Author, musician and radio personality Garrison Keillor once wrote that in Lake Wobegone, Minn., the women are strong, the men are good looking and all the children are above average. Apparently at Wolf Trap, the wolves speak fluent English and raise homeless liberals to become hosts of shows on public radio – or so we are led to believe. This was one of Keillor’s many jokes on “A Prairie Home Companion” at Wolf Trap on Saturday. Keillor is a legend in public radio, and Saturday’s sold out performance/live broadcast drew in crowds from as far as Harrisburg, Pa. For those of you who have never listened to the show, which is broadcast on Washington’s WETA, it’s family-friendly, folksy fun with a message.

Being so close to the nation’s capital brought out some political digs from Keillor, who congratulated Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden on his confirmation as the head of the CIA. He followed up his congratulation with a remark that Hayden is surely listening to the broadcast, but not on the radio.

For the Virginia show, Keillor was joined by “perpetual optimists” the Hopeful Gospel Quartet, as well as special musical guests Nashville, Tenn.-based Old Crow Medicine Show, Jearlyn Steele, and Robin and Linda Williams. As always, the musical performances were tight and fun to watch. Old Crow Medicine Show were especially impressive, with their stripped-down string arrangements and songs about deadly cocaine habits and down home girls.

Keillor peppered the broadcast with his typical comedy sketches, which ranged from tales about being raised by wolves, the anxiety of finding a seat in the school cafeteria to the effect of the Da Vinci Code on small town librarians. If the descriptions sound hilarious, just imagine it coming from Keillor, Tim Russell, Sue Scott and Fred Newman. And of course, there was Keillor’s trademark monologue, “News from Lake Wobegon,” where his uncle, the 75-year-old virgin, discovers Unitarianism.

Wolf Trap was the perfect setting to take in all the down home good times, with the bugs a buzzin' in the fields, kids runnin' barefoot throwing frisbees, and the sun settin' in the distance. You couldn't ask for a better afternoon, with spring slowly giving way to summer. It was a little slice of Lake Wobegone in our crazy metropolitan pie.

The first photo is courtesy of Prairie Home Companion and is not Saturday's show. The second photo is courtesy of Matt Sedlar.