Best of Summer or Summer is the Best? You Be the Judge.

FINALLY, WE’RE GETTING OUR SHARE of the blue skies and sunny days here in the Chippewa Valley (knocking on wood, throwing salt, the whole nine) which means summer is finally upon us. The sight of all the green grass makes me physically giddy, though the allergies that come with that sometimes make it hard to see anything through all the sneezing. Nevertheless, summer is the time of year when my seasonal depression shrivels up and dies and there is an abundance of things to do around the Valley. I am especially excited for this summer. Why, you may ask? Because this is my first summer as a true-blooded Eau Clarian. I am originally from Minneapolis and came here to study at UW-Eau Claire, which means during my last few summers I either went back to Minneapolis or was doing online school and working full-time here. But this summer is going to be excitingly different for me because not only do I have weekends off work now (hallelujah!), but I now feel as though I’m a part of this community, thanks to my work here at Volume One. So bring on the food trucks, the beaches, and the AC. Let’s all ring in this summer with our special “Best of Summer” issue, which has all the info you need to find the fun.

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Volume One is the leading locally owned, locally operated, and locally focused media organization in our market. We’re a collection of print and online publications; a video, design, and digital marketing company; an event production and ticketing company; and a mission-driven retail operation. In print we typically distribute 13,000 copies to 500+ locations in Eau Claire, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, and other communities 26 times/year. Online at VolumeOne.org we garner nearly 5 million annual pageviews, have a weekly email network of more than 30,000 people, and we connect daily with another 30,000 on social media. The magazine was co-founded in 2002 by Dale Karls & Nick Meyer.

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If you’d like to become an occasional or regular contributor, please email tom@ volumeone.org. There are opportunities for paid writing, photography, and cover art, though most contributions are unpaid. We also welcome the submission of ideas or completed works from the community for publication consideration.

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Contributed writing, artwork, and photography in Volume One remains the property of the authors, artists, & photographers. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the publication or its advertisers.

WRITER

Contributors

Editor

PARKER REED is going out on top, but realistically around the middle.

Listings

Editor

JAMES JOHONNOTT will say he doesn’t want a side of fries but then will definitely sneak one off of your plate.

INTERN

DESIGN

HLEEDA LOR loves a good summer color palette.

CARLEE SHIMEK has a car, has money, she could go buy a tub of ice cream right now –that’s too much power for someone to hold.

WRITER

KEELY KHOURY cannot bear wearing the leg traps called trousers this far into the year.

ILLUSTRATOR

LYDIA “NIBS” NOBLE makes happy paintings and sad comics.

ILLUSTRATOR

* EVA PAULUS is never gonna give you up but it’s possible that she’ll let you down.

WRITER

MIKE PAULUS isn’t about to let that leftover pasta salad go to waste. Not on his watch.

ADVERTISING

NATALIE DERKS will succumb to a cheesy death before telling the Olive Garden server to stop.

WRITER

CAROLINE AKERVIK wants to hear things straight from the horse’s mouth, except during hockey season.

JAKE SMITH is debating another of life’s great conundrums… if you take two lasagnas and stack them on top of each other, how many lasagnas do you have?

WRITER

BARBARA ARNOLD fell flat on her derriere when she tried barefoot water skiing...feet not big enough.

WRITER

BRIANA NOVACEK can say, Never Have I Ever had a tick on my skin. *knocks on wood*.

EDITOR

SPECIAL SHOUT OUTS: Anna Sutton, Caitlin Boyle

SAWYER HOFF is in desperate need of a six month vacation... twice a year.

+ NEW CONTRIBUTOR | * BIO OF THE FORTNIGHT

On The Cover

“Bright, Midsummer High” by Hleeda Lor, Taylor McCumber, & Ma Vue • “ When our staff brainstormed this issue’s special Best of Summer photo cover, we wanted to create something eye-catching. Something so bright – so summery – you’ll need sunscreen to read the issue. We chose monochromatic colors that were unequivocally summer and went with a contemporary still-life photography aesthetic that demanded attention. We picked and customized products reminiscent of our summers here in the Chippewa Valley and strategically placed them to obtain a mesmerizing spread. Add in harsh lighting to emulate the high summer sun and we had ourselves a winning summer cover! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did creating it!”

08 Applaud 18 Savor 30 Splash 40 Explore 52 Play 60 Tour

If you’re going to sweat it this summer, you might as well have fun doing it – and there’s more to do than ever around the Chippewa Valley. I mean, heck, we live in western Wisconsin, where the weather’s perfect, the people are friendly, we have the best cheese curds on Earth, and it looks like this summer is going to be a busy one! Get down and dirty with some paintball, move and groove at your favorite music festivals, catch a game at Carson Park with the Eau Claire Express, watch the Ski Sprites defy gravity on water, experience a splash of color at Chalkfest, or get a load of those mouth-watering funnel cakes at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Take in all the sights and sounds of the summer season with this handy dandy guide to the best of summer. And, hey – while you’re on the go, don’t forget to pack some sunscreen and sunglasses. Keep it beachy keen, Chippewa Valley!

GOTTA KEEP ON ROCKIN’

The Rock’n on the River Summer Concert series is starting back up in River Prairie on June 15 and will be rock’n out every

Wednesday until August 31. Music starts at 6:30pm every

Wednesday.

GLOWING WITH PRIDE Jun. 3, 6pm • Pablo Center at the Confluence, 128 Graham Avenue, Eau Claire • $5+ tax • pablocenter.org Pablo Center hosts its first pride event, featuring family-friendly programming including face painting, a vendor market, drag story time, an art-making station with ARTmobile, a family-friendly drag show, music, and more. The night will also feature an after-hours drag show and a glow dance party.

FAREWELL TRANSMISSION PRESENTS: MATT VOLD & THE SHOREWOOD MOUNTAINEERS Jun. 3, 6pm • Brewery Nonic, 621 4th St. W, Menomonie • FREE (Bring cash to tip acts) • (715) 578-9078 • facebook. com/events/1434794823626022 Enjoy pints, pedal steel, lyrics, and lagers. Farewell Transmission is a weekly, folk country and Americana show on Converge Radio.

DARK SUN, MOTHERWIND, UN-BROKEN Jun. 3, 8pm • Every Buddy’s Bar, 19 W. Central St., Chippewa Falls • $10 • facebook. com/events/648927396174623 A night of hard rock.

NASHVILLE NORTH PRESENTS

CHRIS KROEZE, IMAGINICK, ELLIEMAY & THE DRYSDALES, AND EMMALIA KLINE AKA EMM K Jun. 7, 4:30-9pm • Nashville North, 1300 N 130TH AVE, FALL CREEK • $25 GA, Free for 12 and under • All Ages • (615) 319-8421 • ticketor.com/nashvillenorth EllieMays Nashville North Kicks off the summer with one of our very own Chris Kroeze, Magician and Comedian Imaginick, EllieMay & her band “ The Drysdales,” featuring “Voices of our future” Emmalia Kline (Emm K). Bring a chair, Food Vendors on site, no carry ins.

ROCKIN FOR REACH Jun. 8, 6-8:30pm • The Brewing Projekt, 1807 N Oxford Avenue, Eau Claire

• $5 • All Ages • (715) 552-2763 • mdove@reach-inc. org • Rockin4Reach.givesmart.com Come out and see three local bands battle it out to raise money benefitting REACH, Inc.

PROJECT 3:13 CONCERT FEAT. THE MUSIC OF REO SPEEDWAGON Jun. 10, 7pm • Altoona Hobbs Sports Center, 2300 Spooner Ave., Altoona • $15 • All Ages • altoonalionsclub. com/cinder-city-days $5 will be donated to Blake’s Backers! Gates Open at 4:00 pm, Music Starts at 7:00 pm with opening act, The Contingency.

DURAND FUNFEST Every Day from Jun. 10 to Jun. 12 • Memorial Park, 2nd Avenue East, Durand • FREE • All Ages • funfestdurand@gmail.com • facebook.com/durandfunfest Since 1963 FunFest has been a staple for entertainment in beautiful downtown Durand, WI two weeks after Memorial Day Weekend. Great Music, Carnival, Food, Grand Parade and more.

BLACKLITE DISTRICT: THE 1990 TOUR Jun. 10, 8pm • Every Buddy’s Bar, 19 W. Central St., Chippewa Falls • $10-15 • eventbrite. com Hardrock Blacklite District is joined by Divide the Fall & Evernoir.

JASON DEA WEST AND INTUITIVE COMPASS BENEFIT FOR HOMELESS

CHILDREN Jun. 11, 1-4pm • Wilson Park, Menomonie • FREE • All Ages • (715) 505-2776 A benefit for homeless children featuring Jason Dea