Eaux Claires Fest Launches Artist 'Ambassador Program,' Pairings With Local Businesses
Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Cha's has been paired with longtime local staple, Ray's Place, with more collaborations yet to be announced
"Listen, do you smell something? We're pairing bands that are playing the festival this summer with their own place in Eau Claire."
Folks don't need much more than the promise of a hot beef sandwich to swing by Ray's Place, but in case you haven't been by in a bit, Eaux Claires Festival organizers just gave locals a new reason.
Shared via video and a voiceover by Justin Vernon, festival organizers debuted the artist "Ambassador Program" on March 20.
To further emphasize its roots in the community and offer a chance for festivalgoers to "get to know" some of the best spots in town, bands announced in the starting lineup of the 2026 festival will be paired with Eau Claire spaces, thanks to the initiative.
Fittingly, the first "place" on the list is none other than Ray's Place (838 Water St., Eau Claire) – where the hot beef sammies and cheap beer overfloweth, a staple in the community since it opened its doors in 1949.
The casual townie bar has been paired with Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas of Louisiana. The pairing, much like the spicy horseradish mustard Ray's regulars have come to love, pays homage to the "heat and spice" of Zydeco's discography. As the festival organizers say, both the musician and a hot beef can get people dancing, partying and even provide warmth and flavor on a cold Wisconsin night.
"Zydeco gets people down in Louisiana dancing and partying all year long," the video shares. "But in the long winter, a thousand miles north from the heat and spice, there's a cold little town. Staying warm the only way they know how. By heading down to Ray's on Water Street and getting one of their famous hot beefs."
The pairing of national artists with staple area establishments serves as an invitation to prospective attendees of the upcoming Eaux Claires Festival. To some, it may suggest that those who call this city home – and those passing through it July 24-25 for the festival – should make it a point to venture into the local bars and businesses.
So, Eaux Claires Festival, what area business – and headlining act – is next on the list?
View the inaugural artist "Ambassador Program" video online via the Eaux Claires social media platforms (@eauxclaireswisconsin). Follow along with Volume One online for continued updates on the summer 2026 Eaux Claires Festival.
