GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, April 9, 2026 — New stories from across the region continue in Season 17 of Postcards Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. on Pioneer PBS.
The episode features Pen House Boba in Willmar, a drink shop serving bubble tea, milk teas, fruit teas and slushies.
Founded in 2023 by siblings Agg Moo Thaw (Pen) and Eh K Soe (EK), Pen House Boba reflects their journey from a Karen refugee camp in Thailand to building a business in the United States.
The siblings fled ongoing conflict in Burma (Myanmar) before relocating to the U.S. in 2011, where they adapted to a new way of life and eventually pursued their goal of opening a boba tea shop.
“I quit my 9-5 job to go to a 24/7 job. That’s my journey. And I like it!” Pen said.
In Granite Falls musician Mike Gill reflects on his career and the role music has played in his life. Inspired to play saxophone after watching “Saturday Night Live,” Gill began performing in a band while attending Yellow Medicine East High School. After college, he moved to the Twin Cities, where he performed professionally in a funk band, PHO.
Gill returned to Granite Falls after a decade and now performs locally, playing saxophone, guitar and singing.
“Music is like my therapy,” Gill said.
Because we live and work in the communities where so many of your stories come from, our Postcards crew regularly experiences the depth of talent found across rural Minnesota and beyond.
"As a resident of Granite Falls, I feel very fortunate to have a musician with the skills of Mike Gill in my area. I get to watch him perform regularly, and each time is a treat! He is a great example of the incredible talent right here in rural Minnesota," Postcards videographer/editor Ben Dempcy said.
Postcards rebroadcasts Sundays at 7 p.m. and Mondays at 1:30 p.m. following the initial broadcast on Pioneer PBS.
How to Watch
Viewers within the viewing area can watch the live program on 10-1, 20-1, 8-1, Dish, DirecTV and Mediacom.
In addition to station broadcasts, viewers in Pioneer PBS’s viewing area can also stream the premiere live at pioneer.org/live, on YouTube TV, Prime Video, Hulu Live, or via the “Live TV” button on the PBS app and pbs.org.
Full episodes can also be streamed at pioneer.org/postcards, the PBS app, the Postcards YouTube channel and pbs.org/show/postcards/.
Support
Due to recent funding cuts to Pioneer PBS and other PBS stations across the nation, shows, particularly local programming like Postcards, that you love are in jeopardy. Consider becoming a member of Pioneer PBS to support the programs you love. For more information, including how to support Pioneer PBS, visit pioneer.org.
About Postcards
Postcards is an award-winning art, culture and history program produced by Pioneer PBS. The team of Postcards consists of series producer Dana Conroy with videography and editing by Kristofor Gieske and Ben Dempcy. Additional editing is provided by Mike Scholtz, Brad Keeley and Justin Streichman. The program is made possible by contributions from the voters of Minnesota through a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with additional funding from Shalom Hill Farm, Explore Alexandria Tourism, West Central Initiative, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) and members of Pioneer PBS.
About Pioneer PBS
Established in 1966 Pioneer PBS is an award-winning, viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing stories from rural Minnesota with the world. For more than 60 years, Pioneer PBS has amplified local voices and reflected the people, places, and issues that matter most to our region.
Headquartered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, with towers in Appleton, Worthington and Fergus Falls, Pioneer PBS reaches more than one million viewers across western Minnesota, the eastern Dakotas and northern Iowa. We are honored to be your television station—the only station in western Minnesota telling your stories. As we celebrate 60 years of storytelling, we invite you to help ensure these stories continue for the next 60 years and beyond.
Learn more at pioneer.org or call 800-726-3178.
