Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival (July, 2015)

Hot off being named one of the “Top 10 Music Festivals in North America” by Consequence of Sound, the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival will officially be back in 2016 on August 12 and 13 at the festival grounds just outside Eau Claire. The first round of pre-sale tickets goes on sale Thursday, Oct. 22 at 10am CST at www.eauxclaires.com.

In July of this year – its inaugural year – the new festival pumped some serious artistic energy into the soil of the Chippewa Valley, fueled by an eclectic lineup of acclaimed musicians and visual artists, and over 20,000 fans from here and beyond. The vibe, the culture, and the experimental nature of Eaux Claires resonated all around the country. But the two-day, Justin Vernon-curated, capital-‘E’ event struck a chord with locals too, taking the top spot in a few categories of our annual Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll including Best Music Festival and Best Annual Event.

Along with the pre-sale announcement, the Eaux Claires folks have released a nostalgic five-minute video, which plunges into the hazy, warm highlights from that hot weekend in July – watch it below. As the seasons change around us and everything gets darker and colder by the day, the video is a nice way to wistfully hearken back to the thick dog days of Chippewa Valley summer 2015.

“This is not a memory, this is a beginning,” festival narrator Michael Perry says in the promotional video. “Return to the river, where we will sing again.”

Aside from a switch to the second weekend in August (which will no longer clash with Rock Fest over in Cadott), there aren’t many details on 2016 just yet. However, festival organizers are already addressing some of 2015’s less-than-ideal situations, in particular, the food. A common criticism in the post-fest haze was that they ran out of food – like, right away both days. But in 2016, if you get an enhanced “Chippewa” ticket, you’ll be guaranteed admission to the festival, unlimited beer and wine, and a two-day complimentary culinary experience (two specially-prepared meals per day).

No word on a lineup for next year’s festival yet – that won’t come until early next year – but if you trust the Eaux Claires curators enough, chances are they’ll come through for you. Again.

For those so inclined, a limited number of two-day general admission “Eau Claire” tickets ($125) and two-day enhanced “Chippewa” tickets ($250) will be available at www.eauxclaires.com on Thursday Oct. 22, 2015 starting at 10am CST. Additionally, pre-sale ticket buyers are guaranteed the rights to purchase camping passes when they go on sale early next year.

Summer Comes...
Eaux Claires 2016 Announcement Video

Check out the full Eaux Claires press release ...

EAUX CLAIRES MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 
ANNOUNCES IT WILL RETURN AUGUST 12-13, 2016
to FOSTER FARMS OUTSIDE OF EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN

A LIMITED PRE-SALE FOR TICKETS WILL TAKE PLACE
TOMORROW, OCTOBER 22, 2015 at 10AM CST
www.eauxclaires.com  

October 21, 2015 – Eau Claire, WI – Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival is grateful to announce it will return next August 12-13, 2016 to where it all began: the beautiful, 40-acre Foster Farms, just outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The hit two-day festival curated by Eau Claire native and Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner of The National drew a crowd of over 20,000 festivalgoers per day in its inaugural year and was recently named as one of the “Top 10 Music Festivals in North America” by Consequence of Sound. Eaux Claires will make a limited number of tickets available for pre-sale tomorrow, October 22, 2015 online at www.eauxclaires.com at 10:00am CST.

Surprising and delighting fans with its eclectic line-up, unexpected artist collaborations, visual installations, and emphasis on audience interaction, Eaux Claires is dedicated to enhancing the festival experience in 2016.  In particular, enhancements in camping, food and beverage experiences are all underway, and more will be announced in 2016.  Also, with the introduction of improved culinary options, 2016 Chippewa pass holders will receive a two-day complimentary culinary experience including a specially prepared lunch and dinner each day, along with beer and wine, served in a relaxing environment just steps away from the main stage. All pre-sale purchasers will receive guaranteed rights to purchase camping when campsites go on sale in early 2016.

The Eaux Claires line-up will be shared in early 2016. 2015’s festival counted Bon Iver, The National, Sufjan Stevens, Indigo Girls, Lizzo, Sylvan Esso, Charles Bradley, Sturgill Simpson, S. Carey, Doomtree, Boys Noize, and the debut performance of Ragnar Kjartansson’s “Forever Love” among its 45 acts.  

Eaux Claires Presale Tickets: A limited number of Two-Day General Admission “Eau Claire” Passes and Two-Day Enhanced “Chippewa” Passes will become available at www.eauxclaires.com tomorrow, October 22, 2015 at 10AM CST.   Two-Day GA “Eau Claire” Presale tickets are $125; Two-Day Enhanced “Chippewa” Presale tickets are $250 (includes a complimentary culinary experience, along with beer and wine, on festival grounds during show hours). 

For more details and up to date information about Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, please visit www.eauxclaires.com and follow the festival on social media: Twitter, @EauxClairesWi, Instagram @EauxClairesWi, and Facebook: /EauxClairesWi