Special Events

Join us for a celebration of Willa Cather! This reception will feature remarks by Ashley Olson, Executive Director of the National Willa Cather Center, as well as a talk by Cather scholar Steve Shively on Willa's connection to Lincoln. A dialogue with artist Littleton Alston, creator of the Cather sculpture recently installed at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building, will precede the reveal of the Library's own Cather statuette that was donated by Lincoln residents Glenda Pierce and Jeff Kirkpatrick.

Join us for a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century. Cather’s groundbreaking fiction (including O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, One of Ours, The Professor’s House, and Death Comes for the Archbishop) set a new standard in American literature.

The National Willa Cather Center is excited to launch our series of NEA Big Read programs devoted to My Ántonia with a special fall kick-off! Please join us for a day packed with fun events, including the debut of a new seasonal tour and three new exhibits that celebrate Cather's 1918 novel. Most events taking place throughout the day are free and open to the public, but registration is required for the seasonal guided tours shown in bold. Senior citizen and student pricing is available for the tour.

Once again this fall, we journey to Santa Fe to explore one of Cather's favorite cities. Our tour guide, Garrett Peck, will lead us on a 2.5 hour Death Comes for the Archbishop walking tour, retracing Cather's steps through Santa Fe in 1925 and 1926.

We'll gather at the Plaza opposite La Fonda, the hotel where Cather and her partner Edith Lewis stayed during their visits. We'll read from Cather's letters, interviews, and articles, in addition to seeing historic Santa Fe.

We hope you'll join us in Taos, New Mexico, for a 3-day, 3-night excursion, November 14–17, 2024! We’ll explore the beautiful mountain town and the best of its historic and arts offerings, while learning about Cather’s time in New Mexico. We’ll discuss and share from Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Professor’s House, as well as a host of selected outside readings, in addition to touring the Father Martinez Hacienda and Taos Pueblo, the Fechin House and the Millicent Rogers museum and more.