CREATE & EDUCATE. The annual Folk Arts Festival, hosted by the Chippewa Valley Museum, will once again return to the Valley from 12-5pm on Feb. 28. As with previous years, the event will highlight decades of arts and culture with an afternoon of live presentations, performances, artist vendors and more. (Photo by Andrea Paulseth)

The Chippewa Valley Museum (CVM) continues to invest its resources to celebrate the many creative, local artists who breathe new life into ancient mediums. Around this time of year, annually, folks gather at the museum together to celebrate both the learning of historical skills and the enduring legacies of mediums passed down for generations.

The Folk Arts Festival, hosted by the CVM (1204 E. Half Moon Dr., Eau Claire) will return once again to the Carson Park grounds from 12-5pm on Feb. 28.

As with previous years, the festival will highlight decades of arts and culture, featuring an afternoon of live presentations, performances, artist vendors and other interactive workshops.

With over 30 creatives present this year – with talents spanning all five senses – locals will have a chance to explore all mediums which connect to the Valley’s rich arts history.

Attendees this year will have the chance to interact with art in the following areas: quilting, woodworking, fiber arts, violin restoration, beekeeping, among others.

Karen Jacobson, a CVM educator, said the expansion of this year’s Folk Arts Festival aims to further enhance the experience between attendee and artist.

“If you are a creative and a maker; if you are at the hobbyist or enthusiast level – there's room during this occasion for all different skill sets,” Jacobson said. “Over the years (we) have seen folks start out pursuing a vintage skill and then achieving mastery level over time. So, a big part of the occasion is really teaching and learning.”

The festival also comes at an interesting time for the area museum, Jacobson added. The Folk Arts Festival will also offer intersections with its current installation, “Tattoo: Identity Through Ink.”

Tattoo artistry, she noted, has long been recognized as one of the oldest forms of folk arts and human expression of identity.

"Tattoo: Identity Through Ink," the museum's accompanying exhibition, takes an immersive approach to explore both the history and artistry of tattooing. On Feb. 28, Ty Morse – a local tattoo artist from El Camino Skate Shop – will offer live tattoo demonstrations. (Photo by Mark Oliver)

“For the Folk Arts Festival, we are really trying to highlight the (tattoo) exhibit at the same time (and) feature some new art forms that might not have made an appearance at previous festivals,” Jacobson said.

Throughout the tattoo exhibition, regional and local tattoo artists have brought their ink and needles to the museum for live demonstrations; available flash sheets allow visitors to be tattooed in real-time. 

The same will occur at the Folk Arts Festival on Feb. 28; Tyler Morse, co-owner of El Camino Skate Shop – where he also tattoos – will bring his own hand-illustrated selections to the museum.

“I’ll be tattooing at the Chippewa Valley Museum this year,” Morse shared online. “I’ll be putting together a sheet or 2 for the occasion. … I’ll have some originals with me to sell, and just choppin’ it up.”

For folks looking for more short-term body art, Sabine Stark & Hannah Danovsky will offer henna tattoos on a donation basis, Jacobson added.

Also new to the Folk Arts Festival this year, its culinary arts portion of the event will feature Jen Monroe of Two Ovens cottage bakery.

“We like to highlight different genres (of art) over the years,” Jacobson said. “Folks can come, learn about stretching and shaping loaves (and) different techniques for making sourdough bread. There's that real local infusion of artistry and in this case artistry that you can eat.”

The museum is also seeking additional volunteers fort he day-long Folk Arts Festival. Interested locals can visit the museum’s webpage online to sign up, or connect with Madison Stauffer, the museum’s visitor services coordinator.

The 2026 Folk Arts Festival will arrive to the Chippewa Valley Museum (1204 E. Half Moon Dr., Eau Claire) from 12-5pm on Feb. 28. Admission to the festival is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students and museum members. To learn more about day-long event, or sign up to volunteer, visit cvmuseum.com online.