Over 1,000 community members of all ages and abilities celebrated their dedication to the natural environments of the Valley and beyond at this year's annual Eau Claire Earth Fest.

The event, hosted on April 18 at The Sonnentag Center (1075 Menomonie St., Eau Claire), is an expansion of the former “Earth Week Open House,” previously hosted in late April at The Brewing Projekt in downtown Eau Claire.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students and faculty, Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope (JONAH) Environmental Task Force, Eau Claire County staff, Riverflow Refillery, Habitual Yoga Space and other area businesses and orgs offered accessible entry points to sustainability.

As with previous iterations of the fest, locals were encouraged to use alternate modes of transportation: free bus fare provided by Eau Claire Transit, walking along the Chippewa River Trail, biking – with readily available bike corrals – and more.

Highlights throughout Eau Claire Earth Fest's special programming included morning bird watching at Braun's Bay along Half Moon Lake, the Eau Claire Repair Fair – which had over 300 visits – and a documentary viewing of Grasping at the Roots.

Over 200 voted-on student research projects were shown by UW-Eau Claire students, according to Lily Strehlow, the sustainability coordinator for the university.

Eau Claire Earth Fest was sponsored by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Eau Claire Student Office of Sustainability, WI Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, First Choice Computer Recycling, Ambient Inks, Xcel Energy, Earthbound Environmental Solutions and many others.

Visit the Eau Claire Earth Fest webpage online, to learn more about the 2026 offerings and future volunteer opportunities.