'A Prairie Christmas' tapped for Brandon show Dec. 16

The magic of Christmas is coming to Brandon in both word and song next month.

Storyteller Jeff Gould is bringing his annual holiday radio program, A Prairie Christmas, to a Brandon venue. The show, which is intended for adults only, promises to be fun, interactive, fast-paced and packed with heartfelt and hilarious holiday stories and memories that will have the audience laughing, singing and even shedding a few tears.

The Saturday, Dec. 16 event is being organized by the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Doors will open at the Brandon Holiday Inn at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person or a table of eight costs $320. Tickets are available via the Chamber’s website, brandonvalleychamber.com, at the Chamber office or by scanning the QR code on promotional materials.

Along with the show, a decadent dessert and coffee from both Scooter’s and Kingbird Coffee are included in the ticket price. A cash bar will be available.

Chamber president/CEO Rachael Neiman first attended Gould’s show two years ago, and well remembers the warm and happy feeling she left with that night. She now hopes those who take in A Prairie Christmas will leave with that same “warm and happy feeling.”

“What I loved most about the show was the feeling when I left. My heart was full of Christmas spirit. It’s hard to describe, you remember things you did as a child with your parents. You leave with your cup full,” Neiman said.

Surprisingly so, it wasn’t Neiman’s attendance at that show that led to A Prairie Christmas being performed in Brandon next month, but instead it was a comment from a resident that Neiman took to heart.

“They mentioned that there’s not a Christmas production in Brandon, and this would be the perfect opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer,” Neiman recalls. 

Earlier this year, after meeting Gould at the MACE conference, Neiman knew exactly how to “spread some Christmas cheer” here, hence the scheduled show on Dec. 16.

The event is also an opportunity to pad the Chamber’s scholarship account for Brandon Valley High School graduating seniors. Neiman said 10 percent of the proceeds will be rolled over to the scholarship dollars raised annually from the organization’s Auction Amore in February.

“We’re calling it the ‘Stocking Stuffer Scholarship’, and hopefully, we can bless a few more students,” she said.

Neiman hopes to make the show a holiday tradition.

“I would like it to b,” she said. “I love the holidays and bringing families together. It’s a nice touch to keep in our own community,”. 

For those who are not familiar with Gould, he is a broadcaster, author, speaker, podcaster and entertainer. He uses stories of inspiration and wisdom to help people live with passion and purpose, and his audiences love his humor and heartwarming style, which is described as “authentic” and “engaging”.

The A Prairie Christmas radio show runs every weekday on 101.9 KELO-FM Thanksgiving to Christmas from 1-3 p.m. Gould’s career in radio spans more than 30 years.

Apart from the stage and radio, Gould has published seven books including midwestern mysteries and volumes one and two of Insight and Inspiration from the Heartland, a compilation of feel-good stories gathered over decades of experience.

Originally from the Twin Cities, he is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Brown Institute. Gould enjoys (continuously) fixing up his 130-year-old house, woodworking, reading and spending time with his wife, Libby, and their four grown daughters.