Best COVID-Driven eCommerce Launch When the pandemic hit many local businesses had to turn to virtual options almost overnight, and no one made it happen... read more » 1 Tangled Up in Hue 2 The Brewing Projekt 3 Latitude 44 Yoga Studio Online Classes
Best Curbside / Carryout Dining Service There was nothing silly about the approach by Silly Serano (329 Riverfront Terrace, Eau Claire) to feeding folks during... read more » 1 Silly Serano 2 Girolamo's Court'n House Bar & Grill 3 The District Pub & Grill
Best Curbside Retail Service Front-line workers really deserve another round of applause. To keep locals safe and sound, many local businesses... read more » 1 Festival Foods 2 The Brewing Projekt 3 The Local Store
Best Local Sneeze Guard Achoo! Sneezing has never been so suspect, and thanks to a number of local businesses, we can keep nasty germs contained... read more » 1 Woodman's Market 2 Olson's Ice Cream 3 Festival Foods
Best Makeshift "COVID-style" Outdoor Seating If you weren’t into al fresco dining before 2020, it probably became a habit during the pandemic, especially when... read more » 1 Safer at home: your patio 2 Milwaukee Burger Co. 3 Cowboy Jack's
Best New Product or Service Though the pandemic canceled (and frankly ruined) many local events, it also created opportunities for new products and... read more » 1 Special Contact-Free Pickup & In-Person Library Appointments (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library) 2 Josef's Cheesecake Cupcakes 3 Grab-n-Go Library Appointments (Altoona Public Library)
1 Special Contact-Free Pickup & In-Person Library Appointments (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library)
Best Outdoor Thing You Could Still Do This Year Local farmers markets brought us joy over the past year, allowing us to gather outdoors (with masks) to buy local food... read more » 1 Farmers Markets 2 Apple Orchards 3 Biking the Valley's trails
Best Pandemic Pivot Needless to say, the pandemic forced everyone to get a little creative in 2020. The Chippewa Valley’s pick for... read more » 1 Hobbs Ice Arena homeless shelter 2 Infinity Beverages making hand santizer 3 Online Story Times (L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library Youth Services)
Best Socially Distanced Dining (dine-in restaurants) read more » 1 Northern Tap House 2 Cowboy Jack’s 3 The District Pub
Best Virtual Event read more » 1 Chalkfest 2 RCU Rock the Riverfront 3 Eau Claire Marathon 3 Parade of Homes
Biggest Local Bummer read more » 1 Roadside Diner’s COVID Policies 2 Divisions caused by masking rules 3 Schools, universities closed by Covid-19
Business You Miss the Most (Permanently Closed) read more » 1 HuHot 2 Draganetti's 3 Loopy's High Shores Supper Club
Business You Miss the Most (Temporarily Closed) read more » 1 Pablo Center at the Confluence 2 Children’s Museum 3 The Oxbow Hotel / The Lakely
Canceled Event You Miss the Most read more » 1 Sounds Like Summer Concert Series 2 Northern Wisconsin State Fair 3 Food Truck Fridays
COVID MVP (Individual) read more » 1 Lieske Giese (Eau Claire City-County Health Department director) 2 Angela Weideman (Chippewa Co. Health Department director) 3 EC City Manager Dale Peters (delayed retirement b/c of COVID)
COVID MVP (Organization) read more » 1 Eau Claire City-County Health Department 2 Mayo Clinic Health System 3 L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library