This weekend, for our special Christmas Show, we'll be stopping in for visits at the homes of some of our best friends — actors Sue Scott and Tim Russell, sound-effects man Tom Keith, and bandleader Rich Dworsky. We'll also recall the best of Christmases past: The News From Lake Wobegon, the Lives of the Cowboys, and so much more. Join us.

Three weeks ago we begged the boys of the traditional Celtic band Boys of the Lough to stop in and see us again before heading back over the pond. To our great delight, they accepted — tune in to hear them this weekend. Also joining us will be jazz vocalist Inga Swearingen (you may recognize her from the 30th anniversary DVD), guitarist/mandolinist/fiddler John Niemann, the adventures of Guy Noir, the news from Lake Wobegon, and more.

Do you hear what I hear? It's our favorite sound-effects men, rehearsing for this Saturday's show at the Fitz: Fred Newman will join Tom Keith and the Royal Academy of Radio Acting for twice the fun with the adventures of Guy Noir and others. Musical guests include fiddler and saxophonist Andy Stein, harmonica player Howard Levy, and more.

This weekend, help us say hello to another St. Paul December. We'll be at the Fitz, warmed by the smoky voice of our friend Prudence Johnson, and by the hot country of the Flatlanders' Joe Ely. Pianist Nils Lindberg will be there as well, plus the Royal Academy of Radio Acting, The News From Lake Wobegon and more.

What's a holiday without friends, we say, and that's why we've invited some of the best back to St. Paul for the Thanksgiving-weekend show: The Boys of the Lough will play traditional Celtic tunes and singer/pianist Kelley Hunt will tune in with the blues. Robin and Linda Williams will be with us as well, as will guitarist/mandolinist/fiddler John Niemann, The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, and more.

The more the merrier, we always say, and that's why we're happy to have the 32 voices of Philip Brunelle's VocalEssence Ensemble Singers filling the glorious old Fitz again this Saturday. We've also invited Australia's bluesy rock & roll singer Kasey Chambers, plus guitarist/mandolinist/fiddler John Niemann, the Royal Academy of Radio Acting, and more.

We're not done with the Fitz yet! This week we welcome gospel blue-grassers Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, joining us in downtown St. Paul all the way from Tennessee. Butch Thompson — a fellow Minnesotan and one-time house pianist for A Prairie Home Companion — is back, too, to play a song or two with The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band.

This week it's our Bonus Joke Show. Talk about hard work. We're always swimming in new jokes — of every conceivable kind, sent to us from comedians all around the world — and we make it our task to decide which ones are the winners. The returns are in: Join us with humorist Roy Blount, Jr., fiddler and saxophonist Andy Stein, and folk singer and guitarist "Spider" John Koerner.

Halloween tricks and end-of-election-season treats at the Fitz this week. Plus, bluegrass greats Rhonda Vincent and the Rage are back in St. Paul for the first time in three years. Vocalist Prudence Johnson and fiddler, guitarist and mandolinist John Niemann are featured as well.

This week we'll be back at the Fitz with special guests and good friends of ours Robin and Linda Williams, fiddler and mandolinist Peter Ostroushko, and classic country-western guitarist Jay Peterson. And there's a good chance we'll have a couple of presidential candidates visit the show. We are, after all, a swing state...