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A Prairie Home Companion brings the nostalgia in live anniversary tour stopping in Austin

Garrison Keillor A Prairie Home Companion

A Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor is celebrating the radio show's 50th anniversary.

Photo courtesy of Garrison Keillor

It may have sounded outlandish in 1974, when the first live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion happened, to say it would still be on folks' minds in 50 years. And despite the ubiquity of handheld games, an impossible number of options for TV and movies, and on-demand listening of nearly anything that's ever been recorded, audio-only storytelling is booming.

Technically, the show ended in 2016 after more than 1,500 broadcasts, but it is such a touchstone for podcasters that the name is constantly appearing in everything from casual conversation to media profiles.

To celebrate the five-decade anniversary of the variety show, host Garrison Keillor is taking a live show on tour, including a stop at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Center on Sunday, February 25.

The tour kicks off with a livestream from Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium and a show in Saint Paul, Minnesota — the radio cast's original home.

For non-public radio fans (perhaps it's time to branch out a little), A Prairie Home Companion is a quaint-but-chaotic, fictional small-town radio show that strings together live musical performances, funny news bulletins, and drama segments, among other quick giggles. The traditional country overtones and irreverent joking created a nostalgic product that wasn't puritanical.

A Prairie Home Companion got a new host in folk music savant Chris Thile from 2016-2020, when it was rebranded as Live From Here. Thile does not appear to be involved in the anniversary tour.

Keillor, however, has been touring for years, so this new tour should be a well-oiled machine with input from the show's longtime music director, Rich Dworsky, plus actors Tim Russell, Sue Scott, Fred Newman, and special guests. The Austin guest has not been revealed yet, but a press release announces some non-exhaustive possibilities:

Heather Masse
Christine DiGiallonardo
Aoife O’Donovan
Ellie Dehn
Chuck Mead and His Grassy Knoll Boys
Stuart Duncan
Sam Bush
Richard Kriehn
Larry Kohut
Chris Siebold
Jeff Carney
Bryan Sutton
Erica Rhodes
Ethan Jodziewicz
Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks
Howard Levy

50th Anniversary Tour dates:

January 11 — Nashville, TN
January 13 — Manhattan, KS
February 10 — West Palm Beach, FL
February 23 — Galveston, TX
February 25 — Austin, TX
March 24 — Wilmington, NC
March 26 — Greenville, SC
April 18 — Bethesda, MD
April 20 — Burlington, VT
May 24 — Scranton, PA
May 26 — Akron, OH
July 13 — Saint Paul, MN.

More information about the Austin show and tickets are available at acllive.com.

radio comedy theater live music concerts

Not Quite Reindeer

New Braunfels farm debuts cozy holiday fest with lights and animals

Photo from Sundrop Springs Farm Facebook page

Polly the Goat is one of many farm animals you can feed at Christmas at the Farm.

The holidays officially start November 30 at Sundrop Springs Farm in New Braunfels. Fans of the Hallmark vision of Christmas should feel warmed by this 22-acre, family-owned farm, which is getting festive with lights, family-friendly activities, live music, and more.

This is the first time "Christmas at the Farm" will be held at Sundrop Springs Farm, but the organizers hope this will become a new holiday tradition, according to a recent press release.

Visitors can expect a dazzling trail of lights that will wind through the woods on the property and light up the farm. There will be lots to do for all ages like feeding the farm animals, racing tricycles on the Tricycle Raceway, a playground, fire pits, and a giant jumping pillow for kids to bounce on. All the while, live holiday music fills the air.

Visitors can also take photos with the two giant troll sculptures on the land, Hugo and Pumpkin Jack. These two weren't crafted by renowned artist Thomas Dambo, who recently put a troll in Pease Park, but they do have a similar look.

Hugo at Sundrop Springs Farm Hugo, a 17-foot Troll sculpture, at Sundrop Springs. Photo from sundropsprings.com

There will also be hot chocolate, apple cider, food trucks, and of course, no holiday event would be complete without a visit from Santa himself.

Santa will stop by from 6-8 pm, but the event itself will last from 5-9 pm on the following weekends:

November 30 and December 1
December 7 and 8
December 14 and 15
December 21 and 22

Tickets start at just $7 for adults and $5 for children.

The people behind this event are the owners and operators of Sundrop Springs Farm, the Williams family. This family of four tends to goats, ducks, chickens, and a beloved donkey named SweetPea. The farm also hosts birthday parties, field trips, and seasonal events like this one.

Sundrop Springs Farm is located at 953 Hueco Springs Loop Road.

animals families kids farmers