Annual History Festival to Celebrate National First Ladies Day
The Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival will honor presidents and first ladies through their descendants and scholars. Nostalgic television and film actors will be there, too.
For more than 20 years, presidential descendants and nostalgic television and film actors have come together in the small town of Marshfield in rural southwest Missouri for a unique blending of American history and culture at the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival.
And only recently has the festival included a daylong celebration of National First Ladies Day, which this year falls on April 25. The day is meant to honor the contributions of America’s first ladies by encouraging others to celebrate through acts of service.
New this year at the four-day event kicking off on April 23 and running through April 25, is an appearance at the 16th Annual State Dinner by Ashley Reagan, granddaughter of former President Ronald Reagan; an appearance on National First Ladies Day by Prescott Bush, grandson of George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush; a “Descendants of the Founding Fathers” panel in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary of its founding; and also on First Ladies Day, Tweed Roosevelt (Theodore and Edith Roosevelt’s great-grandson) will share memories and speak about the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, slated to open on July 4.
Festival founder, Rev. Nicholas Inman, said notable this year, though, is how the festival, for the first time, will feature Prescott Bush as a keynote speaker on the afternoon of National First Ladies Day.
“We’re really excited that Prescott Bush will be the first … especially since his grandmother visited Marshfield,” Inman said. “It’s very special to us that we would have a Bush to do that.”
Over the years, the festival has routinely drawn presidential descendants, former White House staff, close confidantes of presidents and first ladies, war veterans and other historical figures. First Lady Laura Bush, in fact, made an appearance at the festival in 2014. It’s also known for featuring actors from classic television programs and movies.
What could they possibly have in common? The curiosity of festival-goers.
When historical figures and pop culture personalities collide in Marshfield, crossover conversations are created. Descendants have described memories of a bygone Hollywood era, and television personalities have shared their interests in presidential history, said Inman.
It is unlikely there is anywhere else attendees could listen to the likes of Ulysses Grant Dietz, the great-great grandson of First Lady Julia Dent Grant and the18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, and celebrities from shows such as “Lassie, “The Waltons,” “Home Alone” and “It’s A Wonderful Life” in back-to-back events on the same day.
And for Inman, that’s the point.
First Ladies-Focused Events at the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival:
April 23
The Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women author talk will feature Andrew Och, aka The First Ladies Man, interviewing co-authors Diana B. Carlin (president of First Ladies Association for Research and Education) and Anita McBride (former chief of staff to former First Lady Laura Bush). The discussion will take place at 11:05 a.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
The Presidential Ancestry Panel will feature descendants Ulysses Grant Dietz, Margaret Hayes Clark and Jennifer Coolidge Harville being interviewed by moderator Tim Pletkovich at 4:35 p.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
April 24
The 2nd Annual First Ladies Walk will be hosted by the First Ladies Chapter and will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time at the grounds of the historical Dickey House. The event features historical impersonations of former U.S. first ladies.
The Valiant Voices: St. Genevieve Parish Schools Performance choir performance will take place from 11:30 a.m. to noon local time at Marshfield Assembly of God. For years, the school located in Panorama City, California, had a relationship with former President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
The Robert and Edith Garst History Convocation will feature author Andrew Greer being interviewed by Courtney Wall, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter’s niece-in-law, about his new book More Than a President: Sundays with Jimmy Carter. The book offers a glimpse into the life and faith of Jimmy Carter drawn from his years of teaching Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in the former president’s hometown of Plains, Georgia. The event takes place at Marshfield Assembly of God at 1 p.m. local time.
Cooking With the First Ladies Man features Andrew Och leading a cooking demonstration with Allethea Wall, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s sister and nieces LeAnne Smith and Julie-Wall Smith. They will share stories and favorite recipes of Mrs. Carter’s including peanut butter pie and cheese ring. The event will take place at 4:35 p.m. local time. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
Jay Garfield, a great-grandson of James and Lucretia Garfield, will be interviewed by presidential historian Mary Achor. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
April 25 - National First Ladies Day
Laura Ingalls Gunn will present a historical fashion show and speak on “What Martha Washington Might Have Worn” in celebration of National First Ladies Day and the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The event will take place at 10 a.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
Mildred Forbes Stegall Humanities Forum will feature an interview with Jean Becker, former chief of staff to George H. W. Bush and co-author Tom Collamore about their book Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst & Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance. The discussion will be moderated by Massee McKinley, a descendant of the 25th president of the United States, William McKinley. The event will take place at 11:05 a.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
The Julia Dent Grant DAR Luncheon will feature Ulysses Grant Dietz, a great-great grandson of Julia Dent Grant who will speak in honor of Mrs. Grant’s bicentennial birthday year. The luncheon is for Daughters of the American Revolution members only and will be held at noon local time at Marshfield Assembly of God. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased online.
The National First Ladies Day Ceremony honors America’s first ladies with a National Day of Service. The event will feature National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution President General Ginnie Sebastian Storage, descendants of first ladies, and performances by the Valiant Voices: St. Genevieve Parish School Choir from Panorama City, California, and Flight Bound Choir from Highlandville Elementary. The event will take place at 1:30 p.m. local time.
The George and Jan Williams Festival Convocation will feature Tweed Roosevelt, the great grandson of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt. The discussion will be moderated by Roy Howard Beck and it will take place at 2:35 p.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
The Descendants of the Founding Fathers panel will feature a discussion among presidential descendants in light of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. Moderators are NSDAR President Ginnie Sebatian Storage and Honorary President General Pamela Wright. The event will take place at 3:30 p.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
The Presidential Family Forum, hosted by the Society of Presidential Descendants, features a discussion among descendants of American presidential families that will be moderated by presidential historian Larry Cook. The event takes place at 4:35 p.m. local time at Marshfield Assembly of God.
The 16th Annual State Dinner, sponsored by The Seymour Bank, will feature Ashley Reagan, granddaughter of President Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. The event will take place at 7 p.m. local time at Marshfield Community Center. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased online.
For a full schedule of the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival click here.
Calendar
April 16, 2026
Third Thursday: Journeys That Changed America
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents on April 16, 2026 from 6 to 8 p.m. local time stories of the first ladies whose travels helped transform diplomacy, leadership, and American life. This in-person Third Thursday program highlights unforgettable journeys: from Jackie Kennedy’s iconic moments abroad to Lady Bird Johnson’s road trips that helped redefine America’s landscapes. Read more
April 22, 2026
Ulysses Grant Dietz to Speak on ‘Julia and Ulysses at Home: The Grants in the White House, 1869-1877’
Julia and Ulysses Grant would live in the White House for longer than they ever lived in any other house. For Julia, it was home in a way the White House had never been for any previous first family. The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site on April 22, 2026 presents an in-person program featuring Ulysses Grant Dietz, great-great grandson of Ulysses and Julia, who will explore Julia’s role as first lady and her substantial impact on the White House itself as well as the places and houses where they lived with their family. Call 314-842-1867 ext. 230 for reservations.
April 23, 2026
From Poise to Purpose: Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, and the Changing Role of First Lady
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation presents a birthday event at the Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on April 23, 2026 to honor First Lady Betty Ford, who would have turned 108 on April 8.
Betty Ford and Pat Nixon shared more than just the first lady position: they also shared a long history of friendship and mutual admiration. Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon, will discuss Pat Nixon’s life and times as well as the intertwined fates of Mrs. Nixon and Mrs. Ford, and their contrasting styles as first lady. Read more
April 25, 2026 - National First Ladies Day
April 27, 2026
FLARE Virtual Program: Jackie Kennedy & Brooklyn’s Design Works
The First Ladies Association for Research and Education presents “Jackie Kennedy & Brooklyn’s Design Works,” a program featuring Phyllis Ross, an independent scholar of 20th-century decorative arts and design, airing on April 27, from 7 to 8 pm EST. The program will explore a little-known chapter in Jackie Kennedy’s post–White House life: her involvement in launching The Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant. The presentation also introduces the forthcoming book Stories in Fabric: The Design Works of Bedford-Stuyvesant, to be published by Fordham University Press. Read more
May 15, 2026
Conference: ‘250 Years of First Ladies Making History’
Registration is now open for the “250 Years of First Ladies Making History,” a conference celebrating presidential spouses and their contributions as part of America’s 250th anniversary of its founding.
The event, sponsored by FLARE and American University’s School of Public Affairs First Ladies Initiative will bring together scholars, teachers, institutions, first ladies staff, biographers, archivists, journalists, historians, students and anyone with an interest in U.S. presidential first ladies for a day-long conference at American University in Washington, D.C.
The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time on May 15. Colleen Shogan, former Archivist of the United States and CEO of In Pursuit, will keynote the conference luncheon with an interview by Anita McBride, FLARE founding member, a Gould Award Recipient, co-director of In Pursuit and Director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University. Read more and register here.
May 19, 2026
30th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum
On May 19, 2026, the Carter Center’s Rosalynn Carter Mental Health and Caregiver Program will convene the 30th Annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum, a milestone gathering dedicated to advancing mental health policy, systems, and practice across the state of Georgia. Read more
Send calendar items, press releases and announcements to jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.