WHAT IS THIS, A FESTIVAL FOR ANTS? This breathtaking aerial shot of the festival grounds during the inaugural Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival is part of a new retrospective video.

Hot off being named one of the “Top 10 Music Festivals in North America” by Consequence of Sound, the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival will officially be back in 2016 on Aug. 12 and 13 at the festival grounds just outside Eau Claire. The first round of pre-sale tickets are already sold out, and they did so within mere minutes they went on sale.

In July of this year – its inaugural year – the new festival pumped some serious artistic energy into the soil of the Chippewa Valley, fueled by an eclectic lineup of acclaimed musicians and visual artists, and more than 20,000 fans from here and beyond. The vibe, the culture, and the experimental nature of Eaux Claires resonated all around the country. But the two-day, Justin Vernon-curated, capital-“E” event struck a chord with locals too, taking the top spot in a few categories of our annual Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll including Best Music Festival and Best Annual Event.

Along with the pre-sale announcement, the Eaux Claires folks have released a nostalgic five-minute video, which plunges into the hazy, warm highlights from that hot weekend in July. As the seasons change around us and everything gets darker and colder by the day, the video is a nice way to wistfully hearken back to the thick dog days of Chippewa Valley summer 2015.

“This is not a memory, this is a beginning,” festival narrator Michael Perry says at the end of the promotional video. “Return to the river, where we will sing again.”
Aside from a switch to the second weekend in August (which will no longer clash with Rock Fest over in Cadott), there aren’t many details on the 2016 festival  just yet. However, organizers are already addressing some of 2015’s less-than-ideal situations – in particular, the food. A common criticism in the post-fest haze was that they ran out of food – like, right away both days. But in 2016, if you get an enhanced “Chippewa” ticket, you’ll be guaranteed admission to the festival, unlimited beer and wine, and a two-day complimentary culinary experience (two specially-prepared meals per day).

No word on a lineup for next year’s festival yet – that won’t come until early next year – but if you trust the Eaux Claires curators enough, chances are they’ll come through for you. Again.

Presale tickets for Eaux Claires 2016 have already sold out. More tickets will go on sale next year. You’ll have to wait ‘til then to hear an official lineup too.