ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Humorist and former “A Prairie Home Companion” host Garrison Keillor will hit the road this spring to celebrate Minnesota Public Radio’s 50th anniversary.

Keillor announced Thursday his one-man “The Gratitude Tour” will visit five Minnesota cities in six days in April — Duluth, Bemidji, St. Joseph/Collegeville, St. Peter and Moorhead. Tickets for Keillor’s first experimental tour go on sale Jan. 31.

MPR first went on the air with KSJR-FM in Collegeville in 1967, and Keillor joined the noncommercial station as a morning classical music announcer in 1969. Keillor went on to create and host “Prairie Home,” an old-fashioned radio variety show, on July 6, 1974.

Keillor, who turned 74 in August, gave a final performance as host in July and turned the show over to mandolinist Chris Thile (THEE’-lee).lor.com