Best of the Holidays

Places & Resources

Volunteer Opportunities & Charities 52

Intercepted Letters to St. Nick: 2024 Edition

our annual peek at Santa’s secret mailbag

For almost 15 years, Volume One has sent an intern to the post office in Eau Claire each holiday season to intercept local letters to Santa Claus, which we publish in our holiday issue. This year, to better understand our entire region, we made our intern hop ...

Meet the Makers: Claymore Pottery

the man behind the ceramic chickens at Banbury Place

While Claymore Pottery is quite recognizable to locals today – his work ranging from intricate butter dishes to mugs and other functional kitchenware, to Richard Millheiser’s staple ceramic chicken sculptures – Millehiser was not always a ceramics artist. Prior to teaching, he was a sketch artist and painter ...

Meet the Makers: Ashley Walton-Beal Jewelry

embracing individuality and imperfection is the key for this artist

While The Local Store has only been host to Ashley Walton-Beal’s quirky jewelry and metalwork pieces for about one year, crafting has been part of Ashley’s life since she was a kid. Fast forward to around 2019 when her fate was sealed: Wandering through a craft show, Ashley came across the art of metal stamping ...

Meet the Makers: Denny Williams Wood Carving

each chip off the old block is a one-of-a-kind caricature carving

You may not recognize Eau Claire woodcarver Denny Williams, but you’ll recognize the faces he creates. While his 5-inch-tall wooden caricatures have been a staple on The Local Store’s shelves for the past few years, you’ve probably seen these faces elsewhere ...

4 Thanksgiving Events to Give Thanks At

gratitude is perhaps best shared together – you can do that at these local happenings

Join the community in celebrating the spirit of gratitude this holiday season! Explore what the Chippewa Valley has to offer with these events offering a variety of activities to get you out of the house and into town. Whether you like comedy, improv, exercise, food, or all four, we’ve got you covered with something for everyone ...

4 Events to Satisfy All Your Holiday Cravings

share with friends and family, or hide all the goods for yourself – we won't tell!

There is something magical about the holidays that pairs perfectly with delicious foods, and this list has a treat for every craving. Dig into these mouth-watering events to sweeten up your holiday season! Breakfast with Santa, the 32nd Annual Cookie Walk ...

4 Holiday Plays & Stage Shows for the Whole Family

from the Chippewa Valley’s local theater groups and more, take your pick from a plethora of shows this season

From classic tales like “A Christmas Story” to “Annie,” to national tours like the “Nutcracker!” ...

5 Seasonal Shows to Relish in Holiday Spirit

from orchestra groups to solo vocalists, local musicians and touring acts, these are five can’t-miss shows

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than live musical performances open to the whole family? The Chippewa Valley is home to incredible musicians and is often host to nationally touring acts, all of which are included in this five-show lineup ...

Places & Resources

Holiday Lighting 6

Holiday Party Places 44

Sledding Hills 9

Check out the Chippewa Valley's many frosty angles

Sweet Stuff 12

A list of the Chippewa Valley's holiday chocolatiers, bakeries and related businesses.

Tree Farms 6

Take the family out to a local farm and hunt for the perfect pine