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Cielo • The Little Theatre

How far would you go to reach heaven? Santa, a young indigenous girl, embarks on a rollercoaster journey to take her mother out of a life of hardship and into eternal paradise.

Cielo plays at The Little Theatre on Sunday, September 20 at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 27 at 12 p.m.

Eight-year-old Santa (Fernanda Gutiérrez Aranda) liberates her mother from the hands of an abusive father. Infused with the powers of a goldfish she swallowed whole, she sets off on a fantastical road trip toward a heaven in the sky she believes is as real as the ground beneath her. On her journey through the otherworldly Bolivian Altiplano, she tests the faith of a priest, befriends a troupe of cholita wrestlers, and clashes with a burnt-out cop grieving the death of his wife. Eyes firmly on the horizon, she leaves a trail of miracles in her wake and prompts her unlikely followers to question everything they believed was possible.

Shot on location in Bolivia with an eye-popping color palette, Spanish filmmaker Alberto Sciamma’s magical realist road movie bursts with empathy and wonder.

Broadcast in Spanish with English subtitles.

Get your tickets here.


Al Capone: ICON • WXXI-TV

Was Al Capone the quintessential self-made American man, a ruthless killer, or both? 

Al Capone: ICON airs Tuesday, September 1 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Al Capone: the quintessential self-made American man, ruthless killer or both? Just his name sparks images of pin-stripe suits and bloody violence. To this day, Americans are fascinated by this celebrity gangster. The question is why?

Weekend in Havana • WXXI-TV

Travel to Cuba’s vibrant, alluring and rapidly changing capital in “Weekend in Havana.

Weekend in Havana airs Friday, September 25 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Join Geoffrey Baer as he travels to Havana, where dancers, musicians, architects, and writers invite him into their lives to experience the color, culture, and history of a beautiful and seductive city only recently re-opened to Americans. “Weekend in Havana” illuminates and surprises, inviting viewers to experience a Cuba that is sizzling with the energy of new possibilities.

Taco Mafia • WXXI-TV

A new generation of taqueros is showing how to achieve success in a post-pandemic world, while expanding the impact that a business can have in its own community.

Taco Mafia airs Monday, September 21-Friday, September 25 at 3:30pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

For the past several decades, Austin has been a world leader in creative innovation and cultural expression through music, art and cuisine.

Amid rapid change throughout the city of Austin, a new generation of young local taqueros is creating the blueprint on how to achieve professional success in a post-pandemic world, while building lasting relationships and expanding the impact that a business can have in its own community.

The self-proclaimed ‘Taco Mafia’ is forging a new path built on friendship, tradition, authenticity, and a commitment to give back. This docuseries uses cuisine as an entry point to better understand the people behind the food.

Meet their families, see how they were raised, witness the major events that created these spectacular chefs, friends, business owners, and community leaders. Explore the driving forces that helped shape their commitment to building meaningful relationships and creating a sustainable ecosystem in their own industry. And dive into topics that reach far beyond the culinary industry such as entrepreneurship, sustainability, immigration, gentrification, politics and more.

Taco Mafia will also air in its entirety on Sunday, September 27 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Songs from 1966 • The Route

In celebration of WXXI’s 60th anniversary, host Hannah Maier will play the top ten songs of 1966, the year WXXI went on the air!

The Top Ten Songs of 1966 with Hannah Maier airs Saturday, September 5 at 12 p.m. on The Route FM88.5 and streaming live on theroute.org.

California Dreamin’, 96 Tears, Reach Out and I’ll be There — tune in to Hannah Maier’s Saturday show as she spins these and other favorites from 1966!

Celebrating 60 Years of WXXI

For 60 years, WXXI Public Media has been a trusted source of news, education, culture, and community connection across the Greater Rochester region. Since signing on the air in 1966 with a broadcast of Julia Child’s The French Chef, WXXI has informed, entertained, and inspired generations through its commitment to public media. As we celebrate this milestone anniversary, WXXI honors six decades of storytelling, learning, and service while looking ahead to a future of continuing to connect and strengthen the communities it serves.
Click here for our historical timeline.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITE WXXI MEMORY WITH US. CLICK HERE!

Six Questions Answered by WXXI President Chris Hastings About His Vision for the Next 60 Years

WXXI President Chris Hastings wearing a white shirt with splashes of paint and a black blazer. He is standing in front of The Little Theatre
Q. What do you believe WXXI must prioritize in the next decade to remain essential to the communities it serves?

A. To remain essential, we must invest in innovation, diversify revenue streams, build operational sustainability, expand production services and partnerships, and reinforce the station’s role as a vital community connector for Rochester. We’re always going to be a nonprofit; public media will always be part of our mission, and we’re going to continue to serve our community with our content. But now we need to treat ourselves more like a ‘traditional’ business, while we hold on to valuable public media mission. And we can do that by leveraging our production services to creatives that will help bring in new revenue.

Q. How do you envision the balance between traditional broadcasting and emerging digital formats evolving in the years ahead?

A. There are still many people who consume linear TV and radio, but digital media consumption is growing at an incredible rate. More and more people are getting their information through podcasts and digital media like YouTube and Instagram. 

And we know that to stay relevant, we need to meet people where they are, whether it’s on-air or online, appointment viewing or on demand and in person events. That’s why Connections with Evan Dawson, our talk show, which is heard live on FM 105.9, also streams on WXXInews.org and on WXXI News’ YouTube channel, and is available as a podcast and on the road!  This way of rolling out content will serve as a model for future WXXI projects. 

Click here to continue reading.

Upcoming programs & Events (Check back often as we will be adding more throughout the year!)

Rochester Red Wings logo with a background of the field

“WXXI 60th Anniversary Day” with the Red Wings • ESL Ballpark

09/13/2026 1:05 pm Events
Learn More

WXXI-produced documentaries over the years:

FUN FACTS ABOUT WXXI

WXXI started in an old high school basement. Before it had its own station, the organization that became WXXI produced educational programs from the basement of Rochester’s old East High School on Alexander Street.

It took five years to get a broadcast license.
The effort to launch WXXI involved a lengthy battle for a channel assignment that stretched from 1961 to 1966 before Channel 21 finally became a reality.

A Rochester community fundraising sprint helped make WXXI possible.
In 1965, community leaders had just 90 days to raise local matching funds for the station. The effort succeeded, and all cash and pledges were secured by January 1966.

Assignment The World was the longest-running instructional television program in history. The program was developed by Lloyd Kaiser when he worked for the Rochester Area Educational Television Association, forerunner of WXXI; Kaiser later became president of WQED in Pittsburgh. The first episode premiered in fall 1959 on two local commercial broadcasters. When they dropped the show in 1966, WXXI picked it up. Check out this ATW intro from 1981.

WXXI’s first TV auction raised a fortune for its time.
In 1969, 70 volunteers helped raise $75,000 during the first Channel 21 Auction, a significant achievement for the young station.

WXXI aired the nation’s only TV news program for Deaf audiences.
In 1972, News for the Deaf premiered on WXXI and was described as the only broadcast of its kind in the United States.

Monty Python was a Rochester ratings phenomenon.
During WXXI’s 10th anniversary year in 1976, the Monty Python series attracted the biggest audience of any station in Rochester.

WXXI was Rochester’s satellite pioneer.
In 1978, WXXI became the first television station in Rochester to utilize satellite transmission for PBS programming.

A pair of James Dean pants once stole the show.
At WXXI’s annual auction in 1988, one of the most sought-after items was a pair of slacks worn by James Dean in East of Eden.

WXXI-TV delivered Rochester’s first full-power digital television signal when WXXI-DT launched in 2003, marking a major technological milestone for the region.

Sixty Years of Music • WXXI Classical

WXXI Classical Music host John Andres presents a special “WXXI 60th Anniversary Show” in honor of public media in Rochester!

WXXI 60th Anniversary Show with John Andres airs Sunday, September 6 from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on WXXI Classical FM 91.5 and streaming on WXXIClassical.org and the WXXI app!

To celebrate the official day that WXXI-TV went on the air, WXXI Classical host John Andres has curated a special anniversary playlist from several WXXI and PBS show classics including The French Chef, Masterpiece Theatre, Downton Abbey, Ken Burns (Civil War), Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and more. Tune in for a memorable musical journey through six decades. 

Leading up to this special broadcast, WXXI Classical host Brenda Tremblay’s Mystery Piece, her daily interactive quiz will be anniversary themed. Tune in to WXXI Classical September 1 through September 4 at 6:40 a.m. for musical excerpts and trivia related to WXXI.

“WXXI 60th Anniversary Day” with the Red Wings • ESL Ballpark

Go to bat with WXXI by joining us for the final game of the Red Wings season as we celebrate 60 years of public media in Rochester!

On Sunday, September 13 the Rochester Red Wings take on the Scranton/WB RailRaiders in their final game of the season. WXXI will be there to root, root, root for the home team, while celebrating our 60th anniversary serving the Rochester and Finger Lakes community. The first 1,000 fans will receive a FREE 60th anniversary tote! The game starts at 1:05pm and the doors open at 12 p.m.

Click here to purchase tickets!
WXXI Anniversary Activities include:

– WXXI Trivia
– Meet & Greet with some of our hosts and reporters
– PBS KIDS bookmarks and sticker giveaways
– A PBS KIDS sing-along song
– And more!

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