Here at Chippewa Valley Family, we believe in winter. It’s an easy thing to complain about. It’s easy to curse the cold. The slush. The rock-hard ice on your windshield and the wet pile of coats and boots by your door. It’s all too easy to slip into a permanent scowl, letting it freeze your face until springtime comes to melt it away. But if you look outside, you’ll notice how the Chippewa Valley has steadily opened up to the colder months, reclaiming some of the vigor and excitement we’ve lost over the decades as Wisconsinites have spent fewer and fewer hours outside throughout January and February.

We’ve begun remember how much winter has to offer.

We believe in winter because here in the heart of the coldest months, a new year begins. The cozy hours snuggled up in our homes give us time to turn inward – quietly – and reflect on our lives, our families, and our community. Perhaps we have a few moments to look forward and imagine what’s to come. What we’d like to make happen. Or how we’d like to grow.

But that’s not all. We believe in winter because winter is just plain fun. Free of the stress of the holiday rush, we can get outside to truly enjoy to chill air and the snow and countless things you just can’t do when the weather is warm.

If you’re looking for a nice display of what winter has to offer in the way of family fun, take a night to check out the totally revamped Winter After Hours series of events. This year, we’re proud to partner with Volume One, Mayo Clinic Health System, and Eau Claire Parks & Rec to help expand the long-running, Thursday night event, moving it Pinehurst Park on Eau Claire’s north side. The new location allows for more than just ice skating. There’s a fantastic sledding hill; a hockey rink; trails for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat tire biking; a fire pit; music; free hot cocoa and more. We’ll even have ice skate and snowshoe rentals (thanks to Riverside Bike and Skate). It’s kind of a one-stop shop for local winter fun.

There’s one more reason we believe in winter. We believe in winter because we believe in you. No matter how cold it gets and no matter what season it may be, we’ll always believe in this community. The Chippewa Valley is a truly fulfilling place to live and raise a family, and that doesn’t just stop when there’s snow on the ground.

We’re here with you. Let’s pull on our hats and gloves and have some fun.