WETA TV 26 Celebrates the Christmas Season with a New Local Production

Washington, D.C. — Exciting holiday celebrations, a wealth of cultural offerings and dazzling decorations throughout the Washington region are explored in the next installment of a WETA-produced local series to be broadcast on WETA TV 26, Kevin Harris, vice president and television station manager at WETA, announced today. The WETA Guide to Christmas, a new one-hour program featuring many of Greater Washington’s local Christmas festivities, premieres on Thursday, November 27 at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26 and repeats throughout December.

“There is much to see and do at Christmastime in the Washington, D.C., area,” said Harris. “The WETA Guide to Christmas highlights these activities, many of which are free, from sing-alongs and best neighborhood Christmas lights to onstage performances and children’s activities.”

Viewers will see holiday preparations and decorations throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C., visiting such locations as Union Station, Mount Vernon and the White House. In addition, the program drops by the Washington Ballet for a rehearsal of The Nutcracker and visits a performance of Jazz, Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Momentum Dance Theatre which is a Capitol Hill neighborhood favorite. Other celebrations that are visited include the annual holiday sing-along at Wolf Trap, the Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk, the Kennedy Center sing-along of Handel’s Messiah, the stellar U.S. Army Band’s performances at Constitution Hall and the College Park Santa Fly-In.

Audiences will see impressive neighborhood light displays around the region as well as visit a candlelit service at Washington National Cathedral on Christmas Eve. The WETA Guide to Christmas also explores Christmas volunteerism around the area, including the volunteers who lay thousands of wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery as part of the Arlington Wreath Project. To learn more about the holiday offerings featured in The WETA Guide to Christmas visit www.weta.org/christmasguide and for information about additional WETA holiday programming and activities visit www.weta.org/happyholidays.

Funding for The WETA Guide to Christmas is provided by The Washington Ballet and Exquisite Fabrics, Inc.

After the broadcast of The WETA Guide to Christmas, the program will be available on the WETA media player, WETA Watch Online, at www.weta.org/video. Featuring more than 100 videos, WETA Watch Online includes the latest videos from WETA TV 26 local productions.

The WETA Guide series offers educational, informative and entertaining highlights of the special places and happenings around Greater Washington, helping viewers take advantage of the region’s bountiful offerings. Episodes of The WETA Guide include Fine Dining, featuring fine eating establishments throughout the Washington area; Great Views, a look at the panoramic vistas throughout our community; Memorials, a tour of military, presidential and war memorials; Neighborhood Eats, a fun-filled jaunt around favorite local eateries; Take the Day Off, an inspiring collection of recreational and relaxing activities; and Unusual Attractions, an insider’s guide to some of Washington’s more offbeat destinations.

WETA TV 26 and Classical WETA 90.9 FM are public broadcasting stations serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with educational, cultural, and news and public affairs programming and related services, including four digital channels. WETA is committed to producing programs that highlight the history and people of Greater Washington. WETA regularly produces WETA All Access, WETA Around Town, and WETA Extras, spotlighting local people, places and events. WETA’s headquarters is located in Arlington, Virginia. For more information on WETA and its services, visit www.weta.org. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO of WETA.

# # #