GRANITE FALLS, Minnesota, April 16, 2026 — New stories from across the region continue in Season 17 of Postcards Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. on Pioneer PBS.
The episode features Minnesota-based composer, improviser and performer Sara Pajunen, whose work is shaped by her Finnish heritage and upbringing on the Mesabi Iron Range.
Pajunen began playing violin at a young age, blending classical training with Finnish folk traditions. She went on to build a professional career performing and composing, including collaborations in the Finnish-American duo Kaivama and with Finnish accordionist Teija Niku.
In recent years, a late-stage cancer diagnosis has profoundly influenced Pajunen’s approach to creativity, performance and daily life.
“And as time has gone on, I have learned to find my own meaning and artistic voice, borrowing from all of this. So it really has been a process of self-actualization,” Pajunen said.
The episode also offers a behind-the-scenes preview of Pioneer PBS’s original special “From Nesna with Love.” The program follows Dana Conroy as she travels to Nesna, Norway, to uncover the story behind a pair of 1950s felted wool “lobben boots” gifted to her in "Knit with Love.” In the small northern municipality where her great-great-grandparents once lived, Conroy traces the origins of the gift, discovering it was sent by Norwegian relatives in gratitude for support her American family provided before and after World War II.
The journey includes visits to a former lobben factory now operating as a brewery, the Zahl Museum and her ancestors’ church. Back in the Midwest, Conroy consults with experts at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa, to determine the future of the boots and visits family graves that helped inspire the “with love” film series.
What begins as a search for the history of a single pair of boots evolves into a broader exploration of heritage, craftsmanship and the enduring connection between Norway and the American Midwest.
“I would hope that anyone watching this would be excited to learn more about where they came from and how they can preserve the stories of the people that came before them,” Conroy said.
Postcards rebroadcasts Sundays at 7 p.m. and Mondays at 1:30 p.m. following the initial airing 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.
