Gather for a Party on the Prairie

new Altoona park at River Prairie offers outdoor and indoor space for summer shindigs and events

Fri. Jun. 15th, 2018  |  Lauren Fisher, photos by Branden Nall

When Wisconsin enters its too-few months of warmth and sunshine, it’s time to take the party outside. Which parties? All of them. The new River Prairie Park off Front Porch Place in Altoona offers seven outdoor ...

Fire Away: Your guide to lighting up the night with fireworks

Fri. Jun. 15th, 2018  |  Julia van Allen, photos by Frank H. Robinson

With summer fully in swing and the nation’s birthday coming up in just a few weeks, we can’t imagine a world without fireworks. What better way is there for a backyard pyromaniac to kick off the summer ...

From Pavilions to Parks, the Chippewa Valley’s Best Rentable Party Spaces

Fri. Jun. 15th, 2018  |  V1 Staff

Whether you’re celebrating a graduation, a birthday, or a family reunion, nothing provides the pleasant, nostalgic fun of a party in the park. The sunshine peeking through gaps in the tree canopy ...

Want to take your summer party to the next level? Hire a food truck ...

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Tom Giffey, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Not keen on laboring over a hot barbecue to feed your summer soiree? Want to try something more interesting than a typical catered meal? Whether you’re planning a reunion, a graduation party, or even a wedding ...

A Whistle of Sunlight

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Alexander Zitzner

In the future we will have better / names for sadness. Our clocks will ring open / the midnight sky not as a pit of darkness / flaked with all the glittery yearnings out of reach ...

Getting Some Air

Chippewa Valley Air Show will turn your world upside down

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Julia van Allen, photos by Carolyn Tiry

Things at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport will be flying high on June 16-17 when the Chippewa Valley Air Show comes in for a landing. The air show only happens every few years, so don’t miss out on the chance ...

Three Days of Country: Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley among Country Fest highlights

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Julia van Allen, photos by Luong Huynh

Put out your stetsons and grab your sunscreen, Country Fest is back. The gates will open for three-day fest-goers on Wednesday, June 20, with a kickoff party ...

Commemorating Freedom: Culture, food, and community at Juneteenth gathering

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Tori Johnson

Join Chippewa Valley residents on June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the liberation of black people from slavery. The free event will kick off at 5:30pm and feature various uplifting presentations ...

Blue Ox, Bluegrass: Fest will fill the forest with sweet sounds of roots music

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Julia van Allen

From June 14-16, musicians specializing in good ol’ bluegrass, Americana, and roots will fill the forest with sweet music. The Blue Ox Music Festival combines the traditional music festival experience with a bit of hometown Eau Claire charm ...

Carson Park’s New Playground Offers More Inclusive Fun for All Kids

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Catey Leonardson, photos by Andrea Paulseth

Carson Park’s playground recently received a beautiful, lime-green upgrade as the past play structure reached the end of its 30-year life expectancy. The $480,000 project from Playworld Systems features areas designed for ...

Hickory in Hallie

Lake Hallie Golf Course hosts second annual Hickory Classic

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Rob Reid, photos by Rob Reid

A group of 16 golfers recently played 18 holes at the Lake Hallie Golf Course. What was different about this gathering was that all players in the Lake Hallie Hickory Classic on June 2 were using old-fashioned ...

Local Brewery Collaborates on Limited Run Eaux Claires Beer

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Emilee Wentland

When people think of the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, they probably think of, well, music and art. They may also think of collaborations, such as the collaboration between Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner ...

Elk Mound Spot Specializes in Cajun-Style Seafood

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Tom Giffey, photos by Timothy Mather

When sisters Kay Vang and Yang Xiong decided to open a restaurant, they wanted to start something different. They found what they were looking for at the bottom of the sea – and deep in the bayou ...

A Tale Fit for a Queen

religious theater group stages female-fronted biblical musical

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Tom Giffey

Maybe it was divine intervention. Maybe it was just a stroke of good luck. Either way, a musical version of the biblical story of Esther arrived in the hands of TAG Ministries, an Eau Claire-based Christian theater company ...

The Patrimony Polka

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Olivia Gregorich

Farmer, banjo-player, smoker-- / Audiences clamored for his famous tune / And chortled chorus: the Laughing Polka ...

An Evening With Music Journalist Andrea Swensson

Thu. Jun. 14th, 2018  |  Lauren Fisher

What is the Minneapolis Sound? How did it come to be? Author, radio host, and music journalist Andrea Swensson explores these questions in her book, Got to be Something Here: The Rise of the Minneapolis Sound ...