Festival! ’26 Fundraiser on WNMU-TV | Feb 28–Mar 15

Nicole Walsh

• Published on March 4, 2026 • Last modified on March 5, 2026

Festival! ’26 Fundraiser: February 28–March 15

Join us for Festival! ’26, WNMU-TV’s annual on-air fundraiser, airing February 28 through March 15. This special event features an exciting lineup of concerts, performances, documentaries, how-to programs, and local favorites — all celebrating the power of public broadcasting in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Throughout the fundraiser, viewers can enjoy unforgettable musical events, inspiring stories, and special presentations available only during Festival. Don’t miss our Local Program Feature Night on March 12, when your favorite WNMU-TV hosts will be live in the studio sharing highlights and connecting directly with viewers across the region.

Your support during Festival makes it possible for WNMU-TV to provide the trusted PBS programs, local productions, educational content, and community coverage that the Upper Peninsula relies on every day. When you donate, you’re investing in programming that informs, inspires, and brings our communities together.

Scroll down for the complete Festival schedule and details about this year’s featured specials — and consider making a contribution while you enjoy the programs.

Make a Difference Today!

Your Festival! '26 donation directly supports the programs you love. There are two easy ways to give:

🔹 Donate online
🔹 Call (906) 227-9668 during the program you’re enjoying to pledge your support live

Your contribution helps sustain WNMU-TV PBS for future generations. Now more than ever, public media relies on viewers like you to keep local storytelling, educational programs, and enriching entertainment available to everyone.

Join us in keeping public broadcasting strong—make your donation today!

Festival! '26 Fundraiser Schedule

Country Classics

Celebrate the legacy of country music with today's stars honoring the genre’s most iconic legends.

Saturday, February 28th at 9/8c. Repeats 3/11 at 9/8c

All Creatures Great and Small: Seasons of the Dales

Join host Nicholas Ralph, who plays James Herriot, on an enchanting journey to the Yorkshire Dales.

Sunday, March 1st at 8/7c

Barry Manilow: Live by Request

Celebrate the consummate performer as he fields call-in requests from fans for his greatest hits.

Of the People: Women of the Civil Rights Movement

Discover the stories of extraordinary women who helped shape the civil and human rights movements.

Monday, March 2nd at 9:30/8:30c

The Making of The American Revolution

Go behind the scenes with Ken Burns and the filmmaking team to learn about making the series.

Tuesday, March 3rd at 8/7c

Wisdom Keepers: Healing a Divided People

A series exploring life’s fundamental questions with the world’s most profound thinkers.

Tuesday, March 3rd at 9:30/8:30c

Julia Child's Best Bites

Celebrate the first lady of cooking with Martha Stewart, Jacques Pepin, Vivian Howard, Marcus Samuelsson, Jose Andres, Eric Ripert, Rick Bayless and more. Chefs and celebrities share personal insights as they screen Julia’s most-beloved episodes.

Wednesday, March 4th at 8/7c

Barbra Streisand

Timeless: Live in Concert

Enjoy a magical evening of songs filmed on New Year's Eve in 1999 at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel.

Wednesday, March 4th at 9:30/8:30c

Manoomin (Wild Rice): Ojibwe Spirit Food

A documentary about wild rice in the Ojibwe’s history and spiritual culture and the traditional procedures for harvesting, processing, and cooking wild rice.

Thursday, March 5th at 9/8c

American Masters

Starring Dick Van Dyke

Ahead of his 100th birthday, celebrate the life and career of iconic actor Dick Van Dyke.

Friday, March 6th at 9/8c

The Great Irish Songbook

Join acclaimed band Dervish and a stellar lineup to celebrate the powerful Irish tradition of songs.

Saturday, March 7th at 8/7c

Rick Steves' Mighty Alps

Join Rick Steves on an alpine adventure from Italy to Austria to Switzerland to France, with scenic train rides, breathtaking lifts, majestic glaciers, and unforgettable hikes.

Saturday, March 7th at 9:30/8:30c

American Masters

Starring Dick Van Dyke

Ahead of his 100th birthday, celebrate the life and career of iconic actor Dick Van Dyke.

Friday, March 6th at 9/8c

Downton Abbey

Season 1, Episode 1

Lord Grantham loses his immediate heirs, throwing Downton Abbey into turmoil.

Sunday, March 8th at 4/3c

Downton Abbey

Season 1, Episode 2

Mary entertains three suitors. Carson's former life is unmasked. Bates risks his health.

Sunday, March 8th at 6/5c*
*Overnight marathon begins 3/9 at 1a/12c.

The Forsytes: An Inside Look

Go behind the scenes of the new MASTERPIECE series inspired by The Forsyte Saga novels.

Sunday, March 8th at 8/7c. Repeats 3/14 at 10/9c

A Masterpiece Special

The Manners of Downton Abbey

The historical advisor to Downton Abbey explores how the aristocratic set behaved in 1900s Britain.

Sunday, March 8th at 9/8c

Antiques Roadshow

North Carolina Museum of Art, Hour 2

View ravishing Raleigh finds at the North Carolina Museum of Art. One is up to $100,000!

Monday, March 9th at 8/7c

Featured at the Fresh COast FIlm Festival

Snail Hunters

A kooky team of scientists travels to a remote volcano in the Galápagos Islands to solve the Earth's biodiversity crisis. The twist? They aren't studying the iconic tortoises or blue footed boobies on this storied archipelago—they are Snail Hunters, studying a more unlikely subject in the crucible of evolution.

Monday, March 9th at 9:30/8:30c

Celtic Woman 20th Anniversary Concert

Celebrate 20 years of spectacular Irish music with a new concert filmed in Dublin.

Wednesday, March 11th at 9/8c

A Nigh of Local Programming!

High School Bowl

Quarter-Finals: Negaunee vs Gladstsone

Negaunee meets Gladstone in this quarter-final round of WNMU-TV's quiz tournament.

Thursday, March 12th at 9/8c

High School Bowl

Quarter-Finals: Sault Ste. Marie vs Brimley

Sault Ste. Marie meets Brimley in this quarter-final round of WNMU-TV's quiz tournament.

Thursday, March 12th at 9:30/8:30c

Media Meet

Haywire @ 30 – A Musical Legacy

Guests celebrate the 30th anniversary of Haywire, an original NMU production.

Thursday, March 12th at 10/9c

Leonard Cohen - Live in Dublin

Watch a sneak peek of a peak performance from the singer-songwriter in this concert taped on September 12, 2013.

Friday, March 13th at 9/8c

Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show

Celebrate the magic of Irish music and dance

Saturday, March 14th at 8/7c