Arts & Entertainment

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your top picks for arts-related awesome

Poll Questions in this Category

Best All Ages Hangout

From perusing the farmers market and enjoying live music in the summer to taking a stroll past the twinkling lights and...

Best Art Gallery

Walk into the entrance of the newly expanded winner for Best Art Gallery, Artisan Forge Studios (1106 Mondovi Road, Eau...

Best Bluegrass Band

Them Coulee Boys won over the hearts of the Chippewa Valley for the third straight year! Keep your eyes peeled for their...

Best Blues Band

The Sue Orfield Band captivates audiences of all ages with rhythmic chemistry and joyful stage presence, earning the...

Best Cover Band

Coming in first was two-time winner Mojo Blues Band, who are appreciated for their ability to play music ranging from...

Best Electronic Musician(s)

This category is dominated by Eau Claire natives! Sniffle Party takes the cake as the duo comes back from a brief hiatus...

Best Event of the Past Year

Last summer’s Chalkfest was “chalk”-full of folks from all walks of life enjoying the sunshine...

Best Folk Performer(s)

Them Coulee Boys topped the polls by bringing passion and excellent lyricism to every performance, keeping audiences...

Best Free Entertainment Option

Volume One’s Sounds Like Summer Concert Series in Phoenix Park won Best Free Entertainment Option by a landslide...

Best Hard Rock/Metal Band (original)

Drunk Drivers again grabbed the Best Hard Rock/Metal title while also celebrating their 25th year as a band. It’s...

Best Hip Hop Artist

TeawhYB is a newcomer in the local hip-hop scene and already snagged first place! He’s a genre-defying artist who...

Best Holiday Season Event

A childhood favorite of many, the Irvine Park Christmas Village in Chippewa Falls won the best holiday season event by...

Best Jazz Band

The UW-Eau Claire Jazz I ensemble is notorious for its tight sound and many national accolades, including eight...

Best Local Album Released In The Last Year

Greg Gilbertson’s debut album, Surviving the Echoes, won over the hearts of Valley dwellers with his award-winning...

Best Local Book Released In The Last Year

True-crime writer Robert Dudley meanders through the dark side of the Chippewa Valley’s past in Cold Cases of...

Best Local Improv Group

The amazing skill of improvisation is one that baffles me, but sure doesn’t confuse these folks! The Memorial High...

Best Local Musical

The Eau Claire Children’s Theatre grabbed the top two spots with its productions of Joseph and the Amazing...

Best Local Play (non-musical)

The classic Our Town, put on by the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre at the Oxford Theatre in October, was our...

Best Movie Theater

Micon Cinemas did it not once, not even twice, but three times this year by snagging all three top spots in the Best...

Best Music Festival

Eaux Claires Music and Arts Festival continues to be a place where you can see your favorite local band, art...

Best Musical Performance in the Past Year (touring or local)

Locally based Mojo Blues Band earned first place and brought the house (or at least the bandshell) down with energy and...

Best New Band

Gash brought something electric to the Eau Claire DIY scene this year, quickly garnering a cult following with...

Best Open Mic

The Tuesday night open mic at The Plus (208 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire), hosted by the Clear Water Comedy crew, won this...

Best Place for Live Music

Phoenix Park (330 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire) emerged as this year’s most popular spot for live listening...

Best Public Art Installation (non-gallery)

The undeniable talent of artists near and far are on display as part of the Sculpture Tour Eau Claire, which this year...

Best Rock Band That Isn’t Bon Iver

We all love Justin Vernon, but Bon Iver isn’t the only talented band from the Chippewa Valley. Nick Anderson &...

Best Scenic Photographer

If a picture is worth a thousand words, all three of the Chippewa Valley’s favorite scenic photographers succeed...

Best Stand-Up Comedian

Recently-retired co-founder of Clear Water Comedy, Cullen Ryan, came in as Chippewa Valley’s crowd-favorite funny...

Best Touring Theatrical Production in the Past Year

The Chippewa Valley has loads of local talent, but that doesn’t mean the area doesn’t appreciate and welcome...

Favorite Local Visual Artist

Tim Brudnicki is the man behind Eau Claire Woodworks — a business that works with you to design and build...

Your Favorite Local Author

Michael Perry can now add “12 Year Winner of Favorite Local Author” as a feather in his already massively...

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