They also asked Bishop and Gravel Road Markets to "remove our names and likenesses from sales and marketing assets supporting any upcoming Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary events produced or promoted by Gravel Road Markets, LLC, including upcoming events in Lyles, TN; Keystone, SD; Branson, MO; and Corsicana TX.”

However, the cast claims Bishop did not send "public cancellations" of the events. Fans apparently arrived in Keystone, SD on Sept. 27-29 and a "similar mischaracterization" affected fans in Lyles, TN on Sept. 13-15.

Related: Little House on the Prairie’s Melissa Gilbert Says Michael Landon Was a ‘Father Figure’: ‘We Were Very Close’ (Exclusive)

"Now, Jack Bishop is seemingly refusing to announce the cancellation of his Little House events in Branson, MO (November 15-17) and Corsicana, TX (December 6-8)," the statement said, adding that Bishop "appears to be taking advantage of Little House fans."

According to the cast, Bishop is listing the event on Eventbrite as "sold out" rather than "canceled."

The statement was signed by cast members, Gilbert, Grassle, Arngrim, Stewart, Labyorteaux, Butler, Wendi Lou Lee, Patrick Labyorteaux, Lucy Lee Flippin, Jennifer Donati, Leslie Landon Matthews, Pamela Roylance, David Friedman, Olivia Barash, Jonathan Kovacs, Jennifer Steffin, Michelle Steffin. They encouraged fans to "seek clarification" from Eventbrite on their purchase.

Bishop did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Gilbert tells PEOPLE that Gravel Road Markets LLC allegedly advertised the actress as a co-producer of these events, which was not the case.

“It is appalling, because these are not events that I would sanction or produce,” she says. “I'm not a Comic Con producer. None of us [are], right? This is not our bailiwick.”

Related: Little House on the Prairie Cast: Where Are They Now?

Gravel Roads Market LLC did not organize the Little House on the Prairie 50^th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival in March 2024 in Simi Valley, California, which brought together several former cast members — including Gilbert, Arngrim, Grassle and Butler — and hosted thousands of fans over three days.

At the Simi Valley event, which offered set recreations and panels where the cast reminisced about their time on the show, festival-goers waited hours for autographs and photos with cast members, with some fans waiting up to six hours for time with Arngrim.

Little House on the Prairie ran for nine seasons from 1974 to 1983 and spawned three TV movies — Little House: Look Back to Yesterday, Little House: Bless All the Dear Children and Little House: The Last Farewell — and became a part of the cultural zeitgeist.

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“After 50 years and counting, the Little House on the Prairie family of cast and crew treasures and respects the worldwide fan community that has made our series an enduring classic,” the statement from the cast concluded. “In 2025 we are dedicated to bringing you ‘Little House Love,’ bigger and better than ever.”

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