Here's a musical Christmas treat that's hard to beat: A couple of hours of live seasonal music from a dozen local acts, for free.

Wednesday evening, independent Mobile-based radio station WZEW-FM 92.1 will present its annual Locals All Star Christmas Jam at Soul Kitchen Music Hall in downtown Mobile. It's an all-ages show that offers a taste of local music as eclectic as the station's playlist.

"We've been doing this since 2007," said the Zew's Gene Murrell. "It's a great gathering of local musicians playing their favorite holiday songs ... It always puts me in a great Christmas spirit. It's a great community feel-good event."

The format is brisk: Doors will open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18. Music starts at 6:30 p.m., with a dozen acts performing two songs each. Murrell said he expects a mix of Christmas classics (e.g. longtime local favorite Peek with a fresh take on "Angels We Have Heard on High"), seasonal originals and parodies.

"This year there are a bunch of new bands in the area that are generating a lot of excitement," said Murrell. These include The Big Reveal, Kat Deal, the Dirty Fridays and The Black Sheep Treatment, he said. Others on the rock-centric roster include Hanan Browning, Ryan Balthrop, Gravity Blinks, The Red Field, Symone French, Nick & Jarret and Stephen Sylvester.

Admission is free, but patrons are encouraged to donate new, non-gift-wrapped toys for the Child Advocacy Center. Patrons younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Murrell said he expects Wednesday's show to run about three hours. It'll be recorded and edited for a two-hour broadcast at 7 p.m. Christmas Eve and 6 p.m. Christmas Day, he said.