Note from the Editor | March 23, 2016

It looks like 2016 is going to be a banner year for the restaurant scene in the Chippewa Valley. A handful of new restaurants have already opened this year throughout the area and several more ...

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Life and Vegetables

springtime in Eau Claire is for get-up-and-growing

My children both sing more in the winter than they do in the spring. Spring seems to be for screaming; that shrieky life-shout swirling in a bubbly sound-stew out of the playground ...

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Why the River

local waterways show us strange things in the spring

I’m pretty sure we saw a full size bed floating down the Chippewa River last week. My wife and I had just driven onto the Madison Street bridge when she immediately saw it. And since I have the eagle-eyed eyesight of a very old, very handsome, very blind eagle who can no longer fend for itself ...

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On the Cover | March 23, 2016

learn more about our cover art from Jeff Nelson

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Opening Shot | March 23, 2016

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Four Years, One Shot

team manager’s on-court performance offers lesson about sportsmanship

A basketball game was played on a Thursday night, and like many played across the state of Wisconsin, this one began with the arrival of a yellow bus. You see, if the other team doesn’t show then it’s a practice, and tonight we want to play ...

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It's Sausage Season

baseball stadium hot dogs, brats are on culinary highlight reel

If you are going to write a column on sports food, it is best to write immediately following a slice of pizza. My stomach properly satiated, I can now opine on the gastronomy of athletic entertainment – apropos for the Eat Scene edition of Volume One ...

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Listen to Sniffle Party

local ‘sad girl pop’ project thrives with a stirring voice

When you hear the name Sniffle Party you may not think of the winter cold you just finally got over, but that’s exactly what’s behind the inside joke that became the moniker of a new musical project ...

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Music Quick Hits | March 23, 2016

The Eau Claire Regional Arts Center announced this week that Swedish-born indie folk artist The Tallest Man On Earth will play The State Theatre on July 16. Kristian Mattson’s once-sparse solo folk project has now bloomed ...

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Blues From Alabama

Luedtke teams up with his childhood inspiration

The story behind the recording of Howard “Guitar” Luedtke’s latest album, Goin’ Down to Alabama: The Muscle Shoals Sessions, is as wondrous as the album itself ...

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Whining for the Win

missing Matt Bellasai’s UW-Stout show would be the worst

While many people can drink wine and complain, few have achieved celebrity status doing so; Matt Bellassai is the exception. If you’re on Facebook, follow BuzzFeed, or appreciate any and all things involving wine, you’ve ...

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Faithful Follower

original musical drama offers biblical tale for Easter

The entertainment in store this Easter season goes far beyond some giant bunny and a bunch of dip-dyed eggs. For this holiday ...

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Healing Words

after a spine injury, poet turns to the written word

Writing wasn’t something Matthew Walker ever thought he’d do with his life. After a four-car pileup in 2007, Walker suffered a damaged spine. In his recovery process, his therapist recommended ...

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Money Talks

cash-themed curated show is all about the money

Medium of Exchange: The Art of Cash, an interesting and thought-provoking multimedia visual art exhibition, is set to be on display in the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center’s Janet Carson Gallery ...

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Altoona Plans River Prairie Event Center

The city of Altoona wants to build an event center to provide outdoor and indoor gathering space in the northwest quadrant of the new River Prairie Development. The city is seeking proposals from architectural and engineering firms ...

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Eau Claire Express Add New Owners

The Eau Claire Express have brought two new owners up to the plate. The Northwoods League baseball team announced March 7 that Dale Varsho and Andy Neborak ...

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Get Out and Vote!

election features more than presidential hopefuls

Donald, Hillary, Bernie, and Ted won’t be the only people whose names you’ll see on the April 5 ballot. Wisconsin voters will also be choosing among candidates for nonpartisan office, too. Here’s a rundown of some of what you’ll see when you step into the voting booth ...

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Fundraiser in the Bag

Purses with Purpose benefits EC Children’s Theatre

Ladies, grab your purses (and checkbook) and get to the Seventh Annual Purses with Purpose, a benefit for the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre on April 14. This year’s new location is the Wild Ridge Golf Club ...

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Brewing Projekt Begins Negotiating for New Space

In less than a year, booming demand for its creative craft beers has caused The Brewing Projekt to burst at the seams. The brewery, 2000 N. Oxford Ave., is looking for a new home, and the city of Eau Claire’s Redevelopment Authority ...

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The Sticky Path to Happiness and Culinary Bliss: Life as Maple Syrup

through good years and bad, making maple syrup teaches us how to distill the sweetness from life

No apology is offered for the title. Because when truth hits you in the face there is no hiding place. The lessons of making maple syrup turn out to be inescapable. Here is the big one: The sweetness of life is all around you ...

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Brace Yourself for an Eatery Explosion

a profusion of new restaurants emphasize theme of eating local

The restaurant business is a volatile one, with eateries coming and going constantly. As diners, we celebrate old favorites, mourn lost standbys, and flock to newly opened places that may eventually become old favorites ...

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Local Beer & Bar Trivia - 2016 Edition

tap into your memory to see if you can answer what we brewed up

1. This downtown Eau Claire tavern has more taps than any other bar in the Chippewa Valley ...

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Beer Boom: Our breweries and distilleries are definitely leveling up

There’s a longstanding tradition of brewing authentic Wisconsin beer in the Chippewa Valley dating back to the Sawdust City days when after after a long day at the lumber mill, a person could brush the sawdust ...

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Nano-Scale Marvels

NanoDays 2016 at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire

One of the Chippewa Valley’s premiere places for small people is thinking big about the little stuff – the really, really little stuff. On Tuesday, March 29, from 6:30-8pm, the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire ...

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