VPM’s 2025 holiday community engagement happenings

From festive celebrations to meaningful conversations about public media, VPM continued to connect with communities across Virginia throughout the holidays.

Read more below about some of VPM’s monthly community engagement activities in December 2025.

Events

VPM got into the spirit of the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 6 as it joined in the festivities at the 2025 Dominion Energy Christmas Parade, serving as the parade’s Grand Marshal partner alongside some very distinguished guests! Patients at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) selected Clifford the Big Red Dog as the official Grand Marshal for this year’s parade, while several other PBS Kids characters, including Lyla, Rosie, Super Why and Lily Hunter also helped lead the parade down Broad St. Check out a slideshow for a special look at the event!

On Dec. 10, VPM’s Charlottesville office hosted a holiday open house as part of Charlottesville’s annual grand illumination event. Visitors were treated to hot cider and cookies, holiday music, an activity station and other educational treats for kids. Guests also had the chance to visit with members of VPM’s news, development and early childhood education teams.

Podcasts

Last month, VPM President & CEO Jayme Swain was featured in an episode of the Leading the Way in RVA podcast hosted by KC Long. The two discuss Jayme’s career journey, what led her to public media and maintaining “calm in the storm” of an ever-evolving news and media landscape. The full episode is available below.
You can also learn more about the rest of VPM’s community engagement activities in this 2025 recap.

Looking for additional information about VPM’s impact in our communities? Visit the VPM Impact Page.