Passport
Arts & Culture|History|Food & Travel
- Watch
-
-
Watch Shows
-
-
- Support Us
-
-
Membership
-
-
Arts & Culture|History|Food & Travel
It’s the holiday season! Celebrate with the sounds, sights and conversation starters found in these on-demand PBS Wisconsin programs. Watch them online now or on the free PBS Video App everywhere you watch TV!
First held in 1912, the St. Olaf Christmas Festival is one of the oldest musical celebrations of Christmas in the United States and features more than 450 students from St. Olaf College’s renowned choirs and orchestra.
DePaul University invites viewers to the holiday celebration, which features the talents of DePaul faculty, staff, students and alumni.
The 175-voice Bach Festival choir, youth choir and orchestra offer traditional holiday selections, including well-known Christmas hymns and carols beautifully arranged for the performers.
Watch this musical mediation on an unsung aspect of the Christmas story which speaks to the heart of the human experience.
The Madison Maennerchor performs traditional German Christmas music. Many of the song are Christmas classics.
Trevor Stephenson, director of the Madison Bach Musicians, joins host Norman Gilliland to share renditions of Christmas carols in their original arrangements or as they were performed long ago. Stephenson explains the history of the carols and accompanies singers Alisa Suzanne Jordheim, Margaret Fox, Scott J. Brunscheen and Jim LaBelle.
Cooking with spruce is magical. The fragrance makes it feel oh so Christmassy! These spruce tree shortbread cookies are also a lovely gift.
Holidays call for big celebrations with friends and family! Sara has the perfect recipes for any occasion.
Discover the role craft plays in our winter holiday traditions, rituals, and festivities. Featuring lion dancers and float builders for San Francisco’s acclaimed Chinese New Year Parade, artists in Michigan making ceramics for the holidays at Pewabic (Detroit) and Motawi Tileworks (Ann Arbor), Kwanzaa celebrations with artists in Chicago and Oakland, and Christmas card making with Yoshiko Yamamoto.
We begin with Kwanzaa, an African-American cultural celebration. Clayborn Benson, III, founder of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society – which holds the state’s largest celebration – explains the cultural importance of the week-long festivity. Alexandria Mack talks with Dimonte Henning, director of Black Arts MKE’s holiday production of “Black Nativity.”
Susan Braunstein, curator of Archaeology and Judaica at the Jewish Museum of New York, explains the traditions of Hanukkah.
Don’t forget to look up this holiday season! This week’s episode of Star Gazers features selected objects for naked eye viewing for the week leading into Christmas.
Top storytellers share stories that conjure the holiday spirit.
Christmas isn’t just a time for presents, cookies and holiday cheer, but the hunting period of Iceland’s murderous monster feline, the Yule Cat.
Joe Kapler, curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society, provides a history of the Evergleam Aluminum Christmas Tree produced by the Aluminum Specialty Company of Wisconsin.
I would love to get your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the comments below. Thanks for sharing!
PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. © 2025 All Rights Reserved.
Nancy Gray
We missed the Ella Fitzgerald special due to other commitments. Is there a way to stream it online?
Alyssa Beno
Hi Nancy, are you referring to “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas with Vanessa Williams”? If so, you can watch it online anytime and on the free PBS Video App. Here’s the link: https://pbswisconsin.org/watch/ella-wishes-you-swinging-christmas-vanessa-williams/ella-wishes-you-a-swinging-christmas-with-vanessa-williams-ci6h56/. Enjoy!
Christen Kunz
Hi pbswisconsin.org admin, Keep up the good work, admin!