The holidays are upon us! And while our celebrations look different this year, whether you are hitting the slopes socially distance style or staying cozy at home, KPCW has you covered with music, snow reports, news, and much more. Read more about what we have instore for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
For information about our recent changes to the weekends, click here.
For more information about the KPCW Snow Report, click here.
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The Big Tiny Desk Holiday Special
December 24 at 9am
We were excited to add All Songs Considered (Sundays at 6pm) from NPR Music this year to our Sunday lineup, and with it, the world-famous Tiny Desk Concerts. Due to the pandemic, this is a reissued special (but first time on KPCW!). Hosted by NPR Music frenemies Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson, this special includes Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Steve Martin, Hanson, The Polyphonic Spree and more!
Hollywood Holiday
December 24 at 10am
From APM, this special is hosted by Lynne Warfel, host of Saturday Cinema. Warfel takes you on a one-hour musical retrospective of some of Hollywood's most cherished Christmas themed movies. Including scores from "Scrooge, the Musical", "A Muppet Christmas Carol", "The Polar Express", "It's A Wonderful Life" and many more. Due to the pandemic, this is an encore from 2018, but the first time on KPCW!
All Songs Considered for the Holidays: The Return To The Cabin
December 24 at 11am
For the first holiday extravaganza in 2012 (at a snow-covered cabin in the woods), nearly all of the invited guests canceled. The party was a lovable flop, but it launched a tradition that’s continued since, including trips to Bermuda, the north pole and even outer space.
For this holiday party, Bob and Robin return to the cozy cabin where it all began. The special guests include Taylor Swift, Jenny Lewis, Tarriona "Tank" Ball, Lucy Dacus and more. What could possibly go wrong? Remember to tune in to All Songs Considered, Sundays at 6pm on KPCW.
Christmas Across the Lands
December 24 from 12pm to 6pm
December 25 from 10am to 10pm
It wouldn’t be a KPCW Christmas without Christmas Across the Lands. This 12 hour program, in it’s 21st year, brings your favorite artists and their holiday songs, with interviews and trivia about your favorite Christmas songs.
Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites
December 24 at 7pm
This program features stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk -- these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. Hosted by Lynn Neary.
Christmas Spirits High and Low
December 24 at 8pm
We want Christmas to be merry and bright, but sometimes the season can be challenging. Our two stories, presented by guest host Cynthia Nixon, do deliver good cheer in the end (and Nixon shares a few of her own holiday traditions).
In Laurie Notaro’s “O Holy Night, or The Year I Ruined Christmas” there’s a hideous Christmas tree, and a demanding parent with a long memory. The hilarious tale is read by Kirsten Vangsness.
In Jeanette Winterson’s luminous “Spirit of Christmas” a married couple set off for their holiday with frayed tempers and too much stuff. They wind up with nothing but a miracle. Christina Pickles is the reader.
This originally aired in 2019, but this is the first time airing on KPCW!
Festivo Alt.Latino: Cantigas In Concert
December 24 at 9pm
Hear the healing and uplifting power of the human voice with the Washington, D.C.-based group, Cantigas. The group's 25 members assembled in NPR's Studio 1 in front of a live audience to present an eclectic mix of songs and rhythms from Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Cuba and Puerto Rico–the home country of its artistic director, Diana Sáez. From folk to sacred to contemporary sounds, Cantigas presents a broader view of Latin music for audiences around the country through sophisticated vocal interpretations and by also reaching back into history to embrace choral traditions brought to and developed in the "New World." Hosted by Felix Contreras.
Tune in to Alt.Latino, Sundays at 6:30pm on KPCW.
Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
December 25 at 9am
The sounds of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square floated into many homes during the holidays in the '60s & '70s on Goodyear and Firestone albums, bringing lush renditions of favorite Christmas carols. Those warm memories and feelings come right back again in this holiday special.
The choir continues its tradition of great artistry with touching arrangements of familiar carols, and surprises with lesser-known melodies that are fast becoming the new classics.
This special programming brought to you by O.C. Tanner.