Hot Spots 2010

2010

FREE!

Your guide to summer excitement in the Chippewa Valley

Where to go & what to do More than 350 events, activities, and other scorching hot items of heated interest!

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PUBLICATION

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ANDREA PAULSETH

OFFICE

17 S. Barstow St. Eau Claire, WI 54701

CONTACT Phone: (715) 552-0457

Inter-web: www.volumeone.org

Email: mail@volumeone.org PUBLISHER / EDITOR / ETC Nick Meyer PROJECT EDITORS Trevor Kupfer + Kinzy Janssen + Tyler Griggs ADVERTISING Shawn Brunner + Kate Kurshinsky + Chad Rykal DESIGNER OJ Hornung + Brian Moen PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Andrea Paulseth + Marisa Wojcik + Nick Meyer + Mike Paulus + Frank H Robinson + Mary Mihajlov + Jeremy Gragert + Cassie Goldburg EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Mike Paulus + Matt Ledger + Claudia Lozano + Bailey Berg + Emily Diehl + Heidi Kraemer + Don Ross THANKS Frank Smoot ON THE COVER A relaxing, kayak-based jaunt down the Eau Claire River provides paddlers with all that “natural beauty” you always hear about. Photo by Nick Meyer.

BASIC INFO Hot Spots is published by Volume One – a locally owned, locally operated, and locally focused magazine. Hot Spots prints 15,000 copies and is distributed in a regular issue of Volume One magazine to approximately 300 locations in Eau Claire, Menomonie, and Chippewa Falls. Additional distribution is done throughout the summer.

ADVERTISING INFO If you’d like to advertise in the 2011 Hot Spots, call: (715) 552-0457 or email: mail@volumeone.org. © 2010 Volume One The writing, artwork, and photography in Hot Spots remain the property of the authors, artists, & photographers. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the publication or its advertisers. Every effort was made to present the most accurate information possible throughout this publication. Though Volume One cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions of editorial content, if you do find an error please, contact us so we may correct it in the future. Thank you!

A publication of:

50% RECYCLED PAPER

A swingin’ good time down at Eau Claire summer hot spot Mt. Simon Park.

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MARISA WOJCIK

hot > contents Hot Thoughts Opening Letter ................................8 Applaud Arts & Entertainment ..............................10 Savor Food & Drink ..................................................14 Splash Water-based Fun .........................................20 Tour Attractions & Family Fun ...............................24 Explore Natural Recreation ....................................30 Play Participation Sports ........................................34 Cheer Spectator Sports ...........................................38 Look Ahead Calendar of Events ............................42 High Five Must-See Summer Events ..................43 Eau Claire’s Off-Leash Dog Park: worth drooling over.

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Hot Thoughts summer starts with safety

By Volume One Web Editor Mike Paulus

W

e would hope that, after publishing four of these annual summer guides, people wouldn’t need to be reminded about how lovely life is in the Chippewa Valley in the summertime. But sadly, while countless locals do engage in plenty of hot summer fun, we have a feeling that even more people do not.

Yes, it is hot in the summer. And yes, it is not the heat so much as the humidity.

We hear you. But if you’re willing to brave the recycled air of your climate controlled house, people gawking at your fish-bellywhite skin in line at the grocery store, and sofa sitting-related butt cramps, we think you should be willing to go outside and possibly sweat a little for the sake of enjoying life. Seriously, try it. You’ll like it.

Now that we’ve thoroughly convinced you to spend almost all of this summer outdoors, including when you sleep,

but straw is an excellent choice. Shadeproducing straw hats come in all shapes and sizes, from the humble cowboy hat to the mysterious coolie hat (aka huge, pointy Asian hat) to the festive sombrero. Light and airy, the popularity of straw in the hat world is undeniable. This summer, watch for the straw trucker’s cap and straw dorag.

Don’t smell too good! Yes, the cosmetics counter of your favorite department store is positively bursting with the new summer lines – lotions, perfumes, shampoos, facial powders, tonics, and body washes – oh my! Everything smells of sweet juniper, strawberries, watermelons, and other classic summery odors. But you must learn to utter a firm “no” to the well-mannered salesgirls. If it smells good to you, it’ll smell GREAT to bugs – aka nature’s tiny nibblers. Smelling like lemongrass is just

Those blades could be manicuring more than your lawn.

Toe-based lawn mower accidents are the scourge of summer fun. there are a few things you should know concerning safety. Many a foolish summer lover has ventured outdoors without taking the proper safety precautions, and they have rued the day. They have rued it hardcore. Many people have gotten sunburns, bug bites, heatstroke, pulled muscles, and eaten by bears because they walked outside all willy-nilly, forgetting to follow a few simple tips. Here are those tips: Stay hydrated! Seems like obvious advice, but people, a two-liter jug of Mountain Dew will not keep you hydrated.

You need water. We’re not suggesting you walk around wearing one of those “camel pack” water sacks on your back with a hose going to your mouth, but you should totally do that. All the pointing and laughing is a small price to pay for avoiding dehydration headaches and the enemy of summertime happiness – heatstroke.

Wear a hat! Since science is yet unable to remove the sun from the sky, we must deal with its life-giving yet sort of harmful radiation. However, you can tell that pesky skin cancer to “Back off, buddy!” with a simple hat. Styles and materials abound, Volume One

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not worth a body covered in insect sting swellings.

Watch those blades! Summer is filled with many wondrous, nostalgic sounds, but few so wondrous and nostalgic as a lawn mower roaring to life and mercilessly slicing through blade after succulent blade of grass. But watch out. Those blades could be manicuring more than your lawn. Toe-based lawn mower accidents are the scourge of summer fun. In addition to being extra careful, pick up a pair of double titanium lined mowing boots. Your tender tootsies will thank you.

Beware the woods! In the name of Summer Adventure, you may find yourself venturing into uncharted lands – stretches of woods and forest you’ve never before visited. Be careful and hire a trained guide. Many forests have bears, and many bears, under the right circumstances, will eat you. Becoming bear brunch is rare, but why risk it?

OK, these are the basics, and they should provide you with a great starting point to a terrific journey through your Chippewa Valley summer. Now go have fun!

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NICK MEYER

>applaud AMAZING ARTS AND SIZZLING SHOWS

Taking place on Sept. 6, the Ski Sprites Sand Castle Contest is the area’s premiere sand-based and/or castle-based event.

hot > arts & entertainment In a season where most people around here lock themselves behind doublepaned windows with the television blaring, stepping outside into the soft, humid summer air might seem like the hazy memory of a wispy dream. Well, here’s a bunch of activities to shake you from your air-conditioned slumber – and they don’t even require all that much physical movement. All you gotta do is look and listen. Feast your eyes and ears on the following concert series, film series, art exhibits, and more. If you’re wondering where big events like Country Jam, Summerfest, and Elmwood UFO Days are, check out the big events calendar on page 42. And if you’d like to get real specific about shows to see, pick up the latest issue of Volume One magazine. In the meantime, here’s a good shot of arts and entertainment activity to get you up and out the door.

MUSIC SERIES

Amazing musical experiences presented in handy serial format.

Ludington Guard Band Tuesdays, June

1-Aug. 3 • Wilson Park, Menomonie • 8-9:30pm • FREE • 235-3914 • The summertime concerts by the Ludington Guard Band have been an unbroken Menomonie tradition for over 120 years. Every week about 50 band members led by James Woodford, band director at Colfax High, perform a lively mix of pop songs, Broadway and movie music, big band numbers, and band music. Pie and ice cream social.

Chill on the Hill Heyde Center for the Arts,

Music on the Mall Mondays, June 14-Aug. 2 • Campus Mall, UW-Eau Claire • 7-8:30 pm• FREE • 836-4803 • www.uwec.edu/ summerevents • Live outdoor concerts from regional musicians on the grass of UWEC’s gorgeous campus mall. Rain site is The Cabin at Davies Center.

Jazz at Noon Weekdays June 14-July 2 • Campus Mall, UW-Eau Claire • noon-1pm • FREE • 836-4803 • www.uwec.edu/summerevents • Student and local jazz groups perform outside. A variety of grilled lunch items will be sold. Rain site: Davies Terrace.

Summer Sounds: Faculty Chamber Music Sundays, June 20-Aug. 1 • Phillips Re-

cital Hall in Haas Fine Arts Center • 2-3pm •

Live in the Vineyard May 8, 3:30-6pm; June 11, 5:30-8pm; July 16, 5:30-8pm, Aug. 1 and 22, 1:30-4pm; Sept. 10, 5:30-8pm, River Bend Vineyard & Winery, 10439 33rd Ave., Chippewa Falls • 720-9463 • www.riverbendvineyard.com Bring your friends and enjoy live entertainment from our patio or lawn, steps away from the vineyard and a world away from the everyday. Concerts will be performed outside, so bring lawn chairs and blankets as seating is limited.

Picnics welcome, plus snacks and cheeses available. Rain site: The Tasting Room.

OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES

A smattering of bars and eateries with outside entertainment.

Jake’s Supper Club E5690 Co. Trk. D, Menomonie • 235-2465 • www.jakesontainterlake.com • Terrific Lake views, live entertainment all summer long, and a huge Sunday brunch buffet leave you little (if any) reason to stay away. Three decks of outdoor seating, private party rooms, and banquet services.

Loopy’s Saloon & Grill 10691 Business. Hwy 29, Chippewa Falls • 723-5667 • www.723loop.com • A log cabin atmosphere sets the stage for casual eating at Loopy’s. Located right on the Chippewa ANDREA PAULSETH

Chippewa Falls • Tuesdays, June 22-Aug. 24 • 11:15am-noon • 726-9000 • www.cvca.net • The Heyde Center will offer to children between the ages four and ten a series of free, 45-minute presentations by area artists and performers who will share their love of an instrument, a style of music, dance, and other types of artistic and/or cultural expression. Call for dates and volunteer opportunities.

An Eau Claire tradition since 1912.

FREE • 836-4803 • www.uwec.edu/summerevents • A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians, from cellists to vocalists.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park Tuesdays,

June 1-Aug. 31 • Owen Park, First Avenue, Eau Claire • 6:30pm • FREE • 577-4197 • www.cvblues.com • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Volume One Sounds Like Summer Concert Series Thursdays, June 3-Aug. 26•

Phoenix Park • 6:30-8:30pm • FREE • 5520457 • www.volumeone.org • Join your family, friends, and neighbors on the grass and giant rocks at the Phoenix Park labyrinth for a concert with the Chippewa River and evening sunset as the backdrop. Bring a blanket, some snacks or beverages, and enjoy the local scene and sounds.

Eau Claire Municipal Band Thursdays, June 17-July 29 • Owen Park Bandshell • 7:30pm • FREE • 839-5032, 878-4609 • eauclairemunicipalband@gmail.com • Band members include high school and college students, seniors, and community members with an interest in music. Selections will include marches, overtures, show tunes, TV and movie themes, light classical pieces, contemporary pieces and novelties.

The 4th annual Open Air Festival of the Arts gets artsy on June 12 and 13 at Phoenix Park in downtown Eau Claire with over 50 fine artists, performances, and more.

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River. Weekday lunch buffet, outdoor seating, outdoor private party area, banquet services, and vegetarian friendly. Check out the volleyball courts and tube/canoe/ kayak rentals. DJs and karaoke all summer.

Pioneer Grill & Saloon E5699 Co. Trk. D, Menomonie • 235-9927 • www.pioneergrill. com • Thursday through Saturday, try the tender age steak. Try out their famous allbeef burgers and don’t miss the live music on Saturdays. Breakfast served all week.

Outdoor seating, private banquet room, and open late.

The Living Room Coffee House & DriveThru 2006 Cameron St., Eau Claire • 831-

0245 • www.thelivingroomcoffeehouse.com • The Living Room’s mission is to make you feel at home - as long as your home has a full-service coffee bar, Panini sandwiches, baked goods, and blended fruit tea smoothies. Outdoor seating as well as live music in the backyard for the summer, and vegetarian friendly.

FILM/THEATER SERIES Fine summer flicks or thespians.

Volume One Back-Alley Summer Cinema Series Mondays, July 5-26 • the alley

that would be 205 Graham Ave. • 9:30pm • FREE • 552-0457 • www.volumeone.org • This groundbreaking outdoor film series presented by Volume One features outof-the-mainstream and classic films of all kinds taking place every Monday night in July (weather permitting). Concessions available. Bring your own chairs or blankets. Be aware of each film’s rating, as not all films are for everyone. Movies TBA.

Shakespeare and Others in the Park

Wednesdays, July 7-28 • Central Campus Mall, UW-Eau Claire • 7-8 pm • FREE • 8364803 • www.uwec.edu/summereevents • One act plays, Shakespearean excerpts and other theatrical delights! Performances will feature members of the BareBones Ensemble Theatre and other community groups.

Rain site is The Cabin, Davies Center.

ART FAIRS & EVENTS

Serving up hot, fresh art all summer long.

11th Annual Fresh Art Spring Tour Ev-

ery Day from May. 14 to May. 16 • Pepin and Pierce Counties • 442-2419 • The 11th annual Fresh Art Spring Tour, May 14, 15 and 16, 2010, offers the perfect opportunity to visit twelve galleries and studios and see the work of many of the area’s talented artists and craftspeople, and to enjoy the eruption of spring along the roads and in the gardens on the tour. Visit freshart.org for full details.

Park Art Fair Jun. 4, 5-8pm; Jun. 5, 10am-

4pm • Mary Park, New Richmond • FREE • The first Saturday in June brings thousands of visitors to New Richmond for a festive

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hot > arts & entertainment day at scenic Mary Park. Artists and crafts people - 175 in all - display and sell their wares under colorful awnings and tents.

Food and entertainment are on-going.

4th Annual Open Air Festival of the Arts

Jun. 12, 9am-5pm; Jun. 13, 10am-3pm • Phoenix Park, Downtown Eau Claire • artists@ecoafa.org • 835-4911 or 651-497-4699 • Local and regional artists will be displaying and selling their original fine art in beautiful downtown Eau Clair.e Enjoy two days of art, live music and fresh food, plus a juried fine art festival, belly dancers, the Eau Claire farmers market and children’s activities.

Solstice on Grand Art Faire Jun. 19, 9am-

5pm • Cook-Rutledge Mansion, 505 W Grand Ave, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 723-7181 • Fine arts fair featuring over 60 exhibitors on the grounds of the Cook-Rutledge mansion. You can also tour the mansion, a truly unique, 1187 restored and furnished lumber baron’s home (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) that exemplifies High Victorian Italiante architecture.

Northern Wisconsin State Fair Every Day

from Jul. 7 to Jul. 11, 9am-11pm • Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • Adults $7, Kids 6-11 $3, Kids Under 5 Free • 723-2861 • Exhibits of livestock, crafts, homemaking, education.

63rd Annual Gilmanton Free Fair Jul. 8, ; Jul. 9, ; Jul. 10, ; Jul. 11, • Gilmanton Fair

Grounds, Larson Road, Gilmanton • FREE admission • 495-2959 • Annual community festival with carnival, games, softball, pageant, talent show, BBQ cook-off, parade, chicken, nightly bands, tractor pulls, chainsaw carvings and more. If needed, check venue for hours.

37th Annual Stockholm Art Fair Jul. 17, 10am-5pm • Village Park off Highway 35, Stockholm • FREE admission • Featuring 106 artists, live music all day plus organic food.

National Night Out Playground Art Fair & Carnival Aug. 3, 5-7pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 839-5032 • 25 cent carnival games, dunk tank, snow cones, popcorn, inflatables, hotdogs, chips, soda, balloons, finger painting, music, and prizes.

2nd Annual Art in the Park Aug. 13, •

Soo Park, downtown Stanley • 644-0244 (Jeanne) • Local artists and photographers will have their art work and photography on display and for sale.

Chalkfest 2010 Aug. 14, 11am-11pm • Wil-

son Park, downtown Eau Claire • FREE • 552-0457 • This third annual event, part of Summerfest, takes place in beautiful Wilson Park where artists from throughout the area will create elaborate, large scale chalk artwork on the sidewalks. There will be food, music, chalk-related games, and much more. An area for kids to do sidewalk

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chalk will also be on hand. In the evening there will be a large reception where people can view the finished work. Register at Chalkfest.org. Space is limited.

Festival in the Pines Aug. 28, 9am-6pm;

Aug. 29, 10am-5pm • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr. • $4 general, 11 and under free • 552-5504 or (888) 611-7463 • Arts and crafts exhibitors, great food, and games and rides for kids with live music and professional, family-oriented entertainers. Free petting zoo and beer garden.

Ski Sprites Sand Castle Contest Sep.

6, 11am • Lake Altoona Beach • $10 to build, free to watch, $3 to park • Running before and alongside the last show of the Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Team’s season, this 2nd annual event will see teams compete to build the best granular fortress they can imagine.

Drive-In Movies

Movies, cars, stars ... a summer classic.

Gemini Drive-In 6730 Hwy 12 West, Eau

Claire • 874-5101 • Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays • box office opens at 7:30pm, movies at dusk • adults $8, youth (4-11) $5, kids (4 and under) FREE • www.ecmovies.com/ Gemini/ • Grab some friends (or the family), pull into a grassy parking spot, and tune in the radio for some summer movie magic. Every show is a double-feature.

MARISA WOJCIK

>savor SUMMERTIME EATS & DRINKS

Enjoying a cup of joe with a shot of sunshine at Grand Avenue CafĂŠ, one of several eateries with outdoor seating in the Valley.

hot > food & beverage There are certain kinds of food that appear during the summer months, and they knock your socks off with sun-kissed flavor. Many trustworthy people will blather on about “growing seasons” and “summer industries” and so forth, but the appearance of these foods is mostly due to the rotation of the Earth and its electro-magnetic forces which temporarily alter the makeup of edible foodstuffs. It’s all very scientific, and you shouldn’t bother yourself with the details. Just go ahead and enjoy the season’s bounty of farmers market vegetables, drive-in restaurant cheeseburgers, self-serve berry patches, and gloppy ice cream cones served from a giant, pedal-powered freezer. These tasty delights are only available for about one-quarter of the year, so act fast.

And if you’re looking for the perfect place to enjoy these scrumptious wonders, allow us to suggest an oft-overlooked location: outside. The combination of summer air and this magical chow is a rare gift. Peruse the following listings to find out where these foods are usually spotted.

FOOD FEST Taste of Eau Claire 2010 Jun. 20, 11am-

6pm • Phoenix Park, Riverfront Terr., Eau Claire • FREE admission, $1/ticket (food costs 1-4 tickets) • 833-7435 • 834-5043 • All day, scores of area restaurant and food vendors will be serving their best dishes under the pavilion at Phoenix Park. Prepare your taste buds beforehand and find out if your favorite dish will be making an appearance. Plus live music all day, a kids zone and tasting competitions.

CART-BASED CUISINE

Sometimes, it just tastes better from a cart.

9 Degrees (“That Ice Cream Cart”)

Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market, evening residential service in Eau Claire, see website for times and specific neighborhoods • www.9-degrees.com • Eau Claire’s own ice cream man serves up cold treats from a number of non-motorized tricycle carts. 9 Degrees uses Timm’s Dairy ice cream to make a variety of flavors (plopped into a crunchy waffle cone) and also offers a huge array of prepackaged goodies and some coffee. For obvious reasons (underdeveloped calf and thigh muscles) ice cream service is unavailable in particularly hilly neighborhoods. 9 Degrees will also be vending its frosty wares every Thursday night at the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series in Phoenix Park.

Request service in your neighborhood through www.9-degrees.com.

FARMERS MARKETS

Buy local from the region’s many farmers, growers, and herders. It’s good for you.

Eau Claire Farmers Market south-

east corner of Oakwood Mall parking lot • Tuesdays and Saturdays, June 12 through October • 8am-1pm • 878-4328 • Vegetables, fruits, honey, meat, cheese, herbs, flowers, and more.

Chippewa Falls Main Street Farmers

Market corner of Bridge and River streets

• June 11 through October 29 • Thursdays 12-5:30pm, Saturdays 8am-12pm • 7237858 • www.chippewafallsmainst.org • 26 vendors offer fresh, locally produced flowers, fruits, vegetables, eggs, baked goods, sauces, meat, and more.

Festival

Foods

Farmers

Market

Festival Foods parking lot, Eau Claire • Sundays, mid June through October • 8am-2pm • 838-1000 • A variety of fresh produce from local farmers.

Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market

Phoenix Park, Downtown Eau Claire • May-October: 7:30am-1pm Saturdays and Wednesdays, noon-5pm Thursdays, and 10am to 2pm Sundays • www.ecdowntownfarmersmarket.com • Seasonal, locally grown vegetables and fruits, plus baked goods, dairy products, meat, honey, maple syrup, flowers, art, coffee, and more.

Menomonie Farmers Market Dunn County Fairgrounds, 620 17th St • May -October: every Wednesday noon to 6pm and Saturdays 8am to 3pm• 265-4271 x 1348 • Locally produced vegetables, fruits, honey, maple syrup, bison, pork, baked goods, plants, lotions and soaps, coffee, and lots of craft items.

PICK-YOUR-OWN GARDENS

Call ahead for hours and what’s in season!

Appledore Woods W3865 County Rd. HH,

Eau Claire • 834-5697 • www.appledorewoods.com • Pick your own strawberries starting June 12, or, if you prefer blueberries, pick your own from approximately July 10-Aug. 15. These berries, plus raspberries and blackberries, are available for sale.

Blue Ridge Growers 246 Carlson Lane, River Falls • 425-8289 • Pick your own organic blueberries and raspberries.

Picking season is early July to late August.

Bushel and a Peck Market 18444 County Hwy OO, Chippewa Falls • 723-0133 • Open Volume One

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hot > food & drink ANDREA PAULSETH

in early August for pick-your-own apples and raspberries. Gift shop and bakery on site featuring honey, jams, jellies and syrups.

Cain’s Orchard W13885 Cain Rd., Hixton • 963-2052 • www.cainsorchard.com • Pick your own Highbush Cultivated Blueberries on Saturdays, late July through August.

(Bring your own 5 qt. ice cream bucket.)

Pick twenty kinds of apples, raspberries, plums, and grapes in the fall. Picnic and play areas, RV and Bus parking, free hiking trails.

Charlotte’s Berry Patch 210 Kane Rd.,

Eau Claire • 832-7186 • Will open for pickyour-own raspberries in June, and will have blueberries available to pick in late July. Check out the scenic flower garden.

Call before you drive out.

Connell’s Orchard 19372 County Hwy OO, Chippewa Falls • 723-5119 • www.connellsorchard.com • Forty acres of fruit and veggies. Guided wagon tours. Asparagus, trees, shrubs, hanging baskets, and perennials in May. Pick your own strawberries in June. Tart cherries, blueberries, and a wide array of vegetables in July. Apples and peaches in August. Pound cake, shortcake, pies, and jams available from onsite bakery – and homemade ice cream to boot.

Govin’s Meats & Berries N6134 670th St.,

Menomonie • 231-BERRY (2377) • www. govinsmeatsandberries.com • You-pick and pre-picked strawberries. Naturally-raised beef, free-range chicken, lamb, and pumpkins also for sale.

An area classic, TEP’s Old Fashioned Drive-In in Augusta has carhops, trays attached to your car window, burgers, ice cream, and homemade root beer.

The Barley Club at Pine Meadow 4324

Fairfax Park Dr., Eau Claire • 831-9224

Lebo’s Bloomin’ Strawberries 1784 County Rd. M, River Falls • 684-4666 • Youpick and pre-picked strawberries available in late June. (waiting on call to verify)

Boston’s: The Gourmet Pizza 1920 S. Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 832-5100 • www. bostonsgourmet.com

Mac’s Berries 10439 130th Ave., Bloomer

ing, Eau Claire • 858-9453 • www.buffalowildwings.com

• 568-1672 • Pick a wide variety of strawberries starting in mid-June. (If possible, bring your own containers.)

Olson Farm Acres, LLC W 911 Hwy 10,

Mondovi • 926-5035 • Annual and perennial flowers and vegetable plants available.

You-pick strawberry patch opens in June.

Vegetable stand opens Mid-July. Later in the summer, pick your own tomatoes and peppers. Watermelon, muskmelons, squash, and pumpkins also available.

OUTDOOR DINING

Eateries with seating on decks, patios, and the occasional veranda.

A & W 4732 Golf Rd., Eau Claire • 833-8887 • www.awrestaurants.com Acoustic Café, Eau Claire 505 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • 832-9090 • www.theacoustic. com/eauclaire

Acoustic Café, Menomonie 102 Main St.,

Menomonie • 235-1115

Albertville Tavern 8114 35th St., Colfax • 874-6217

Culver’s 2021 Brackett Ave, Eau Claire • 831-1060 • 2520 Folsom St., Eau Claire • 831-0741 • 2573 Commercial Blvd, Chippewa Falls • 726-9343 • 1330 Stout Rd, Menomonie • 233-0330 • www.culvers.com

Buffalo Wild Wings 4612 Keystone Cross-

Dana’s Bar & Grill - Chippewa Falls 465

Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm N1321 Bullfrog Rd., Menomonie • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com

Dana’s Bar & Grill - Eau Claire 6505 Texa-

Burrachos Fresh Mexican Grill 5314 Prill

Rd., Eau Claire • 834-1843 • 329 Water St., Eau Claire • 835-6195 • www.burrachos.com

Caribou Coffee 2321 State Hwy 25 N #308,

Menomonie • 235-3627 • www.cariboucoffee. com

The Coffee Grounds 3460 Mall Dr., Hwy.

93, Eau Claire • 834-1733 • 2116 Craig Rd., Eau Claire • 797-2198 • 3042 Commercial Blvd., Chippewa Falls • 797-2370 • www.thecoffeegrounds.com

Cold Stone Creamery 4613 Keystone Crossing, Eau Claire • 831-8482 • www.coldstonecreamery.com Connell’s Club 12 E11295 Hwy. 12, Fall

Creek • 877-2140

Cravings Coffee Shop 1320 N. Broadway St., Suite 1, Menomonie • 231-2222 The Creamery Restaurant & Inn E4620

Co. Rd. C, Downsville • 664-8354 • www.thenewcreamery.com Volume One

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Chippewa Mall Dr., Chippewa Falls • 7261749

co Dr., Eau Claire • 874-5954

Dean & Sue’s Bar & Grill 2002 Midway Rd., Menomonie • 235-9940

Dooley’s Pub 442 Water St., Eau Claire •

834-2388 • www.dooleyspub.com

Draganetti’s Ristorante 3120 Hillcrest Pkwy., Altoona • 834-9234 • www.draganettis.com Duncan Creek Wine Bar and Grille 213 N.

Bridge St., Chippewa Falls • 723-7000

The Edge Pub & Eatery 9504 Cty Hwy S.,

Chippewa Falls • 723-2400 • www.theedgeonwissota.com

Eisold’s Irvine Bar 130 Fleet St., Chippewa Falls • 720-1280

Erbert and Gerbert’s 409 Water St, Eau

Claire • 835-9995 • 3003 London Rd, Eau Claire • 552-1933 • www.erbertandgerberts. com

Erwin’s 19th Hole 1705 County Highway Oo, Chippewa Falls • 831-6337 • www.erwins19thhole.com Family Farms Market 50684 N. Main St.,

Eleva • www.familyfarmsmarket.com

Fanny Hill 3919 Crescent Ave, Eau Claire • 836-8184 • www.fannyhill.com

Fireside Bistro 3656 Mall Drive, Eau Claire • 552-1035

Fischer’s On The Green 2333 Hillcrest

Pkwy., Altoona • 832-9711 • www.fischersgreen.com

Fox Run Tavern 1515 S. 65th Ave., Eau Claire • 835-6489 • www.foxruntavern.com

Galloway Grille 409 Galloway St., Eau Claire • 514-0751 • www.gallowaygrille.com

Glen Loch Saloon 1300 Jefferson Ave., Chippewa Falls • 723-1297

The Goat Coffee House 408 Water St., Eau Claire • 831-4491

Golden

Leaf Café 1706 Stout Rd, Menomonie • 231-5323 • www.goldenleafcafe.com

Grand Avenue Café 119 W. Grand Ave.,

Eau Claire • 831-1100

Harmony Corner Café 210 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • 838-8760 • www.harmonycornercafe.com Haymarket Grill 101 Graham Ave., Eau

Claire • 552-3400 • www.haymarketgrill.com

High Shores Supper Club 17985 Co. Trk. X, Chippewa Falls • 723-9854 • www.highshores.com Hilltop 924 E Madison St, Eau Claire • 835-

9223

Houligans Steak & Seafood Pub 415 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • 835-6621 • www. houligans.net Jake’s Supper Club E5690 County Rd. D, Menomonie • 235-2465 • jakessupperclub. com/ JimBob’s Pizza 3636 Melby St, Chippewa Falls • 836-0909 • www.jimbobspizza.com

LaGrander’s Drive-In 18143 Co. Trk. X, Chippewa Falls • 723-0672

Lake Wissota Golf Course 16108 97th Ave.,

Chippewa Falls • 1-888-382-4780 • www. lakewissotagolf.com

The Livery (aka Cowtown Saloon) 316

Wisconsin St., Eau Claire • 833-7666

The Living Room Coffee House & DriveThru 2006 Cameron St., Eau Claire • 831-

0245 • 1400 Bellinger St. (Midelfort Clinic), Eau Claire• 6025 Arndt Lane (Down to Earth Garden Center), Eau Claire

The Lodge 1200 W River St., Chippewa Falls • 720-7708

Loopy’s Saloon & Grill 10691 Business.

Hwy. 29, Chippewa Falls • 723-5667 • www.723loop.com Lucy’s Delicatessen 117 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls • 720-9800 • www.foreign5. com/lucys Manny’s Cocina 4207 Oakwood Hills Pkwy,

Eau Claire • 514-0818 • www.mannysmexiVolume One

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > food & drink can.com

Menomonie Family Restaurant 2616 Hils

Ct, Menomonie • 235-9000 • www.menomoniefamilyrestaurant.com

Obsession Chocolates 18 S Barstow St., Eau Claire • www.obsessionchocolates.com

Olsen’s Ice Cream Parlor & Deli 611 N.

Panera Bread 4601 Keystone Crossing, Eau Claire • 834-9752 • www.panerabread.com

Mike’s Smokehouse 2235 N. Clairemont

Club, 2588 Hallie Rd, Hallie • 720-0915

Piff’s Pizza at the Eagle’s Club Eagle’s Pioneer Grill & Saloon E5699 Co. Trk. D,

Moe’s Diner 12701 10th St, Osseo • 597-3912 Mogie’s Pub and Restaurant 436 Water

Menomonie • 235-9927 • www.pioneergrill. com

Moke’s Bar and Grill 3077 CTH OO, Chip-

7827 • 2521 Hills Ct., Suite A, Menomonie • 233-2064 • www.quiznos.com

St., Eau Claire • 836-9666 • www.mogiespub. com pewa Falls • 720-8950

Quizno’s 2520 Golf Rd, Eau Claire • 834-

Mona Lisa’s 428 Water St., Eau Claire •

Racy D’lene’s Coffee Lounge 404 Riverside Ave., Eau Claire • 834-0000 • www. racysnucleus.com

Monkey in the Middle Pizza & Subs 5150

Ray’s Place 838 Water St., Eau Claire • 832-

Noodles & Company 4653 Keystone Cross-

Red Zone Sports Bar 2071 S. Prairie View Rd, Chippewa Falls • 726-3030

Norske Nook at Northwoods Brewpub

pewa Falls • 288-6331 • www.schrecksplace. com

839-8969 • www.monalisas.biz

Fairview Drive (Metropolis Resort), Eau Claire • 838-9663 • www.actioncityfun.com

ing, Eau Claire • 858-9000 • www.noodles. com

3991

Schreck’s Place 10764 Co. Hwy. Q, Chip-

AREA DRIVE-IN RESTAURANTS

Where your car is your dining room ...

TEP’s Old Fashioned Drive-In Take

Hwy 12 to Augusta, it’s is on the left. • 286-2838 • The restaurant itself is fairly classic, with real carhops, real trays that mysteriously attach to your window, and real old school cheap prices. The menu also offers hamburgers, chicken, salads, non-burger sandwiches, plus garden burgers and grilled veggie sandwiches for the non-carnivorous customer. There are many different ways to get your soft serve ice cream, and they make their own root beer.

Dairy Way Hwy 12 & 27 South, Black Riv-

Menomonie • 235-6124 • www.skoogsparkside.com

er Falls • 284-2867 • Open April through September, this classic roadside stand has an extensive assortment of cold, milkbased treats. Flurries, malts and shakes are a favorite. Hamburger, cheeseburger and bacon cheeseburger grace the top of the menu, but further down are choices like chuckwagon steak sandwich and veggie sub.

Smith’s Country Inn S5786 Hwy. 37, Eau

Panther Drive-In Take Hwy 37 to Hwy 85

3560 Oakwood Mall Dr., Eau Claire • 5520510 • www.northwoodsbrewpub.com

Shanghai Bistro 2930 Craig Rd., Eau Claire

The Nucleus Café 405 Water St., Eau

Skoog’s Parkside 932 N. Broadway St,

Claire • 834-7777 • www.racysnucleus.com

Claire • 834-4050 • www.princetonvalleygolf.com

Bridge St, Chippewa Falls • 723-4331

Menomonie Log Jam 709 S. Broadway St., Menomonie • 235-0703 • www.menomonielogjam.com Ave., Eau Claire • 834-8153

Yankee Jack’s 2300 W. Princeton Ave., Eau

• 835-3348 • www.shanghaibistro.org

Claire • 836-9003

Sonic 2831 Hendrickson Dr., Eau Claire •

552-3229 • www.sonicdrivein.com

Sparx Restaurant 1827 N. Broadway St., Menomonie • 235-3000 • www.sparxrestaurant.com/

Stella Blues 306 Madison St., Eau Claire • 855-7777 • www.stellablues.biz

Stout Ale House 1501 N. Broadway St.,

Menomonie • 233-3333 • www.stoutalehouse.com

Sweetwaters Restaurant & Bar 1104 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire • 834-5777 • www.sweetwatersec.com/ Tacos Juanita Mexican Restaurant 2873

E. Hamilton Ave, Eau Claire • 835-3229

Tailgates Sports Bar & Grill 1505 N. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire • 552-1733 Taverna Grill 2839 Mall Dr., Eau Claire • 835-2845 • www.tavernagrill.com

Turks Head Coffee House 307 S Barstow

St., Eau Claire • www.turksheadcoffeehouse. com

Vally’s Restaurant 1117 Pumphouse Rd.,

Chippewa Falls • 726-1199 • www.vallysrestaurant.com

Waterfront Bar & Grill 512 Crescent St., Menomonie • 235-6541

Whiskey Dicks 943 Harlem Ave., Altoona •

829-3425 • www.whiskeydicks.net Volume One

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Hot Spots 2010

to Durand, it’s on the right. • 672-5659 • The menu features burgers, fish, chicken, BBQ, and steak sandwiches, mini tacos, and three dogs – hot, corn, and coney – all of medium size and price. Plus you can pick from fries, rings, hash browns, mushrooms, cheese nuggets, poppers, and more. Waffle cones, floats, freezes, shakes, malts, sno-cones, and Cyclones make for a daunting desert selection.

Though the ice cream is only soft-serve, there are 20 options. Open early April through mid-September.

LaGrander’s Drive-In Take Hwy 53 North

to Hwy 29 East, exit on Hwy X. On the right.

Chippewa Falls • 723-0672 • Nothing says summer like a trip to the drive-in. A local landmark located right across from Ray’s beach, LaGrander’s makes their own root beer and scoops up country-style ice cream in addition to their classic drive-in fare. Eat in your car or one of the gazebos.

Open May 1-Sept. 1, seven days a week, and weekends in April and September, weather permitting.

Sonic 2831 Hendrickson Dr., Eau Claire •

552-3229 • www.sonicdrivein.com • Sonic serves a full menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken wraps, hot dogs, a breakfast menu (with breakfast burritos, sandwiches, french toast sticks and more) plus coffee, smoothies, limeades, and frozen treat selections. Order from the drivethru or their parking stalls, with food delivered from roller skating attendees.

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Hot Spots 2010

NICK MEYER

>splash WATERY ADVENTURES

Playful summertime ruckus spontaneously breaks out at Lake Altoona Beach, site of the infamous Ski Sprites water show.

hot > water-based fun One of the best things about summer in Wisconsin is how all the water in the state has turned from a solid to a liquid, and it’s no longer cold enough to make your heart explode. Nope, the water is downright nice, and you should definitely find time to dive into a large body of it. The Chippewa Valley offers a number of public swimming pools and sandy lakeside beaches, so finding a place to model that brand new set of swimmin’ trunks should be as easy as falling out of a boat. And if you like water but you don’t like getting (completely) wet, there are plenty of rivers perfect for a canoe or kayak adventure.

And! If that’s too much work, just plop yourself into an inner tube and let Mother Nature do all the work. The time has come: grab some sun block, a paddle, a giant foam noodle, a life jacket, your flippers, a couple of kayaks, a big towel, a snorkel, and some friends – and go find yourself some water. The fun-soaked information on the following pages should help you out.

BEACHES

Swim at your own risk. Children should not be left unsupervised. Swimming and wading is not allowed during life-threatening weather or after dark. Glass containers, grills, or other hot cooking devices are not allowed on either the sand or grass areas of the beaches. Some locations do not allow pets.Remember your floaties.

Chippewa County 723-0331 Lake Wissota State Park off County Hwy O (Ray’s Beach on south end of Wissota, off County Hwy X) Morris Erickson County Park on Long

Lake (beach on Lower Long Lake)

Otter Lake County Park on Otter Lake Pine Point Park on Holcombe Flowage Round Lake County Park off 117th St.

POOLS

Notice how there’s no “p” in our “ool”?

Bernard F. Willi Outdoor Pool on

Bridgewater Avenue, next to Marshall Park, Chippewa Falls • open swim MondayFriday 12pm-6pm, Saturday-Sunday 1-6pm • $2.50, kids 1 or under FREE • 726-2733 • This pool has a very shallow end for children and a deeper end that a water slide empties into.

Fairfax Pool 4200 Fairfax St., Eau Claire • open swim Monday-Friday 11:30am-8pm, Saturday 11:30am-6pm, Sunday 1-6pm • $3.75, group rates available • 839-1680 • The facility includes a main pool with zero depth entry and an Olympic size, eight lane, 50 meter swimming area. A stationary waterslide, 22 feet high with a flume extending 150 feet, is one of the main attractions of the pool. The pool also

features a “Raindrop” in the zero depth area of the pool. A separate diving well includes both a one-meter and a threemeter diving board.

Wakanda Outdoor Water Park on Pine

Avenue, Menomonie Monday-Sunday 11:30am-8pm • adults $4.50, youth (6-17) $3.50, kids (1-5) $2, kids under 1 are FREE, special pricing available • 232-1664 The large Wakanda Park features 13,914 square feet of water surface, a 230-footlong, 31-foot-high waterslide, and a 20-footlong, 12-foot-high drop slide.

CANOEING & KAYAKING

The Chippewa Valley’s river rat outfitters, educators, rentals, and more.

Dunham’s Sporting Goods 1501 N Broadway St., Menomonie • 235-0750 • A one-stop shop for equipment related to fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and hunting, with snowshoeing gear available seasonally.

Environmental Adventure Center 105

Hilltop Center, Eau Claire • 836-3616 • www. uwec.edu/recreation/EAC/ • Maintains large inventory of outdoor equipment. Rents tent and camping accessories, canoes, kayak (plus accessories), winter sport equipment (plus snowshoes), and fishing rods and reels. Equipment available on a first-come, first-served, daily, weekend, or weekly basis to UWEC ID holders only.

Farm & Fleet 2583 S Prairie View Road,

Chippewa Falls • 723-1806 • www.farmandfleet.com • Farm & Fleet carries gear for fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking, ANDREA PAULSETH

City of Eau Claire 839-4902 Half Moon Beach off Whipple Street Riverview Park at 2711 Riverview Dr.

Dunn County 232-1581 Pine View County Park south of Meno.

Eau Claire County 839-4783 Big Falls County Park off both County

Hwy Q and County Hwy K

Coon Fork Lake County Park off County

Hwy CF 2 locations: swimming beaches on both the east and west sides of the 80 acre lake closes at 11pm

Harstad County Park off County Hwy

HHH

Lake Altoona County Park on Beach Road closes at 11pm

Lake Eau Claire County Park off County

Hwy ND closes at 11pm

The mega-super-twirly-swirly awesome slide is just one of many descriptively named attractions at Chaos Water Park Resort.

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Hot Spots 2010

camping, horseback riding, and hunting.

climbing equipment daily or weekly.

Gander Mountain 6440 Sculy Road, Eau Claire • 833-7500 • www.gandermountain. com • This store’s equipment goes beyond its Òhunt, fish, campÓ slogan, also offering gear for canoeing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and geocaching.

Wal-Mart 3915 Gateway Dr., Eau Claire •

Gordy’s True Value 111 W Columbia St.,

Chippewa Falls • 715-726-2510 • www. gordyscountymarket.net • Sells canoeing equipment (life vests, paddles), hunting equipment (rifle scope mounting), and fishing equipment (line winding, live bait year round), and hunting and fishing licenses.

Loopy’s 10691 Hwy X (Bus. Hwy 29),

Chippewa Falls • 723-5667 • www.723loop. com • Loopy’s rents canoes, kayaks, and inner tubes all summer long. Their free shuttle will zip you into town so you can float down the Chippewa River and back to the shop. You can also rent a van for the trip. They even offer “driver safe” beverages, food, ice, and cooler tubes. Stop by the restaurant and bar when you’re done.

834-0733 • 180 Cedar Falls Road, Menomonie • 235-6565 • 2786 Commercial Blvd., Chippewa Falls • 738-2254 • www.walmart. com • Fishing, hiking, biking, camping, geocaching, and hunting gear are readily available, and special items such as canoes and kayaks can be ordered online.

Wissota Adventure 19234 74th Ave., Chippewa Falls • 723-1310 • www.wissotaadventure.com • Whether you’re paddling for two hours or all day, Wissota Adventure will help you learn the sport, get properly started, and plan your trip. They set you up for kayak or canoe trips on Lake Wissota, the Chippewa River, and the Yellow River flowages – as well as a number creeks and backwaters. All equipment is available for rental. Free shuttle service.

WATER PARK

Northern Safari Army Navy 1612 S

How can we make the awesomeness of swimming a year-round extravaganza?

Riverside Bike & Skate 937 Water St., Eau

Chaos Water Park Resort 5152 Fairview Dr., Eau Claire • 800-861-6002 • $20 basic, $15 after 4 pm, $5 dry pass, packages available • www.chaosresort.com • The Valley’s only waterpark features pools, slides, waves, waterplay equipment and more.

Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 833-1942 • www. armynavywisconsin.com • This military outfitter also carries camping, survival, hunting and tactical gear. Some kayaking accessories available.

Claire • 835-0088 • In addition to bikes and skates, Riverside rents canoes and kayaks. Canoe and kayak trips are available from one to four hours on the Eau Claire or Chippewa Rivers. Shuttle available for river trips.

Riverside Junction at the junction of the

EC River Bridge and Hwy 27 • call for weekday appointments, open weekends 9am-5pm • 456-2434 • www.riversidejunction.com • Riverside Junction offers canoeing and kayaking on the Eau Claire River – trip planning, drop off/pick up, and rentals.

Scheels 4710 Golf Road, Eau Claire • 833-

1886 • www.scheels.com • A comprehensive place for all your fishing, hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, kayaking, biking, camping, geocaching, and hunting needs. Experts in the store will be happy to share techniques and advice concerning these topics.

Simple Sports 326 E Main St., Menomonie • 233-3493 • www.simplesports.us • Bicycling equipment available on site. They can also order supplies for additional sports, including climbing, canoeing, and kayaking.

Stout Adventures 41 Sports and Fitness

Center, Menomonie • 232-5625 • www. urec.uwstout.edu/adventures/equip.html • UW-Stout has an amazing outdoor rental collection! University ID holders and community members with driver’s licenses can rent hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, winter sport (skis and snowshoes), and rock Volume One

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Hot Spots 2010

ALTERNATIVE WETNESS SKINNY DIPPING

According to Wisconsin State Statute 944.20 concerning lewd and lascivious behavior, exposing one’s unmentionable regions publicly and indecently – whether in the water or on land – can get you up to nine months in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. Unless no one sees you.

SLIP ‘N’ SLIDES

Looking for some low-tech, low-friction fun?

Get this – they still make Slip ’N’ Slides! A basic version is around nine bucks, and you can upgrade to hoops and a finishing splash pool for around thirty bucks. Low on cash?

You can always cobble together a ghetto version using trash bags and cinderblocks.

If you really want to ramp up the fun factor (and the risk of limb-damage) set that thing up on a grassy hill. Adults beware: you probably weigh more than the last time you slipped and slid, so don’t forget that force equals mass times acceleration.

SPRINKLERS

Call me conservative, but I much prefer a good old-fashioned sprinkler any ole’ day of the week. Whether it’s one of those that shoots water up in the air like a rainbow, or one of those rotating sprinklers that rifles water with precision, you’ll see us gleefully prancing through the spray in our front yards this summer. Expect us to act like it’s so cold every time that we scream and run, but the go right back in for more.

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Hot Spots 2010

MARY MIHAJLOV

>tour ATTRACTIONS, GAMES, AND FAMILY FUN

Recalling the days of yore, Bullfrog Fish Farm gives an interactive meal experience that starts with catching pond-raised prey.

hot > attractions & family fun Isn’t it hard to find good old-fashioned family fun nowadays? Heck, even when you find a perfectly good museum, there’s usually one person in the family – usually Uncle Rod – who pooh-poohs the place because he’d rather sit at home and watch reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond. Don’t worry.

In the following pages, you’ll find plenty of firepower to fend off the naysayers and wet blankets. There should be something for everyone in this comprehensive collection of the Chippewa Valley’s many fine museums, exhibit halls, and other tour-worthy locales. You’ll also find a great spot for some hot go-kart action and a place where you can lose yourself in the medieval charm of the year 1349. Even old Uncle Rod won’t say no to that!

And if he does, leave him at home. Even if you don’t have a family to romp around town with, these attractions are a great way to spend the day with your friends, so grab some people you know and get touring!

LOCAL HISTORY

vides an elegant setting for the cathedral stained glass window on the landing.

Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park 9 miles S. of Menomonie on Hwy 25 • daylight, spring-fall • FREE • 232-8685 • www.discover-net.net/~dchs/ • The house in which Caroline Woodhouse lived has been moved to the park from a nearby farm. Her granddaughter, Carol Ryrie Brink, based the 1935 Newbery Award-winning children’s book Caddie Woodlawn on her life.

Dells Mill and Museum E18855 County Road V, Augusta • 10am-5pm, May-October • adults $7, students $3.50 • 286-2714 • www.dellsmill.com • The five-story Dells Mill was built in 1864 as a grist mill.

Wisconsin had been a state for just 16 years and Augusta was a town for eight years. The area was barely settled and Augusta was just a pioneer community; there were no automobiles and almost no railroads.

Chippewa County Area History Center

123 Allen St., Chippewa Falls • 9am-4pm Tuesday • FREE • 723-4399 • See photographs and displays of the Chippewa area’s past, including lumber, farming, and Native American histories. The center also houses the Chippewa County Historical Society and the Chippewa County Genealogical Society.

Chippewa Valley Museum 1404 Carson

Park Drive, Eau Claire • Memorial DayLabor Day: 10am-5pm Monday-Saturday, 1-5pm Sunday; • adults $4, UWEC students and ages 4-17 $2, members and ages 4 and under free, 5-8pm Tuesdays free • 83478710 • www.cvmuseum.com • Visitors can view exhibits about the Ojibwe people, the first towns and industries of the area’s European settlers, early farm families and communities, and more. The museum also houses a turn-of-the-20thcentury ice cream parlor, an eight-footwide dollhouse, and the Glenn Curtis Smoot Library and Archives.

Cook-Rutledge Mansion 505 W. Grand Ave., Chippewa Falls • tours at 2pm Thursday-Sunday, June-August; group tours available by appointment • adults $5, 18 and under $1 • 723-7181 • The CookRutledge Mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the finest examples of High VictorianItalianate architecture in the Midwest.

Extraordinary hand-painted ceilings and walls, ornately carved woodwork, parquet floors, hand-crafted silver doorknobs and hinge plates, and crystal chandeliers enhance the beauty of the interior. The grand staircase of carved golden oak pro-

Empire in Pine Lumber Museum County Hwy C, Downsville • noon-5pm Saturday and Sunday, Memorial Day to Labor Day; guided tours by appointment • adults $2, kids $1, members and ages 5 and under free • 232-8685 • www.discover-net.net/~dchs/ • This award winning display exhibits the rich logging and sandstone quarry history of the Red Cedar Valley. The exhibit includes: Knapp, Stout & Co., blacksmith shop, muzzle-loading bunks, rare upand-down saw, quarry tools, stonecutting examples, Dead Man’s Corner, 1865 Louisville Post Office, and village jail.

Fall Creek Historical Society Museum

E111940 County Road J, Fall Creek • by appointment only • FREE • 877-3108 • See items from Fall Creek’s history including a doctor’s office, a drugstore, dresses, and military uniforms. Also on site are a washhouse, kitchen, and jail.

Old Courthouse Museum and Jail

Washington Square, 315 W. Madison St., Durand • 10am-noon Tuesday all year, 1-4pm Saturday Memorial Day weekend through mid-October, Thursday-Sunday 11am-5pm June 5-August 31, and by appointment • FREE • 672-5423 or (888) 672-5709 • Wisconsin’s last remaining wood-frame courthouse features iron-latticed cellblock in the jail; upstairs courtroom in near-original condition; a tribute to Helen Parkhurst, one of the 20th century’s most important educators, railroad room, bridges of Durand, centuryold paintings of C.H. Gleason, doctor and dentist equipment, and appliances and tools used in the home, shop, and fields.

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > attractions & family fun ??????????

games, indoor go karts, bumper cars, laser tag, batting cages, a climbing wall, mini bowling, outdoor mini golf, an outdoor slick track, and dining options. Experience the colorful outdoor maze, leading customers through an 8,000-foot series of paths complete with dead ends, unexpected turns, and big twists. Monkey in the Middle Pizza is Action City’s own name brand, made-to-order pizza. You can also choose from Erbert and Gerbert’s subs or nachos and more from The Fast Lane.

Bullfrog Fish Farm N1321 Bullfrog Road,

Menomonie • open with vigor noon-6pm weekends, plus some holidays • FREE • 6648775 • www.eatmyfish.com • Rent poles or bring your own, fish in the pond, and have your catch cleaned and packed on ice to take home for dinner. No license required; no catch limit.

Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire weekends May 22-June 20 • 117th St.,

The Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire, running through June, promises reenactment awesomeness from trusty steeds and knights in shining armor.

Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum

1110 Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • 10am4:30pm daily, May-September • adults $4, kids under 18 $2 835-6200 • www.paulbunyancamp.org • Take a step back into time when you visit the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum. Begin your tour with an introductory movie on logging in the 1890s and then visit their barn, blacksmith shop, cook shanty, bunkhouse, and heavy equipment shed to experience a day in the life of a logger.

Russell J Rassbach Heritage Museum

Wakanda Park, 1820 Wakanda St., Menomonie • 10am-5pm WednesdaySunday, May-September • adults $5, ages 13-18 $3, ages 6-12 $1, members and ages 5 and under FREE • 232-8685 • www. discover-net.net/~dchs/ • This museum, headquarters of the Dunn County Historical Society and the Dunn County Genealogical Society, interprets the history of Dunn County through its collection of exhibits.

Stanley Area Historical Society Museum 228 Helgerson St., Stanley •

1-4pm Saturday and Sunday, Memorial Day-Labor Day • FREE • 644-5492 or 644-5880 • www.partner29.com/stanley/ • The museum houses exhibits on the Northwestern Lumber Company, children’s toys, the Stanley Fire, military displays, Dr. Mathwig’s wildlife display, industries, a general store, drug store,

shoe shop, harness maker, railroading, and much more. The Logging and Farming Building recognizes the contribution lumberjacks, farm families, and carpenters made to Stanley’s settlement and growth.

The museum features special exhibits on the 100th anniversary of the Stanley Fire and an exhibit of wedding dresses from the late 1800s through the 1940s.

Wilson Place Mansion 101 Wilson Circle,

Menomonie • 1-5pm Wednesday-Saturday, May through September; 1-5pm SundayFriday, 1-7pm Saturday, mid-November through December; group appointments available • adults $5, seniors $4.50, kids $3.50, group rates available• 235-2283 • www.discover-net.net/~dchs/ • Wilson Place was built in 1859 by Capt. William Wilson, a principal in Knapp, Stout, & Co. lumber company, founder and first mayor of Menomonie, and the area’s first state senator. Three generations of Wilsons remade it from a colonial house to a Queen Anne-style mansion to a Mediterranean villa.

ATTRACTIONS Action City 2402 Lorch Ave., Eau Claire • 838-9663 • www.actioncityfun.com • Action City is a 55,000-square-foot familyfun center offering more than 100 arcade Volume One

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Hot Spots 2010

Chippewa Falls • 10am-6pm • $15 adults, $13 seniors, $5 kids 5-12, FREE under 5 • 723-9999 • www.festfun.com • Come join the Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire here in Wisconsin, and live out your fantasy of being the knight in shining armor, a damsel in distress, a dashing pirate, a naughty wench or a romancing bard. Part craft fair, part historical reenactment, part performance art, take yourself back 400 years and enjoy the sounds, sights and activities of the renaissance.

Train Rides Carson Park on Carson Park

Drive • Memorial Day-Labor Day: noon5pm Sundays • adults $3, youth $2 • 8357500 • The Chippewa Valley Railroad Depot is a one-quarter sized steam train that gives one-half mile rides through Carson Park.

SCIENCE & NATURE Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center

13394 County Hwy M, New Auburn • 8:30am-4:30pm daily, year-round FREE, but donations welcomed • 967-2800 • Exhibits and videos explain the glacial history of the region. Live and stuffed native animals are also on display. Part of the Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area.

Crystal Cave W965 State Road 29, Spring

Valley • 10am-4:30pm weekends, April and May; 9:30am-5:30pm daily, Memorial DayLabor Day; 10am-4:30pm, September and October; tours depart every half hour • adults $11, ages 13-17 and AARP members $9, ages 4-12 $7, ages 3 and under FREE • 779-4414 or (800) 236-CAVE • www.acoolcave.com • Experience a unique hourlong tour the entire family will enjoy.

Knowledgeable guides will lead you on a one-hour tour through a maze of welllighted passages where glistening cave formations such as stalactites, stalagmites, and rippling flowstone can be seen hanging from the ceiling or covering the

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > attractions & family fun ANDREA PAULSETH

ledges. The cave is accessed by a series of steps and ramps that allow you to descend over 70 feet underground where your journey follows well-lit, graveled trails.

The cave temperature hovers near 50 degrees, so a sweatshirt is recommended.

Hobbs

Observatory Beaver Creek Reserve, County Hwy K, Fall Creek • public observing clear Saturday nights: May, August, and September, 9pm; June and July, 10pm; October, 8pm • donations appreciated • 877-2212 • www.beavercreekreserve.org • Hobbs Observatory consists of two domes with computeroperated telescopes, a large lecture room and a resource room. It features a digital camera that allows images from the telescopes to be stored on computer disks or transmitted to a video projector in the classroom. The observatory is operated cooperatively by Beaver Creek Reserve, the UW–Eau Claire Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, and the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society.

Irvine Park Zoo Bridgewater Ave., Chippewa Falls • 8am-dusk daily • FREE • 723-3890 • www.irvineparkzoo.org • See animals including foxes, buffalo, elk, and monkeys, cougars and the bobcat exhibit, which opened last summer.

James Newman Clark Bird Museum

Phillips Hall, UW-Eau Claire • 8am-5pm Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday, when university is in session • FREE • 836-

The WaterWorks exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire is tubular. Literally.

3523 • www.uwec.edu/biology/ • The bird museum, circular in shape, contains four dioramas and surrounds the planetarium in Phillips Hall. The over 530 species housed in the museum were collected

by James Newman Clark from the 1870s through the 1920s. Two popular exhibits are the bald eagle and golden eagle, which require the university to hold a license to have them. The four dioramas depicting native birds in their natural habitats include: a white pine forest with ruffed grouse, a screech owl pouncing on a mouse, the now extinct passenger pigeons, and shorebirds from downtown Eau Claire.

L.E. Phillips Planetarium Phillips Hall,

UW-Eau Claire • shows for adults and youth 10 and older, 7pm Tuesday; children’s shows, 11am Saturday • $2 • 836-5034 • www.uwec.edu/planetarium/ • Each onehour show presents an entertaining and educational topic, and includes information about the current night sky.

Wise Nature Center Beaver Creek Reserve, County Hwy K, Fall Creek • 8am-4:30pm • Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm Saturday, noon-4pm Sunday • adults $3, children ages 2 to 15 $1, members FREE • 877-2212 • www.beavercreekreserve.org • Discovery room with hands-on learning stations, interpretive displays of local flora and fauna, and live animal exhibits, resource library, and science laboratory.

CULTURE Amish Tours The Woodshed, Augusta • 11am and 2pm Monday-Saturday, MayVolume One

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Hot Spots 2010

October • adults $11, kids 5-12 • $6 • 286-5404 • www.woodshedheirlooms.com • Augusta is home to one of the largest Amish settlements in Wisconsin, with more than 150 families. This “motor buggy” takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, with stops at an Amish bakery and candy shop, woodshop, home, and farm.

Coach bus tours are also available.

Children’s Museum of Eau Claire 220

S. Barstow St, Eau Claire • 10am-6pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 10am7pm Thursday, 10am-5pm Friday, noon5pm Sundays (closed on Sundays Memorial through Labor day) • $5, members and children under 1 free • 832-KIDS • www.cmec. cc • Kids can role-play in Bitty City, crawl through a giant model of the gastrointestinal tract in Body Smarts, build and solve problems at the Kidstruction site, stage their own production in Show Business, or explore the woods and streams of Toddler Park. For kids up to age 10 and their grown-ups.

Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology 21 E. Grand Ave., Chippewa

Falls • 11am-4pm Thursday-Friday, 10am4pm Saturdays • adults $5, ages 13-17 $3; and 12 and under $1, members FREE • 7209206 • www.cfmit.org • Exhibits include: Seymour Cray Supercomputer Collection, Leap into Lakes, Made in Chippewa, and Nanosecond Knowledge.

Leinenkugel’s Brewery Tour 124 E. Elm

St., Chippewa Falls • 9:30am-4pm MondayThursday and Saturday, 9:30am-6:30pm Friday, 11:30am-3pm Sunday; tours depart every half hour • FREE • 723-5557 or (888) LEINIES • www.leinie.com • See how Leinenkugel’s beer is handcrafted at the seventh-oldest brewery in the U.S., learn about the history of the Jacob Leinenkugel family, and sample Leinie’s brews.

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Hot Spots 2010

MARY MIHAJLOV

>explore RECREATION UNDER THE SUN

Located near the town of Seymour, Big Falls County Park offers camping, hiking, swimming, and water which is falling off rocks.

hot > natural recreation It’s no secret that summer is the prime time to recreate outdoors. The best part about going outside during the warmer months is that you get to have fun while reconnecting with nature. And even if you don’t particularly enjoy hanging out with shrubs and bunny rabbits, at least all that foliage gives you something interesting to look at. Maybe you’re not an outdoorsy type of guy or gal, but don’t let it stop you from exploring a forest or two – you might be pleasantly surprised by what you find. If you like walking and/or riding a bicycle, the next few pages should make you weep with happiness.

The bowl of the Chippewa Valley is crisscrossed with a surprising number of easily-accessed hiking and biking trails, and there’s no shortage of ecofriendly activities. So get out there and partake in the mind-boggling magnificence of the northern Wisconsin wilderness. We promise that it probably won’t bite you.

NATURE LOVING Beaver Creek Reserve five miles north

of Fall Creek on County Hwy K • 877-2212 • www.beavercreekreserve.org • Beaver Creek is a nature center, butterfly house, observatory, youth camp, nature store, citizen science center, field research station, and charter science research school (Whew!) It provides programs, activities, and experiences to help people of all ages explore and discover the magic and mysteries of the natural world. The reserve encompasses 360 acres of diverse habitat including upland woods, river bottom forests, wetlands, and savannah areas. It is bordered by the Eau Claire River, and two small trout streams run though the property. Stop in and enjoy some nature!

Deer Fly Trail 726-7880 • A hiking trail located in the County Forest in Northern Chippewa County. From the north, the trail entrance is located two miles west of junction of County Rd. M And E.

Duncan Creek Parkway Trail 5 miles • 723-0331 • This trail winds through the city of Chippewa Falls. Trail begins at the parking lot off 225th Avenue.

Eau Claire River Route 1.5 miles • Trail

goes from downtown Eau Claire to the East Side Hill. Start at the paved trailhead hidden across from the L.E. Phillips

Hickory Ridge Trail 9 miles • (866)

723-0331 • This trail winds through the quiet and scenic oak and aspen forest.

If consists of three challenging loops.

Located in northern Chippewa County in the County Forest – the trail begins in a parking lot off of 225th Ave.

Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area

232-1242 • Numerous hiking trails throughout park traversing prairie, woodland, and wetlands. A 60-foot tower provides viewing of a four county area.

Irvine Park 2 miles • 723-3890 • This is a gently rolling trail for bikers and hikers. The trail is located in Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls on Bridgewater Avenue.

Lake Wissota State Park 11 miles •

382-4574 • Located at 8127 County Hwy 0, Chippewa Falls, the park offers over 11 miles of scenic trails that pass along Lake Wissota’s shoreline and through woodland, prairie, lowland, forest, and marsh areas. Bikes are permitted on all but three of the trials. A State Park sticker is required.

Lowes Creek County Park 11 miles • 839-

4738 • All of the trails at Lowes Creek are multi-use so they appeal to runners, walkers, and mountain bikers. There’s something for every level of bike rider, including about 5 miles of the double-track (the MARISA WOJCK

Nature Center open Monday-Saturday 9am4pm, Sunday noon-4pm, nonmembers $3, youth (2-15) $1 // Butterfly House open July 5-Labor Day, Monday-Saturday 11am-3pm, Sunday noon-3pm // Observatory open May 9pm-midnight, June and July 10pm-midnight, August 9pm-midnight

passes through a wide variety of habitat including river bottoms, prairies, sandstone bluffs, wetlands, and more. Trail runs from Phoenix Park in Eau Claire to Caryville. Joins the Red Cedar Trail in the Dunnville.

Memorial Library’s underground parking entrance. The trail brings you across to the north side of the river on an old railroad trestle S bridge that offers spectacular views of the quarter-mile long Banbury Place industrial complex and of course, the valley. The trails in Phoenix Park and Boyd Park now connect and are ready for downtown cyclists.

HIKING & BIKING TRAILS

Lace up your boots and/or grease up your chain for these beautiful trails.

400 State Trail 22 miles • (800) 844-3507 • The 400 State Trail is located between Reedsburg and Elroy with 5 communities conveniently spaced along the trail to provide small town hospitality. Part of the 101-mile State Trail System. A mostly level trail.

Big Falls County Park 839-4783 • Located in the town of Seymour, the trails at Big Falls cut through mixed coniferous/hardwood forest on either side of County Highways Q and K. Buffalo River State Park Trail 36 miles • (608) 534-6409 • This is a multi-purpose trail located south of Eau Claire.

Chippewa River State Trail 26 miles • 839-1607 • This former railroad corridor parallels the Chippewa River and

A mountain biker’s haven, Lowes Creek County Park has about 11 miles of offroad bike loops to hit up this summer.

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > outdoor recreation cross country ski system) and over 6 miles of challenging (narrow) single track. The single track trails take the rider to all four corners of the park by winding through pine tree forests, crossing creek beds, and cruising along ridge lines. Parking pass required.

Old Abe Trail 20 miles • 726-7880 • A paved, multi-use trail running from Chippewa Falls to Cornell. It winds through agricultural and forestland while following the Chippewa River. Located just north of Eau Claire, one of the trailheads is northeast of Chippewa Falls on 97th Ave. It connects with the Chippewa River Trail in Eau Claire and the Red Cedar Trail in Menomonie.

Otter Creek Trail 3 miles • Located

next to the Hillcrest Golf Course (2333 Hillcrest Pkwy, Altoona).

Putnam Trail 836-2637 • Located at the

end of Putnam Drive in Eau Claire, a long portion of the trail has a sloped hill on one side, marshy woods that gives way to great views of Little Niagara creek on the other, and a beautiful canopy of branches and leaves overhead. You’ll forget you’re in the middle of a city of over 60,000 people.

Red Cedar Trail 15 miles • 232-1242

• This trail connects Menomonie to Dunnville and shadows the steep walls of the Red Cedar Valley. Wildlife along the trail includes pileated woodpeckers, songbirds, turkey, grouse, pheasants, fox, and deer. Connects to the 20-mile Chippewa River Trail.

Stage Coach Bicycle Route 21 miles •

831-2345 • Approximately 21 miles round trip with alternate loops. Mostly easy but a few steep hills. It’s a scenic route that follows along a lightly traveled road and is perfect for a family bicycle outing. Available year round and no pass is required. Trailhead located in Augusta just off Hwy 12/27 on Stone St.

Tower Ridge Recreation Area 839-4783

• The trails are wide, and they wind through oak forest and around and over a number of steep hills. Several places along the trails offer downright spectacular views of the Eau Claire River valley. The park is off County Rd. L in Eau Claire.

TWO-WHEELED ENTHUSIASM Full Moon Bike Ride - Menomonie Meet

at Bad Cat Bicycles, 327 E Main St. • June 26, July 26, August 24 • Meet at 7pm, begin ride at 7:30pm • 231-2453 • FREE • Don your required lights and helmets for this night ride by the light of the moon. Routes to be determined the night of the ride.

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Hot Spots 2010

6th Annual Chippewa Valley Firecracker

Eau Clare Expo Center. • Sunday, July 11 • 9:30am-1:30pm depending on race • $17$36 • 831-2345 or 579-8350 (Troy) • www. wors.org or www.chippewaoffroad.org • Every July, mountain bikers, trail runners and spectators swarm this high-energy bike race. Expect a perfect mix of tight, technical singletrack and lightning-fast doubletrack with trail highlights like the switchbacks of Onion, the creek crossings of Rad and Skull, and the seemingly endless rock garden of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

State Parks w/ Camping

Call for associated fees. Pack your sunscreen and bug spray. Wear a hat.

Brunet Island State Park 23125 255th

S., Cornell • 239-6888

Chippewa Moraine State Rec. Area 13394 Cty Hwy M, New Auburn • 967-2800

Hoffman Hills State Park 921 Brickyard Road, Menomonie • 232-1242, youth group camps only

Lake Wissota State Park 18127 Cty Hwy O, Chippewa Falls • 382-4574 For more information on state parks, visit Wisconsin State Park Resource at www.wiparks.net, or National Parks & Forest at www.forestcamping.com

Campgrounds

Call for associated fees and to learn about amenities. Don’t forget the waterproof matches.

Coon Fork Lake County Park near Augusta; take Hwy 12, take left on Cty. CF • 839-4738 • 108 sites Country Camping 10765 County Hwy Q, Chippewa Falls • 288-6376 • 34 sites

Duncan Creek Campground 12528

102nd Ave., Chippewa Falls • 723-1222 • 35 sites

Elmer’s Campgrounds 8027 Hwy 12, Fall Creek • 832-6277 • 35 RV and tent sites Harstad County Park near Augusta; take Hwy 12 to Cty AF to Cty HHH • 8394738 • 27 sites Irvington Campground E4176 Ct. Rd. D, Menomonie • 505-5202 or 235-2267 • www.menomoniecamping.com • 45 sites (20 full service) Loon Lake Campgrounds 10279 280th

Ave., New Auburn • 967-2148 • www. loonlake-campground.com • 12+ sites in June

hot > outdoor recreation Pine Harbor Campground 7181 185th St., Chippewa Falls • 723-9865 • 45 sites (half RV, half tent)

O’Neil Campground 14956 105th Ave.,

Chippewa Falls • 723-6581 • www.oneilcreek.com • appx. 400 seasonal and weekend sites

NCN North Campground N8390 Hwy 12, Black River Falls • 888-345-1167 • www. campncn.com • 75 electric sites, much more space available • Adults only, as NCN stands for “No Clothing Nessecary.”

HORSEBACK TRAIL Riding

Call for associated fees. They’ll provide the steed.

Kinni Valley Stables & Riding 1171 30th Ave., River Falls • 426-1321 • www.kinnivalleyacademy.com • $64 a ride (about one hour) Wilderness Pursuits N 5773 Resewood Ave., Neillsville • 743-4484 • $40 a ride (about two hours)

Rock Lake Lodge & Campground 23015 153rd St., Bloomer • 568-4370 • 117 sites

Sandy Hill Campground E21100 ND Road, Augusta • 286-2495 • 32 sites

Stoney Creek RV Resort 50483 Oak

Grove Road, Osseo • 597-2102 • www. stoneycreekrvresort.com • 130 sites (114 RV, 8 tent, 8 cabin)

Sunshine Valley Campground E18250 Buse Road, Augusta • 286-4222 • 18 sites

Twin Springs Resort Campground

N6572 530th St., Menomonie • 235-9321 • 75 sites

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Hot Spots 2010

ANDREA PAULSETH

>play SUMMERY OUTDOOR ATHLETICS

This summer, the Valley will see four kickball tourneys, starting with Memorial Day Weekend’s Rock-n-Roll Kickball Classic.

hot > participation sports

Grove Road

Menomonie Elmwood Park on 4th Avenue

No one has ever accused the staff of Volume One magazine of being overly athletic. Never in the history of the magazine has someone said, “You guys focus too much on sports. There’s more to life, you know.” No, they are not the sportiest of folks – but this has not stopped them from trying. And just because the magazine’s volleyball team holds the worst record in local league history, it doesn’t mean they don’t know where to (attempt to) get their game on. As a service to you, they’ve assembled a guide to the Chippewa Valley’s public courts, courses, and fields. As you dribble those balls, swing those clubs, and toss those discs, think of the brave competitors from Volume One magazine.

Chippewa

SKATE PARKS

Falls

Bridgewater Avenue

A couple of places to gleam the cube.

Eau Claire YMCA Skate Park 229 Moore

St., Eau Claire • 836-8460 • $5 for general public, $3 for YMCA members • Synthetic ground cover. Nice mini-ramp and a number of ledges. Helmet required. Also check out the unlimited individual season pass.

Open April 21-Sept. 7.

Menomonie Skate Park Phelan Park at 21st Ave. E, Menomonie (south end) • 232-1664 • FREE • Huge, with plenty of features for a number of different skill levels. All concrete with some great lines and generally good flow. Includes a 7’ vert. quarter, two 6’ regular transitioned quarters, a 6’ (less steep) quarter, a small 5’ bowled corner, pyramids, more. No pad requirements.

OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPORTING AREAS

Marshall

Park

on

Eau Claire Carson Park on Carson Park Drive • Owen Park on 1st Avenue

Menomonie Phelan Park at 21st Ave. E

Bridgewater Avenue

Irvine

Park

Call ahead to bend it like Beckham.

Chippewa Falls Casper Park on Canal Street and Old Eau Claire Road

Eau Claire Bollinger Fields on Stein Boulevard • Soccer Park on Hamilton Street Menomonie Phelan Park at 21st Ave. E

HORSESHOE PITCHES Most facilities require ample amounts of easy-going-ness.

Eau Claire Carson Park on Carson Park Dr.

Bump, set, and serve up some fun.

Falls

SOCCER FIELDS

Chippewa Falls Flag Hill in Irvine Park on Bridgewater Ave.

VOLLEYBALL COURTS Chippewa

• Fowler Court Park on 4th Avenue • Wakanda Park on Pine Avenue

on

Eau Claire Carson Park on Carson Park Drive • Mount Simon Park on Addison St. • Riverview Park at 2711 Riverview Dr.

BASEBALL DIAMONDS Eau Claire Bollinger Fields on Stein Boulevard • Carson Park on Carson Park Drive • Fairfax Park at 4200 Fairfax St. • Kessler Park at 105 Walnut St. • Mt Simon Park on Addison Street • Newell Park at 122 S. Michigan St. • Zephyr Park on Shady

Menomonie Wakanda Park on Pine Ave.

DISC GOLF COURSES

Two great sports that taste great together.

Brickyard On Brickyard Road, Menomonie

• 9 holes, 1,797 feet (alt. course 3,006 feet), natural tees • A very technical course, it traverses hills, valleys and plateaus. Dual tees. 2 permanent pins per hole: yellow A pins and orange B pins. 2 practice baskets on Putting Plateau marked for putting games.

CassIE Golburg

Somewhere within these parks is what you’re looking for. For more info, call Chippewa Falls Parks & Rec., 723-3890 • Eau Claire Parks & Rec., 839-5032 • Menomonie Parks & Rec., 232-1664. Listings do not include school areas, which may or may not be open to the public.

BASKETBALL COURTS Some courts are not full. Most courts require you to “bring it.”

Chippewa

Falls

Bridgewater Avenue

Marshall

Park

on

Eau Claire Cameron Street Playground at

1601 11th St. • Demmler at 524 Putnam Dr. • Grover Heights Park at 122 Violet St. • Grover Heights Park at 122 Violet Ave. • McDonough Park at 800 McDonough St. • Mitscher Playground at 3507 Sharon Dr. • Newell Park at 122 S. Michigan St. • North River Fronts Park at 815 Forest St. • Sundet Park at 4703 Robin Rd. • Zephyr Park on Zephyr Hill Avenue

Menomonie Elmwood Park on 4th Avenue

• Fowler Court Park on 4th Avenue • Wakanda Park on Pine Avenue • Phelan Park at 21st Ave. E

TENNIS COURTS What’s with all the racquet?

A long-time Eau Claire tradition, the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament hits First Avenue near Owen Park in Eau Claire on July 10. And yes, you got next.

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > participation sports Chippewa Falls Middle School 750 Tropicana Blvd., Chippewa Falls • 18 holes, 5,107 feet, par 62, mixed tees • http://playdg.com/Chippewa • Wonderfully creative, wrapped around the school and surrounding woods. Varied elevations. Mix of open and wooded.

Delong Middle School 2000 Vine St.,

Eau Claire • 18 holes, 1,942 feet, par 54, natural tees • http://playdg.com/delong • The front 9 works its way around a track.

It works well for putting practice and is also wheelchair friendly.

Mount Simon Park Mount Simon Park on

Addison Street, Eau Claire • 9 holes, 2,165 feet, par 34, concrete tees • http://playdg. com/mtsimon/ • Six holes are sparsely wooded with few elevation changes. 3 holes are entrenched in the woods with a steep hill involved. Excellent for beginners and average players looking for a slight challenge.

Tower Ridge Park Off County Rd. L, Eau

Claire • 18 holes, 3,730 feet (alt. course 5,775 feet), par 78, concrete tees • http:// playdg.com/towerridge • Heavily wooded with many elevation changes. Long, narrow fairways provide a challenge. Dual tees. $3/day parking fee.

to read. Some elevation changes occur on the fairways. There is a lake that comes into play on one hole.

Hickory Hills Golf Course

E4080 Hickory Rd., Eau Claire • 878-4543 • 18 holes, 4,770 yards, par 66 • public • www. cvga.com/hickoryhillsgc • This course is easy to walk. Most all the small greens are elevated, and water hazards come into play on at least three different occasions. Operating Hours from Daylight to Dark, Clubhouse is open at 7am. The signature hole is #7, a 146-yard, par 3, requiring a tee shot past a pond in order to reach the green. Yowza!

Hillcrest Golf & Country Club 2333

Hillcrest Pkwy., Altoona • 832-2929 • 18 holes, 6,496 yards, par of 72 • private • www.hillcrestgolfcc.com • This wellmanicured course features tree-lined fairways. Five fairways have dogleg configurations and a creek comes into play on three holes.

Lake Hallie Golf Club 2196 110th St.,

Wakanda Park Wakanda Park on Pine

Chippewa Falls • 723-8524 • 18 holes, 5,787 yards, par 70 • public • http://www. lakehalliegolf.com • This wooded course was built on hilly terrain, so expect many uneven lies. There are trees that line many of the fairways, and the front nine is more open than the back nine.

DOG PARK

Lake Wissota Golf Course 16108 97th Ave., Chippewa Falls • (888) 382-4780 • 18 holes, 6,015 yards, par 71 • public • www.lakewissotagolf.com • This course requires many straightaway tee and approach shots to the green. Hole #3 is a long par 3 with a blind shot to a green guarded on the right by a bunker and a pond. One green is located on top of a hill.

Avenue, Menomonie • 18 holes, 5,545 feet, par 65, concrete tees • http://playdg. com/wakanda • Challenging. The course winds its way through mature trees in a beautiful park. Different elevations and a variety of tight and open holes. No dogs.

Eau Claire Dog Park (aka the Off Leash Recreation Area) intersection of Gateway

Drive and House Road • open daily till dusk • $4 per dog daily, annual passes available • www.ecdogpark.com • A facility where people may responsibly exercise their dogs without leashes. This fenced, nineacre area is open year-round on a daily basis until dusk. Also, from May through October the park has water available for your dogs.

GOLF COURSES

A number of locations to ruin a good walk.

Chippewa Valley Golf Club 2200 Crestwood Dr., Menomonie • (800) 4948987 or 235-9808 • 18 holes, 6,324 yards, par 71 • public • www.cvgolf.com • This course was designed to flow on 262 acres of maturely wooded, naturally rolling terrain with dramatic elevation changes between the tees and greens.

Eau Claire Golf & Country Club 828

Clubview Lane, Altoona • 836-8423 • 18 holes, 6,574 yards, par 71 • private • www. ecgcc.com • This hilly course features undulating greens that are challenging Volume One

36

Hot Spots 2010

Menomonie Golf & Country Club 802

Heller Rd., Menomonie • 235-3595 • 9 holes, 1,911 yards, par 30 • public • www. menomoniegolf.com • This course has either trees or water hazards in play on every hole. Watch out for the Cathedral of Pines. There is a river that flows through the center of the course and comes into play on 3 holes.

Mill Run/Wild Ridge Golf Course 3905

Kane Rd., Eau Claire // Mill Run Course • 858-7960 • 36 holes, 6,076 yards, par 70 • Public // Wild Ridge Course • 834-1766 • 36 holes, 7,034 yards, par 72 • public • www.wildridgegolf.com • This is the only 36 hole championship facility in west central Wisconsin. Mill Run’s fairways are generally flat with a mixture of open and tree-lined. The greens are mediumsized, undulating and fast. Water hazards (ponds and a creek) come into play on at least five holes. Wild Ridge offers a lot of dramatic layouts, playing through woodland knolls, glacial ridges, valleys, and meadowland creek flats. The course plays through several distinct styles, from links to parkland. Water comes into play on several holes.

Ojibwa Golf & Bowl Highway 124

hot > participation sports North, Chippewa Falls • 723-8823 • 9 holes 2,882 yards, par 35 • public • http:// www.ojibwagc.com • Close to downtown Chippewa Falls, this gorgeous course is surrounded by mature pine trees. Water hazards come into play on several holes.

The terrain is hilly and the small greens are in excellent condition. If your game is off, there’s always the bowling alley.

Pine Meadow Golf Club 4324 Fairfax Park Dr., Eau Claire • 832-6011 • 9 holes, 2,286 yards, par 54 • public • This course has small, undulating greens. The terrain is relatively flat and several trees line the fairways. There is only one water hazard on the course.

Pinewood Golf Course N4545 440th St., Menomonie • 235-2900 • 9 holes, 1,558 yards, par 29 • public • An excellent course for beginners, youth, and seniors, these greens are fairly level and virtually hazard-free, except for a few sand traps.

Princeton Valley Golf Course 2300 W. Princeton Ave., Eau Claire • 834-3334 • 9 holes, 6,640 yards, par 72 • public • http://www.princetonvalleygolfclub.com/ golf/proto/princevalleygolf • This scenic course is located in the base of a valley.

The course is tight and features water hazards on holes #5, #6, and #9.

ed, holding both indoor and outdoor tournaments in over 75 cities and with over 200,000 players and 1.7 million spectators enjoying 3-on-3 competition and family fun each year. Registration required on July 9.

Fifth Annual Chippewa Valley Firecracker Sunday, July 11 • Eau Claire County

Expo Center • Events begin at 9:30am • 5798350 • www.wors.org • One of Wisconsin’s premier off-road mountain bike races, the Firecracker’s incredible course challenges are mountain biking at its finest. Participate or enjoy from the Monster Energy Zone. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy the exciting race through Lowes Creek County Park.

2010 U.S. National Kubb Championship

Jul. 17, 9:30am-8pm • Boyd Park, 1202 Fairway Street, Eau Claire • FREE to spectate, $10/person to play • 830-0122 • 64 teams from around the nation are coming to Eau Claire (Kubb City, USA) to battle for the U.S. Championship. Kubb is a Nordic lawn game (AKA Viking Chess), once played by the Vikings. FREE admission to spectators. Food will be served. All proceeds will go to Girls on the Run Eau Claire County and refugees from Darfur Sudan. Registration ends July 9. It’s a kubbolution. Bring it!

Timber Terrace Golf Course 1117

Pumphouse Rd., Chippewa Falls • 7261500 • 9 holes, 2,900 yards, par 35 • public • http://www.timberterracegolfcourse.com • This very scenic course was built on hilly terrain, so you can expect many uneven lies. Pine trees line all the fairways and water hazards come into play on a few holes.

MISC. PARTICIPATION Other sporty stuff for you to do.

Chippewa Valley Rock-n-Roll Kickball Classic May. 28, 5-11pm; May. 29, 9am-

10pm • Cinder City Park, Altoona (1 mile East of Eau Claire on Spooner Ave.) • FREE to attend • 552-0457 • Kick-off summer with one massive Memorial Day party. Up to 24 teams will do battle, schoolyard style, as hundreds of spectators gather to eat, drink, rock out and party. More than just a tournament, this two-day event is open to the pubic and features seven bands, BBQ, beer, beanbags and a high-impact Individual Kickball Triathlon competition. See website for more info or to register. $250/ team (includes t-shirts and admission for both days).

Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Jul. 10, 8am-4pm • First Avenue, Eau Claire • $124 a team • (888) 523-3866 • The original Gus Macker Tournament was started in 1974 by Scott McNeal (alias Gus Macker) on his parents’ driveway basketball court in Lowell, Mich., with 18 friends.

Since 1987, the Macker Tour has expand-

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Hot Spots 2010

MARISA WOJCIK

>cheer SCORCHING SPECTATOR SPORTS

There’s nothing quite like the intense dugout strategizing of an Eau Claire Express game in Carson Park. Electric!

hot > spectator sports When’s the last time you got down to business and did some honest-to-God rooting? It has probably been a while, and it has probably been even longer since you root-root-rooted for the home team. You’ve probably forgotten how good it feels to jump to your feet along with hundreds of other local fans when good ol’ what’s-his-name hammers out a home run. You’ve probably forgotten how good those peanuts and hot dogs taste when you’re eating them while sitting high in the bleachers. And you’ve probably forgotten what it looks like when a whole town rallies around a small group of guys who are giving one hundred and ten percent. Well, maybe it’s time you remembered. In the next couple pages, you’ll find the home game schedules for Eau Claire’s semi-pro sports teams (along with a few other spectator events), so you’ll know exactly where and when to paint your face and hold aloft your giant foam finger. So get out there and show some pride for the hometown team. After all, if they don’t win, it’s a shame.

EAU CLAIRE CRUSH FOOTBALL All home games played at Carson Park’s football stadium • Tickets: adults $6, youth (12 and under) FREE • www.eauclairecrush.com Saturday, May 1 • 6pm • vs Kilbourn City Hawks // Saturday, May 8 • 6pm • vs Brainer MN Lumberjacks // Friday, May 28 • 7pm • vs Predators // Saturday, June 5 • 6pm • vs Dragons // Saturday, June 26 • 7pm • vs Dragons // Sunday, July 4 • 6pm • vs Stampede // Saturday, July 10 • 6pm • vs Predators // Saturday, July 17 • 6pm • vs Spartans.

Monday, June 7 • 6:35 pm • vs Wisconsin Woodchucks // Wednesday, June 9 • 6:35 pm • vs Madison Mallards // Thursday, June 10 • 6:35pm • vs Madison Mallards // Thursday, June 17 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Woodchucks // Friday, June 18 • vs Green Bay Bullfrogs // Saturday, June 19 • 6:35pm • vs Green Bay Bullfrogs // Sunday, June 20 • 6:05pm • vs Green Bay Bullfrog // Friday, June 25 • 6:35 pm • vs Madison Mallards // Saturday, June 26 • 6:35pm • vs Madison Mallards // Sunday, June 27 • 6:05pm • vs Madison Mallards // Tuesday, June 29 • 6:35pm • vs La Crosse Loggers // Thursday, July 1 • 6:35pm • vs La Crosse Loggers // Friday, July 2 • 6:35pm • vs Waterloo Bucks // Saturday, July 3 • 6:35pm • vs Waterloo Bucks // Sunday, July 4 • 6:05pm

• vs Waterloo Bucks // Tuesday, July 6 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Rapid Rafters // Wednesday, July 7 • 6:35pm • vs Green Bay Bullfrogs // Thursday, July 8 • 6:35pm • vs Green Bay Bullfrogs // Tuesday, July 13 • 6:35pm • vs La Crosse Loggers // Friday, July 16 • 6:35pm • vs Battle Creek Bombers // Saturday, July 17 • 6:35pm • vs Battle Creek Bombers // Sunday, July 18 • 6:05pm • vs Battle Creek Bombers // Tuesday, July 20 • 12pm • NWL All-Star Game & Home Run Derby // Sunday, July 25 • 6:05pm • vs Wisconsin Rapids Rafter // Wednesday, July 28 • 6:35pm • Waterloo Bucks // Thursday, July 29 • 6:35pm • vs Waterloo Bucks // Saturday, July 31 • 6:35pm • vs La Crosse Loggers // Monday, August 2 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Woodchucks // Tuesday, August 3 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Woodchucks // Sunday, August 8 • 6:05pm • Wisconsin Woodchucks // Monday, August 9 • 6:35pm • vs Battle Creek Bombers // Tuesday, August 10 • 6:35pm • vs Battle Creek Bombers // Thursday, August 12 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Rapid Rafters // Tuesday, August 17 • 12pm • Divisional Playoff TBD // Wednesday, August 18 • 12pm • Divisional Playoffs TBD // Thursday, August 19 • 12pm • Divisional Playoffs TBD // Friday, August 20 • 12pm • Championship Series TBD // Saturday, August 21 • 12pm • Championship Series TBD // Sunday, August 22 • 12pm • Championship Series TBD

CAVALIERS BASEBALL All home games played at Carson Park’s baseball stadium • 838-9222 or 834-3520 • Tickets: adults $3, students (18 and under) $1, children (5 and under) free, family specials and season tickets available • www. eauclairecavaliers.org ANDREA PAULSETH

CHIPPEWA VALLEY PREDATORS FOOTBALL All home games played at Carson Park’s football stadium • Tickets: adults $6, youth free, season tickets available • www.chippewavalleypredatorsfootball.com Saturday, May 15 • 6pm • vs South Metro Dragons // Friday, May 28 • 7pm • vs Crush // Saturday, June 5 • 4pm • vs Central Wisconsin Spartans // Saturday, June 12 • 6pm • vs St. Paul Pioneers // Saturday, June 26 • 6pm • vs Central Wisconsin Spartans // Saturday, July 10 • TBD • vs E.C. Crush // Saturday, July 17 • TBD • vs South Metro Dragons

EAU CLAIRE EXPRESS BASEBALL Home games played at Carson Park’s stadium • 839-7788 • Tickets: general admission $5, special fan deck and season tickets available • www.eauclaireexpress.com

Thursday, June 3 • 6:35pm • vs La Crosse Loggers // Friday, June 4 • 6:35pm • vs Wisconsin Rapid Rafters // Saturday, June 5 • 6:35pm • vs Winsconsin Rapid Raffter //

Practicing hard all summer long, the Eau Claire Crush provide the general public with hard-hitting amateur football action. They hope to make a big impact this season.

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hot > spectator sports Sunday, May 30 • 1pm • vs. Bangor (DH) // Monday, May 31 • 1 pm • vs Eau Claire Bears // Saturday, June 12 • 4pm • vs Lombard Orioles (DH) // Sunday, June 13 • 12pm • vs Lombard Orioles (DH) // Tuesday, June 22 • 7:30pm • vs Sparta Millers // Thursday, June 24 • 7:30pm • Red Wing // Sunday, June 27 • 10am • vs Sheboygan (DH) // Wednesday, June 30 • 7:30pm • vs East Side Merchants // Saturday, June 3 • 12:30pm • vs Austin Blue Sox // Monday, July 12 • 7:30 pm • vs East Side Merchants // Thursday, July 15 • 7:30 pm • vs Rochester Royals // Wednesday, July 21 • 7:30 pm • vs Chaseburg Coon Valley // Thursday, July 22 • 7:30pm • vs Exeland Braves // Friday, July 23 • 7:30pm • vs East Side Merchants // Saturday, July 24 • 5pm • vs Manitowoc (DH) // Sunday, July 25 • 10am • vs Manitowoc (DH) // Monday, July 26 • 7:30pm • vs Marshfield // Tuesday, July 27 • 7:30pm • vs Menomonie Eagles // Friday, July 30 • 7:30pm • vs Sparta Millers (40th Season Reunion Weekend) // Saturday, July 31 • 12:30pm • vs Hastings Hawks (40th Season Reunion Weekend) // Thursday, August 5 • 7:30pm • vs Eau Claire Bears // Friday, August 6 • 7:30pm • vs Plover // Wednesday, August 11 • 7:30pm • vs Osseo Merchants

MISCELLANEOUS Ski Sprites Sundays and Wednesdays, June through Labor Day • Lake Altoona Beach • 6:30pm • $3 parking fee • 726-0502 • www.skisprites.com • A thrilling waterski performance with music and costumes is a treat for all age groups.

Chippewa Valley Rock-n-Roll Kickball Classic May. 28, 5-11pm; May. 29, 9am-

10pm • Cinder City Park, Altoona (1 mile East of Eau Claire on Spooner Ave.) • FREE to attend • 552-0457 • Kick-off summer with one massive Memorial Day party. Up to 24 teams will do battle, schoolyard style, as hundreds of spectators gather to eat, drink, rock out and party. More than just a tournament, this two-day event is open to the pubic and features seven bands, BBQ, beer, beanbags and a high-impact Individual Kickball Triathlon competition. See website for more info or to register. $250/ team (includes t-shirts and admission for both days).

Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Jul. 10, 8am-4pm • First Avenue, Eau Claire • $124 a team • (888) 523-3866 • The original Gus Macker Tournament was started in 1974 by Scott McNeal (alias Gus Macker) on his parents’ driveway basketball court in Lowell, Mich., with 18 friends.

Since 1987, the Macker Tour has expand-

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ed, holding both indoor and outdoor tournaments in over 75 cities and with over 200,000 players and 1.7 million spectators enjoying 3-on-3 competition and family fun each year. Registration required on July 9.

Fifth Annual Chippewa Valley Firecracker Sunday, July 11 • Eau Claire County

Expo Center • Events begin at 9:30am • 5798350 • www.wors.org • One of Wisconsin’s premier off-road mountain bike races, the Firecracker’s incredible course challenges are mountain biking at its finest. Participate or enjoy from the Monster Energy Zone. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy the race through Lowes Creek County Park.

2010 U.S. National Kubb Championship

Jul. 17, 9:30am-8pm • Boyd Park, 1202 Fairway Street, Eau Claire • FREE to spectate, $10/person to play • 830-0122 • 64 teams from around the nation are coming to Eau Claire (Kubb City, USA) to battle for the U.S. Championship. Kubb is a Nordic lawn game (AKA Viking Chess), once played by the Vikings. FREE admission to spectators. Food will be served. All proceeds will go to Girls on the Run Eau Claire County and refugees from Darfur Sudan. Registration ends July 9. It’s a kubbolution. Bring it!

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ANDREA PAULSETH

>look ahead SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

The Shrine Circus brings a big top’s worth of circus amazement to Eau Claire on June 15-16 and Menomonie on June 17.

hot > events & happenings Summer in the valley has never been hotter – there’s more to do than ever.

Here’s a broad look at some of the big events happening in the Chippewa Valley this summer. For the most up-to-date listings and day-to-day event information, pick up a regular issue of Volume One or visit VolumeOne.org. All events are subject to change (and some are weather-permitting); call ahead for details.

MAY EVENTS Planting Flowers with Community Beautification Association May. 20, 6-7pm • Phoenix Park Sign Garden,

Corner of Barstow Street and RiverFront Terrace, Eau Claire • FREE • 834-7125 • CBA is looking for volunteers to help plant annuals at the Phoenix Park sign garden. All materials and tools will be provided.CBA plans, develops, plants and maintains floral plantings at various locations in the city of Eau Claire. Our main purpose is to enhance the beauty of our community and involve volunteers in the process.

Don’t Talk While I’m Talking May. 21, 6pm and 8pm •

The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 838-8877 • www.ecct.org Join award-winning ventriloquist Nate Plummer and his crazy cast of characters presenting two shows – one for the whole family (6pm) and one rated PG-13 (8pm) - in this benefit for ECCT Building Fund.

Eastside Hill Annual Neighborhood-wide Thrift Sale

models of muscle car. Entire MCR staff present to discuss restoration techniques and tips. We encourage everyone to bring their classic car for the car meet held around the facility perimeter. Complimentary grilled lunch and beverages.

2nd Annual Wood Tick Races May. 22, 1-5pm • Red

Zone Sports Bar, 2071 S. Praire View Rd, Lake Hallie • FREE • 21+ • 726-3030 • Sign up at 1pm - Starts @ 2pm.

Bring your own tick or available for purchase $1.

Fighting Bob Fest Northfest May. 22, 2-7pm • North-

ern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • $10 suggested donation, $10 dinner ticket in advance ($12 at door) • 839-0039 • Fighting Bob Fest Northfest is a fundraiser for progressive coalition-building featuring an afternoon of entertainment and community-building, bringing together exciting music (including The Jones Tones, Left Wing Bourbon, and the Evergreen Grass Band), hand-crafted food, progressive voices, and funloving people from around the region.

May. 22, • Houses in the Eastside Hill neighborhood, Eau Claire • Any and all Eastside Hill residents are invited to participate in the sale. As well as being available online, maps will be printed and distributed during the sale. If you’re not an Eastside Hill resident and you’re looking to do some shopping, check out the website and plan your route. For more info contact sale@eastsidehill.com.

Spartacus Caged Combat V May. 22, 5pm-midnight •

Bird Walks May. 22, 6:30am • Lowe’s Creek Park, Eau Claire • FREE • 877-2212 • Beaver Creek Reserve Bird Club will host bird walks this spring around the Chippewa Valley. The walks are open to bird watchers of all abilities.

The morning hikes begin at 6:30am. Hikers are to meet at the site and wear comfortable clothing. Don’t forget your binoculars and field guides. County Park sticker required.

Backyard Brawl: La Crosse Skating Sirens vs. Chippewa Valley Roller Girls May. 22, 7pm • The La Crosse

Plant Flowers with the Community Beautification Association May. 22, 8-11am • Corners of Hwy 12/53, Meet

in Milwaukee Burger Co parking lot, Eau Claire • FREE • 834-7125 • The Community Beatification (CBA) is looking for volunteers to help plant the community flower gardens at the intersection of Clairemont Ave & Business Hwy 53. All materials and tools will be provided, along with snacks and a t-shirt for participants. If interested in volunteering as an individual or group, email us at info@ cbaec.com or contact Rosemary Bounds at 834-7125.

Exploring the Beaver’s World May. 22, 9:30-11:30am •

Wise Nature Center, Beaver Creek Reserve, S1 Cty Rd. K, Fall Creek • $8 adult, $5 child; members: $5, child $2 • 877-2212 • beavercreekreserve.org/naturecenter.htm More than any other wild animal, the beaver is responsible for helping shape the development of the Midwest.

Join in us for a fascinating program on this amazing animal. We’ll learn about the biology and special adaptations of the beaver and its role in human history and head to a local beaver dam to take a first-hand look at their engineering skills.

Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire Every Saturday from May. 22 to Jun. 20, 10am-6pm; Every Sunday from May. 23 to Jun. 20, 10am-6pm • 117th St., Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin • $15 adults, $5 ages 5-12, $13 ages 65+, FREE ages under four/active military & spouse with ID • 723-9999 • Come join the Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire here in Wisconsin, and live out your fantasy of being the knight in shining armor, a damsel in distress, a dashing pirate, a naughty wench or a romancing bard. Part craft fair, part historical reenactment, part performance art, take yourself back 400 years and enjoy the sounds, sights and activities of the renaissance.

Muscle Car Restorations Open house May. 22, 10am2pm • Open house, 11371 20th Ave, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 834-2223 Ext 109 • Large number of completed and in-process restorations covering many makes and

The Garrison MMA/Banbury Place, 800 Wisconsin Ave., Eau Claire • $25, $15 in advance • (612) 310-6450 • We will be holding the 5th installment of Spartacus on May 22nd at The Garrison MMA academy. Doors open at 5 and beer will be served from 5 to midnight, however, the event is open to all ages.

Center, 300 Harborview Plaza, La Crosse • tickets start at $7 • 608-789-7400 • The local roller derby team, the Chippewa Valley Roller Girls combat the La Crosse Skating Sirens for a bout of speed, brawn and accident recovery. Doors at 6pm. La Crosse pop rockers Gun Barrel City perform at halftime.

HIGH FIVE

MUST-SEE SUMMER EVENTS

1

CHIPPEWA VALLEY RENAISSANCE FAIRE May 22-June 20 • 117th St, Chip Falls

Come join the Chippewa Valley Renaissance Faire and immerse yourself in this Elizabethan/ Shakespearean-era festival. Part craft fair, part historical reenactment, part performance art, take yourself back 400 years and enjoy the sounds, sights, and activities of the renaissance.

2

OPEN AIR FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS June 12-13 • Phoenix Park, Eau Claire

Eau Claire’s fantastic arts festival features over 100 artists selling their works, food vendors, belly dancers, children activities, music all day, Saturday morning farmers market, and a lot more. This is the first year in which OAFA will be held across two days.

3

FATFAR

4

US NATIONAL KUBB CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20 • Chippewa River

Often hailed as the world’s largest one-day tubing event, the Frenchtown’s Annual Tube Float & Regalia is always on the third Sunday of June and features hundreds of people floating down the Chippewa River relaxing or partying.

Loopy’s provides tube, kayak, canoe, cooler, and lifejacket rentals and shuttles upstream.

Sierra Century Bike Tour May. 23, 7am • Beaver Creek Reserve, S1 County Road K • $22, $17 before May 15, $15 each for 4+ people before May 15, $10 t-shirt • 726-1446 • Bike 12, 30, 60, 80 or 100 miles through rolling hills on lightly traveled roads. Decide as you ride; set your own pace. Start any time 7-10am, though 100 mi riders are expected to start by 8am.

Sue Orfield Band Presents: Brian Bethke May. 27, 6:30-9:30pm • Red Parrot Nightclub & Lounge, 1700 S. Hastings Way, Eau Claire • $2 • 21+ • 832-6431 • Brian Bethke, a local singer-songwriting icon, will be performing songs off his brand new release, The River, and The Sue Orfield Band will be backing him up. Don’t miss the last show in this adventurous series of musical collaborations.

Chippewa Valley Rock-n-Roll Kickball Classic May. 28,

5-11pm; May. 29, 9am-10pm • Cinder City Park, Altoona (1 mile East of Eau Claire on Spooner Ave.) • FREE to attend • 552-0457 • Kick-off summer with one massive Memorial Day party. Up to 24 teams will do battle, schoolyard style, as hundreds of spectators gather to eat, drink, rock out and party. More than just a tournament, this two-day event is open to the pubic and features seven bands, BBQ, beer, beanbags and a high-impact Individual Kickball Triathlon competition. See website for more info or to register. $250/team (includes t-shirts and admission for both days).

Bird Walks May. 1, 6:30am; May. 29, 6:30am • Beaver Creek Reserve, S1 County Road K • FREE • (715) 8772212 • Beaver Creek Reserve Bird Club will host bird walks this spring around the Chippewa Valley. The walks are open to bird watchers of all abilities. The morning hikes begin at 6:30 a.m. Hikers are to meet at the site and wear comfortable clothing. Don’t forget your binoculars and field guides.

Cat Show May. 29, 9am-4pm; May. 30, 9am-4pm • RaVolume One

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July 17 • Boyd Park, Eau Claire

With 64 teams from around the nation coming to Eau Claire to compete, this tournament is among the biggest in the nation. Kubb, a yard game born in Sweden and popular in Nordic countries, is an activity growing with fans and competitors, especially right here in Wisconsin.

5

ROCK FEST July 15-18 • north of Cadott

This four-day event brings national and international rock bands to the Chippewa Valley.

Enjoy great food and music while camping in one of the 8,000 campsites just walking distance from the concert area. The 2010 lineup includes Limp Bizkit, Alice in Chains, John Mellencamp, Collective Soul, 3 Doors Down, Drowning Pool, Gavin Rossdale (of Bush fame), and many more.

hot > events & happenings MARISA WOJCIK

Hundreds of people race in the annual RCU Charity Classic, this year slated for June 26 and once again benefitting Feed My People Food Bank. mada Convention Center, 205 South Barstow, Eau Claire • $3 adults, $2 With donation of pet food for St • 836-0092 • The Chippewa Valley Cat Club and the Central Wisconsin Cat Club are co-sponsoring the first annual Pedigree and Household Pet Cat Show in the Chippewa Valley.

Come and see exotic cat breeds, shop for cat themed merchandise, enter the photo contest, and participate in scheduled presentations.

Shawndell Marks May. 29, 7:30-9:30pm • Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater, 205 Main St. E • $12 adults, $10 seniors/students, $6 kids under 12 • 235-0001 Ext 2 • www. mabeltainter.com Remnants of Crazy, her debut album from September 2005, is a collective collaboration with her band members and a few guest musicians which explores the spectrum of human emotion, from loss and grief to the challenges of intimate relationships.

The Daredevil Christopher Wright/Peter Wolf Crier

May. 30, 7-10pm • Grand Little Theater, 102 W. Grand Ave, Eau Claire • $5 • 832-PLAY • Daredevil is working up new music stuff. Peter Wolf Crier is the latest Eau Claire related band to sign to Jagjaguwar featuring Brian Moen of Laarks and Peter Pisano formerly of The Wars of 1812. Catch them before both bands hit the road in June, not together physically but the spirit, oh the spirit.

JUNE EVENTS Music in the Park 2010: John & Kathy Turba Jun. 1,

6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 831-0775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Left Wing Bourbon Jun. 1, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 577-4197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Fall For Glory (Tour Kickoff Show) + Purge the Woods + Number 9 Hard + Defenestrator Jun. 1, 9pm • Eau Claire House of Rock, 422 Water St. • $5 • 21+ • 8380158 • www.house-of-rock.com Local punk rockers Fall For Glory kick off their first regional tour tonight at the House of Rock, accompanied by local grindcore band Purge the Woods, Milwaukee punk band Number 9 Hard and the new local metal band Defenestrator, featuring Joe from Flags Will Cover the Coffins. Doors open at 8pm.

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52nd Annual Eleva Broiler Festival Every Day from

Jun. 4 to Jun. 6, 9am-10pm • Downtown Eleva • FREE • 287-4422 • 52nd annual fest with live music and famous charcoal chicken and refreshments all three days. Other activities include a hot rod burn out, volleyball tournament, kiddie parade, old timer’s parade and tractor pull, and a grand parade on Sunday afternoon. New Museum will be open all days of event, as well as an ice cream social on Sunday.

Cornell Community Fair Every Day from Jun. 4 to Jun. 6, 9am-10pm • Mill Yard Park, Cornell • FREE • 239-3965 • Carnival rides, garden tractor pull, live music, entertainment, Sawdust Hunt (for kids), Little League softball tournament, and raffle. Food includes Lion’s Club charcoal chicken, United Way hot beef dinner, and pancake breakfast. Sunday: parade at noon (starts on south end of Main St. and ends in the park). Call for actual event hours.

Reach Foundation Golf Outing Jun. 4, 11am-7pm •

Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Rd. • $75 • 552-2763 • www.cvga.com/hickoryhillsgc/ A day of golfing to benefit the Reach Foundation, which works with adults and children with disabilities. Registration begins at 11am. Entry fee includes 18 holes of golf, 2 carts per 5 person team, a registration gift, buffet dinner catered by Famous Dave’s, door prizes, and contests on select holes.

The tournament begins at 1pm with a shotgun start.

Park Art Fair Jun. 4, 5-8pm; Jun. 5, 10am-4pm • Mary

Park, New Richmond • FREE • The first Saturday in June brings thousands of visitors to New Richmond for a festive day at scenic Mary Park. Artists and crafts people - 175 in all - display and sell their wares under colorful awnings and tents. Food and entertainment are on-going.

Willow River Blues & Brews Fest Jun. 4, 5-11pm; Jun. 5,

1-11pm • Mary Park, New Richmond • $15 for brew sampling tickets • 246-2900 • Friday: Lisa Wenger Band (5 pm) and Corey Stevens (8 pm). Saturday: Steven Meyer and the Blues Dogs (1 pm), Jess and Zeb (4 pm), Pete Neuman & The Real Deal (6:30 pm), and Brandon Scott Sellner (9 pm) No cover charge. Brew Sampling from brewers around the Midwest! (Sat. 4-7 pm). The 42nd Annual Park Art Fair runs simultaneously in Mary Park.

2010 Jubilee Jun. 4, 6-10pm • The Florian Gardens, 2340 Lorch Ave • 832-2787 • Save the Date for 2010 Jubilee. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner and an elegant event of music, arts, auctions and fun to benefit the Eau Claire

Regional Arts Center.

Wisconsin’s Free Fishing Weekend Jun. 5, 1am • throughout the state • FREE • all ages • Every year, the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday in June is designated as Free Fishing Weekend throughout the state. All the waters are open, including state waters of the Great Lakes and rivers bordering Wisconsin. Residents and nonresidents of all ages can fish without a fishing license (or trout or salmon stamps) over these two days. However, all other fishing regulations (length limits, bag limits, etc.) apply.

My Place Fishing Tournament Jun. 5, 6am-8pm • My

Place, 408 Galloway St • 835-5483 • A fishing competition off the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers. Call or visit My Place for details.

Good Neighbor Days Race Jun. 5, 8:15am • 2211 Vine St., Roberts • 386-1616 • A 5k and 10k race.

Colfax Kidz Triathlon Jun. 5, 9am • Anytime Fitness, 225

Bremer Avenue, Colfax • ages 5-6, 7-12 • 962-3005 • Run/ walk plus obstacles and biking.

Durand Fun Fest Every Day from Jun. 5 to Jun. 8, 9am-

10pm • Memorial Park, Durand • 672-4295 • The 47th Annual Durand Fun Fest features music and fun for everyone. Weekend activities include the Little Miss and Mr. Durand Pageant, lunch and entertainment for seniors, bowling, beer garden, three legged races, classic car cruise (high school parking lots), show choir and band performances, fishing contest, basketball, and motorcycle cruise plus a lot more. Make sure to call for actual event times.

National Trails Day Jun. 5, 9am • Red Cedar State Trail,

Menomonie • 235-9087 • Enjoy planned educational outdoor activities, or just bike the trail. All trail fees are waived for the day.

Mousetrap Spring Swing Jun. 5, 10:30am-3:30pm •

Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Rd. • 8328418 Mouse; 878-4543 HHGC • www.cvga.com/hickoryhillsgc/ Sign your 4-person team up for the 3rd annual Spring Swing golf outing. Play 18 holes at Hickory Hills, then head down to the Mousetrap for some liquid awesomeness.

Chippewa Valley Air Show Jun. 5, noon-5pm • Chippe-

wa Valley Regional Airport, 3800 Starr Ave., Eau Claire • $17 advance, $25 gate, 12 and under FREE • all ages • The U.S. NAVY BLUE ANGELS flight demonstration team will be here to amaze and entertain us along with a long list of other Military & Non-Military acts and ground displays.

Riding for Reason Pre-Registration Party Jun. 5, 5-7pm

• Sport Motors Harley Davidson, 2452 Hallie Road, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 720-6023 • 2nd annual Riding for Reason pre-registration party. Food provided by Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe. Music provided by Dewey’s Roadhouse and DJ Erik Foiles. Look forward to test Rides, specials, and surprises!

Frozen Tundra + TBA Jun. 5, 9pm • Eau Claire House of Rock, 422 Water St. • $5 • 21+ • 838-0158 • www.houseof-rock.com Local hip hop group Frozen Tundra takes the stage with friends TBA. June Dairy Breakfast - Cadott Jun. 6, 8am-noon • Cadott

Elementary School, 463 Mill St. • 289-3795 • This is sponsored by the Cadott FFA Alumni. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and coffee.

The Singing Bus Driver: Steve Szydel & Boss Doris Jun.

6, 1-4:30pm; Aug. 8, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish. com/ Playing “Kountry Klassics”, songs made famous

by Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, John Denver, and Kenny Rogers. Pondside fishing noon-6pm and hobo chefin’ with shorelunch 1-6pm.

Co-ed Kickball Tournament Jun. 6, 5pm; Jun. 7, 5pm • Fox Run, 1515 S 65th Ave • 835-6489 • Support the Community table through a fun game of kickball. Form a team and enter; $100 team entry fee with 75% payback (25% proceeds to The Community Table). Double Elimination June 6-7. Min. 8 people per team. Must have equal men and women or more women. Standard softball rules apply. Registration required, deadline: Jun. 5.

Music in the Park 2010: Steve & Doris Szydel Jun. 8, 6-8pm; Jun. 29, 6-8pm; Jul. 27, 6-8pm; Aug. 24, 6-8pm; Volume One

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hot > events & happenings HANNA AGAR

Eau Claire’s Carson Park hosts Festival in the Pines Saturday, August 28, to be chock full of arts and crafts exhibitors, food, games, and more.

Aug. 31, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: The Pumps Jun. 8,

6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Lake Wissota Lions 9th Annual Golf Classic Jun. 9, • Whispering Pines Golf Course, 15 miles east of Eau Claire, Wisconsin on Highway 29 or 1 1/2 miles west of Cadott on County Trunk X • gspindler@shec.hshs.org • 717-3915 • Work on that slice.

United Way Fourth Annual Free Community Picnic

Jun. 9, 4:30-7pm • Dunn County Recreation Park (Fairgrounds), Menomonie • FREE • 235-3800 • Free food, lots of carnival events for kids, drawings for door prizes, a petting zoo, a DJ and a chance to learn about United Way’s partner agencies.

Dive-In Movie Jun. 9, 9pm; Jul. 27, 9pm • Fairfax Pool, 4200 Fairfax St. • $3.75 or season pass • 839-1680 • Head to the pool and watch a movie on the big screen while you sit or float in the shallow area.

Shoeless Revolution + Roster McCabe + Eric Som-

mer Jun. 9, 9pm • Eau Claire House of Rock, 422 Water St. • $5 • 21+ • 838-0158 • www.house-of-rock.com Shoeless Revolution has a three-piece horn section and a cross-pollination of upbeat musical styles. Roster McCabe combinines skanky reggae with drippy funk and rock instrumentation. Eric Sommer plays rootsty, highenergy fingerstyle acoustic and electric guitar.

Bluebird Festival Jun. 10, 11:30am-2pm • Hickory Hills

Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Rd. • 877-2212 (BCR) • www.cvga.com/hickoryhillsgc/ Presented by Beaver Creek Reserve, learn about one of western Wisconsin’s stunning songbirds - the Eastern Bluebird. This festival features educational tibits about the bluebird and handson opportunity to build nest boxes and to the Hickory Hills Golf Course bluebird trail.

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Hallie Fastpitch Frenzy Every Day from Jun. 11 to Jun.

13 • Hallie Park, Lake Hallie • $275/team • Girls fastpitch softball tournament. Three age groups: 10U, 12U, 14U. Guaranteed four games. Format is pool play with single elimination and consolation bracket. Full concessions.

Breakfast in the Valley Jun. 11, 5-10am • Eau Claire

County Expo Center, 5530 Fairview Drive • adults $5, children $2 (12 and younger) • 834-1204 • www. eauclaire-expo.com Serving scrambled eggs with ham, cheese, mushrooms, and onions, Mega muffins, Gordy’s cheese, Hahn’s cheese curds, milk, orange juice, and coffee plus milk drinking and cow milking contests with local celebrities, door prize drawings, petting zoo and a lo tmore.

Annual Spring Garden Sale Jun. 11, 11am-7pm; Jun. 12,

8am-5pm • Fine Arts Building, Northern WI State Fairgrounds • 726-7937 (Carrie) • Featuring annuals, perennials, mulch, demonstration seminars by UW-Extension & Master Gardeners, pots, garden decor, silent auction, drawings, a kids activity center, food and drinks.

Live in the Vineyard Concert Series: Walk/Klenz Sextet

Jun. 11, 5:30pm; Sep. 10, 5:30pm • River Bend Vineyard & Winery, 10439 33rd Avenue • FREE • all ages • (715) 720-9463 • www.riverbendvineyard.com River Bend Vineyard & Winery’s outdoor series presents a fixture of Eau Claire’s jazz scene. The Sextet consists of some of the most prolific musicians in the Chippewa Valley today.

Led by trumpeter Jeff Walk and vocalist Adrian Klenz, The Sextet is a powerhouse group that plays original compositions, classic and mainstream jazz, and everything in between.

Stacker City Rodeo Jun. 11, 5:30pm; Jun. 12, 7am; Jun.

13, 7am • 2 miles east of Hwy 27 on Cty Rd. W., Holcombe, WI • $8 in advance, $10 at the gate, $5 Friday only, $20 three days camping • 312-0003, 312-0038 • This three day rodeo event begins with a Friday night kickoff party with novice barrel racing and a round of mutton bustin’ (children’s sheep riding), calf scramble and a DJ followed by exciting rodeo events Saturday and Sunday.

Events include bull riding, saddle and bareback bronc, barrel racing, team roping plus several special events.

Campsites available.

Joining the Circle Dance Camp/Duck for the Oyster

Jun. 11, 5:45pm; Jun. 12, 5:45pm; Jun. 13, 3pm; Jun. 13, 5:45pm • Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary, N2384 Hunt Hill Road, Sarona • $120 adults, $90 kids under 16 In Advance: $120 adults, $90 kids under 16 • 879-4027 • Festive evening contra/square/circle dances, daytime dance and music workshops, wonderful kids’ activities, delicious meals, and a terrific sense of community await you at this camp, set in beautiful natural surroundings. Dormstyle lodging or camping is available. Several workshops available. Registration due by May 8.

CSI @ the Library Jun. 11, 6-8pm • L.E. Phillips Memo-

rial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St • teens • 839-1648 • www.ecpubliclibrary.info Help solve a mystery at the library. Registration required.

Relay for Life: Carnival for a Cure Jun. 11, 6pm-9am •

Carson Park, Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • Carnival and dinner cost: $4 adults, $2 kids 12 and under • 832-4233 • Friday night activities include an opening ceremony with a survivor speaker and a victory lap (6pm), followed by a chicken dinner (6:30pm). Later that night, there will be the Luminaria Ceremony (10pm) honoring those who are battling cancer or those who have died of cancer, followed by silent laps. Live music, karate demonstration, pie and ice cream social, silent auction and many other activities.

See website for full details.

Spectrum Shuffle Jun. 12, 8am • 2000 Spooner Ave., Al-

toona • Pre-registration fee is $15, after May 21 fee is $20 • 835-7602 • The Spectrum Shuffle is a short run/walk held as part of Cinder City Days in Altoona, sponsored

by Altoona Lions.

4th Annual Open Air Festival of the Arts Jun. 12, 9am5pm; Jun. 13, 10am-3pm • Phoenix Park, Downtown Eau Claire • artists@ecoafa.org • 835-4911 or 651-497-4699 • Local and regional artists will be displaying and selling their original fine art in beautiful downtown Eau Clair.e Enjoy two days of art, live music and fresh food, plus a juried fine art festival, belly dancers, the Eau Claire farmers market and children’s activities.

2010 Urban Living Tour Jun. 12, 11am-4pm • Downtown

Eau Claire, Downtown, Eau Claire • $5 in advance • 8394914 • DECI is proud to present the First Annual Urban Living Tour during the Open Air Festival of the Arts.

Tickets will be available for pre-sale at DECI offices and participating businesses starting May 1. Tickets will also be available at the DECI Booth at the Open Air Festival of the Arts on the day of the event.

Lake Eau Claire Clear Water Triathlon & Picnic Jun. 12, 2:30pm • C & G Hide Away, E19986 Cty. Rd. ND, Augusta, WI 54722 • $25 adults, $15 kids under 12 • 379-0020 • This is a non-timed 2.5 mile walk/run, 1 mile paddle and 8 mile bike ride. Entry fee includes the triathlon, t-shirt, food, beverage, music, and theme basket silent auction.

All proceeds go towards water quality improvement projects at Lake Eau Claire. Registration required, deadline: Jun. 12.

6th Annual Truck and Super Farm Tractor Pull Jun. 12, 6pm • Chapman Park, Stanley • 703-0989 (John) • Weigh-in at 5pm with pull starting at 6pm.

American Cancer Society Relay for Life Jun. 12, 6pm8am • Chapman Park, Stanley • 644-4833 • American Cancer Society Relay for Life held at Chapman Park.

Parade of Homes Every Day from Jun. 14 to Jun. 18,

5-9pm; Every Day from Jun. 12 to Jun. 13, 11am-5pm; Every Day from Jun. 19 to Jun. 20, 11am-5pm • Various locations; see contact info for details • $7 adults, children 12 & under FREE • 835-2526 • The Annual Chippewa Valley Parade of Homes tours and features multiple homes across the Chippewa Valley including Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, and Menomonie.

Eau Claire Triathlon Jun. 13, 10am • Carson Park, Car-

son Park Dr., Eau Claire • $55 • 271-4548 • This is the first annual Eau Claire Triathlon! We will be hosting a sprint-distance triathlon, starting with the 500m swim at Half-Moon beach, the 18 mi bike/3.1 mi run starting out of the Luther Hospital parking lot and going through Carson Park and Eau Claire’s west side.

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hot > events & happenings ALS Walk & Wheel-a-Thon Jun. 13, 11:30am-4:30pm • Irvine Park Main Pavilion, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 271-7257 • This event benefits the local families, friends, and patients affected by ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Registration begins at 11am; free picnic at 11:30. At 1:15pm walk begisn, played on by trumpet players and high school musicians.

Check out the silent auction and get a t-shirt. Get involved or get a pledge sheet, call or email Deb Erickson (ericksonda@charter.net).

drinks, live music and socializing for a great cause. This is a fun-raising picnic for the Community Foundation of Chippewa County. RSVP by June 7.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Blues Dogs Jun. 15, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Bugs Be Gone Jun. 14, 4-5:30pm • Path to Health Mas-

Chippewa Falls June Dairy Day Jun. 16, 5pm • Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • $5 • 723-0331 • A delicious charcoaled chicken dinner for Chippewa County Farmer’s Appreciation.

Flag Day Ceremony Jun. 14, 4pm • American Legion

Megafaun + Snifter + TBA Jun. 16, 7pm • Eau Claire House of Rock, 422 Water St. • $8 • 21+ • 838-0158 • www.house-of-rock.com Megafaun features former members of DeYarmond Edison, playing loose, gritty folk rock. Snifter is a local experimental noise/pop trio. Doors open at 6pm.

sage and Wellness Center, 310 S. Barstow St. • 852-0577 • www.pathtohealthmassage.com/ Make your own nontoxic bug spray to keep away pesky critters while sparing your health and the environment.

Post 77, 12 East Spring Street, Chippewa Falls • wrsather@charter.net • 723-2132 • Flag Day Ceremony sponsored by the American Legion Post 77 and co-sponsored by the Chippewa Falls Elks Lodge 1326. There will be music and refreshments following the ceremony.

Music on the Mall: Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max Jun. 14, 7pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • One of the most versatile groups around, Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max is a Western Wisconsin rock blues band that performs all over the Midwest region.

JA Youth Skills Challenge with The First Tee Jun. 15,

4-8pm • Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Rd. • $10 • ages 7-15 • 835-5566 Ext 26 • www.cvga.com/ hickoryhillsgc/ Compete in friendly chipping, driving, and putting competitions! Youth will receive FREE food, frozen custard, course fees, and golf instruction. No experience necessary. Registration required, deadline: Jun. 7.

Wine and Dine at Irvine for a Great Cause Jun. 15, 5:308:30pm • Irvine Park, Bridgewater Avenue • $100/person, $85 is tax-deductible • 723-8125 • Enjoy great foods and

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Eau Claire Shrine Circus June 15-16 • Carson Park • 11am and 7:30pm • 835-1501 • www.shrinecircusinfo. com • This annual summer circus features clowns, animals, and other acts.

Menomonie Shrine Circus June 17 • Dunn County Rec Park • 3 and 7:30pm • 835-1501 • www.shrinecircusinfo. com • This annual summer circus features clowns, animals, and other acts.

Kids Wii Gaming Day Jun. 17, 10:30am-12:30pm; Jun.

17, 2-4pm • Chippewa Falls Public Library, 105 W Central St • ages 5-12 • (715) 723-1146 • The library is offering the use of its Wii gaming devices to children. Come prepared to use a balance board to play some 3-D games, play some neighborhood games and many others. Children can play in groups or by themselves. Everyone will have an opportunity to play if they want to. There will be prizes.

Nature Valley Grand Prix: Menomonie Area Bike Festival Jun. 19, • Main Street, Mabel Tainter Theatre &

UW-Stout Campus, Menomonie • coordinator@menomoniechamber.org • 235-9087 (Joan) • Bike Race beginning on Main Street, kid’s games at the Mabel Tainter, movies in the Mabel Tainter auditorium, and a chalk art fest in the Clock Tower Courtyard at UW-Stout.

Leinie Lodge Annual Family Reunion Jun. 19, 9am-4pm • Leinenkugel Brewery, Chippewa Falls • FREE • (888) 534-6437 • Leinenkugel Brewery’s sixth annual customer appreciation celebration at the Leinie Lodge. Come enjoy family and complimentary food, self-guided brewery tours (groups of 15), beer sampling, and entertainment.

Solstice on Grand Art Faire Jun. 19, 9am-5pm • CookRutledge Mansion, 505 W Grand Ave, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 723-7181 • Fine arts fair featuring over 60 exhibitors on the grounds of the Cook-Rutledge mansion. You can also tour the mansion, a truly unique, 1187 restored and furnished lumber baron’s home (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) that exemplifies High Victorian Italiante architecture. Hosted by Valley Art Association.

21st Annual Strawberry Fest Model Railroad Show Jun. 19, 10am-5pm; Jun. 20, 10am-3pm • Waupaca Recreation Center, 407 School St. (3 blocks east of downtown), Waupaca, WI • FREE • 824-2045 • Featuring a model railroad layout in a hearse/funeral coach, train rides by Rainbow Express, eight operating model railroad layouts (some as large as 24’ x 52’), a Lego layout, a hands-on Thomas the Tank Engine layout for the children, swap/sales tables, model building contests, hobby shop dealers and vendors.

Eau Claire Parks & Recreation Co-Ed Kickball Tourna-

ment Jun. 19, noon • Gelein & Hobbs Fields, Carson Park, Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • $100/team • 18+ to compete • All teams guaranteed two games. Minimum 10 players per team. Entry deadline June 9th. For more information contact Jenny Vick at 839-4771 or jenny.vick@ eauclairewi.gov. Register at Parks and Rec. Dep’t @ 915 Menomonie St., EC. The Frog Prince Jun. 19, 3pm; Jun. 19, 7pm • Heyde

Center for the Arts, 3 High Street • all ages • 726-9000 • www.cvca.net Once again the Heyde Center welcomes the remarkable Missoula Children’s Theatre in a production of The Frog Prince, an adaptation of the classic fairy tale of a frog that turns into a prince when a princess breaks a cruel charm. A little red truck comes to Chippewa Falls with everything it takes to mount a full-scale original musical production – except the cast. A week long residency begins with an audition for 50 to 60 local children, and four rehearsals culminate in two Saturday performances.

Taste of Eau Claire 2010 Jun. 20, 11am-6pm • Phoenix Park, Riverfront Terr., Eau Claire • FREE admission, $1/ ticket (food costs 1-4 tickets) • 833-7435 • 834-5043 • All day, scores of area restaurant and food vendors will be serving their best dishes under the pavilion at Phoenix Park. Prepare your taste buds beforehand and find out if your favorite dish will be making an appearance. Plus live music all day, a kids zone and tasting competitions.

FATFAR Jun. 20, noon • Chippewa River to Loopy’s Grill

& Saloon, Chippewa Falls • 723-5667 • The world’s largest one-day tubing and float event, the Frenchtown Annual Tube Float and Regatta. More than 5,000 people will float down the beautiful Chippewa River. Activities (volleyball, cookout), food, and entertainment. Tube, canoe, kayak, and shuttle rentals available for rent at Loopy’s.

James Ignacio Jun. 20, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My

Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com/ James, a member of The Sidekicks, croons love songs and the blues covering the likes of Ben Harper, Ray LaMontange, and The Beatles along with his own songs.

Pondside fishing noon-6pm and hobo chefin’/shorelunch 1-6pm. Oh, and happy Father’s Day!

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Faculty Chamber Music, Performers TBA Jun. 20, 2-3pm • Phillips Recital

Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 8364803 • A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians, from cellists to vocalists.

Music on the Mall: Eggplant Heroes Jun. 21, 7pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • Duffy Duyfhuizen, (Jones Tones), Joel Pace (Irie Sol), Olaf Lind (Coolhand Saints and the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra), and poet/songwriter Max Garland blend three-part harmonies with guitar, trumpet, and violin to Volume One

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hot > events & happenings NICK MEYER

The Northern Wisconsin State Fair runs July 7 to 11 at the aptly named Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds with music from The Guess Who, Rick Springfield and more. present an eclectic mix of originals, adaptations, gospel, and folk ranging from seventeenth-century English/Irish ballads to the Old Crow Medicine Show.

Claire St • 839-1648 • www.ecpubliclibrary.info Friendly competition with refreshments and prizes. No registration required.

Music in the Park 2010: Bound 2 Break Jun. 22, 6-8pm; Jul. 13, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

7th Annual “Scramble for the Animals” Golf Outing

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Pete Newman Jun. 22,

6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Country Fest 2010 Every Day from Jun. 24 to Jun. 27 • Cadott Festival Grounds, 24446 County Highway S, Cadott • see website for prices • 800-326-FEST • Featuring Neal McCoy, Blake Shelton, Jo Dee Messina, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw and more. Enjoy a natural amphitheater, jumbo screens, picture-taking line up to the stage, great food, souvenirs, spacious campsites right next to the concert area, showers and medical and convenient stores.

Tales from the Brothers Grimm Jun. 24, 10am; Jun. 24, 1:30pm; Jun. 24, 6:30pm; Jun. 25, 10am; Jun. 25, 1:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org Enjoy this series of five tales by the infamous Brothers Grimm and Eau Claire Children’s Theatre.

Summer Solstice Celebration Jun. 24, 4:30-6pm • Phoenix Gardens (corner of Forest and Madison St.), Eau Claire • FREE • 832-5395 • International Folk Dancing, vocal and guitars, Clearwater Flute Circle, Kirtan/group sanscrit mantra chanting. All ages and traditions are welcome. Audience participation is encouraged.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Every Day from Jun. 24 to Jun. 26, 7:30-9:30pm • State Theatre, 316 Eau Claire St. • $18 general, $8 students • 832-ARTS • CVTG brings the magical fairy tale to life about a girl treated like a slave by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, until the royal ball and the fated glass slipper ...

Super Smash Brothers Brawl Competition Jun. 25,

1-3pm • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau

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Jun. 25, 4-7pm • Menomonie Golf & Country Club, 802 Heller Road, Menomonie • $25 donation per golfer, $100 hole sponsor • 235-3595 • 4pm registration, 4-5pm picnic supper, 5pm shotgun start. Afterwards, see the “Top Dog” awards and enjoy a silent and live auction.

RCU Charity Classic Jun. 26, 7am • Phoenix Park, Eau

Claire • adults $17, children $7 • 833-8111 • Over 858 men, women, and children participated in 2008’s race.

This year’s charity is the Feed My People Food Bank. The 10K racecourse showcases Owen, Carson, and Phoenix Park, as well as views of the Chippewa and Eau Claire River. The ¼ Mile Children’s Race follows the end of the 2 mile race. Medals awarded to the top three male and female finishers in each category. Register online or at the event.

Full Moon Bike Ride - Menomonie Jun. 26, 7pm; Jul. 26, 7pm; Aug. 24, 7pm • Bad Cat Bicycles, 327 E. Main St. • 231-2453 • Don your required lights and helmets for this night ride by the light of the moon. Routes to be determined the night of the ride.

Garden Stroll 2010 Jun. 27, 11am-4pm • Lafayette Town Hall, 5765 197th Street • $10 • 723-4655 • Sponsored by American Red Cross of Western Wisconsin, this event includes a tour of seven beautiful gardens in Lake Wissota area, all different varieties and styles and gardening interests. Includes refreshments at Lafayette Town Hall.

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Tim Lane, Flute Jun. 27,

2-3pm • Phillips Recital Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 836-4803 • Tim Lane has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire since 1989. He actively promotes new compositions for the flute and he is currently working on a method book about the art of musicianship.

Music on the Mall: Dennis Warner Jun. 28, 7pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • Americana singer/songwriter Dennis Warner is known for his crafty wit, skillful musicianship and the special ability

of captivating an audience.

Music in the Park 2010: Steve & Doris Szydel Jun. 8, 6-8pm; Jun. 29, 6-8pm; Jul. 27, 6-8pm; Aug. 24, 6-8pm; Aug. 31, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Code Blue feat. Catya & Sue (Feed My People) Jun. 29, 6:30pm • Owen Park,

1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 577-4197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

JULY EVENTS

Augusta Bean and Bacon Days Every Day from Jul.

1 to Jul. 4, 10am-10pm • Downtown Augusta • FREE • 286-2611 • Miss Augusta pageant, 3-on-3 basketball, quilt show, kids’ games, kickball, ATV mud race, demolition derby, car show, dance, fireworks, parade, charcoal chicken.

Wonderfantastic / Tim Barnes Jul. 1, 6-10pm • Tangled

Up In Hue, 416 S Barstow Street, Eau Claire • FREE • 855-0090 • Tim Barnes is an Eau Claire based artist who produces primarily large, abstract acyrlic paintings. Live music by Ryan Morgan, meet and greet with the artist, and live glassblowing demonstrations.

Chetek Liberty Festival Every Day from Jul. 2 to Jul. 4 • Chetek, see contact info for exact times and locations • 800-317-1720, 924-3200 • Chetek’s Liberty Fest attracts hundreds of visitors every 4th of July for a multitude of events. July 2nd & 4th, Gary Haugen Softball Tournament. fishy four-mile run/walk, plus a quilt show, car show, water ski show, sawdust pile money hunt, street dance, horse pull and more.

The Boomchucks Jul. 2, 10pm • The Mousetrap, 311 S. Barstow St. • FREE • 21+ • 832-8418 • www.myspace. com/mousetrapec Rootsy bluegrass band from Duluth.

Fireworks at Dusk Jul. 3, • Mill Yard Park, Cornell • 239-

3710 • Come help us celebrate and enjoy the wonderful Fireworks. Cornell Lions Club will be serving a chicken dinner. Also enjoy a street dance.

Fishy Four Mile Run Jul. 3, 9am • Chetek Beach Pavil-

ion, 228 Lakeview Drive, Chetek • $5 for the Kids’ 1/2 mile race and $15 for the 4 Mile Run/Walk • 237-2477 • Kid’s half mile or an adult’s four mile run/walk.

Pioneer Park Mud Bogg Jul. 3, noon and 6pm • Pioneer Park, Highway 37 & 85 Porterville Rd., Eau Claire • 8323977, 829-7937 • Mud Bogg is a sanctioned truck race through or over a mud course. Safe spectator viewing area with bleachers. Concessions available. Hosted by Chippewa Valley Antique Engine Model Club.

‘Grass on the Chippewa Jul. 3, 1-8:30pm • Memorial

Park Bandshell, 2nd Ave East, Durand • $25, FREE for Q3 members • all ages • 672-8785 • The 1st Annuual ‘Grass on the Chippewa features seven bluegrass bands in one day, including the New North String Band, Blue Wolf, Bag ‘O Dirt, The Ditchlillies with Emily Huppert, the Evergreen Grass Band, the East Hill Bluegrass Band and Forest Ridge. Camping in Tarrant Park available at no charge.

Carson Park Fourth of July Celebration Jul. 4, 10am-

11pm • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • 8395032 • Paul Bunyan Camp open, old-fashioned fourth of July at the Chippewa Valley Museum, train rides, music, food, and free fireworks at 10pm. Cost varies per event.

Chippewa Valley Museum’s 18th Annual Independence Day Celebration Jul. 4, 11am-4pm • Carson Park,

Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • FREE entry, activities may have a small charge • This all-day celebration combines traditional activities like wool spinning and spelling bees with fresh family fun such as temporary tattoos. Other events include music by the Eau Claire Municipal Band, cake walks, carnival games, patriotic speeches, an honor guard, and a civil war encampment. Food and drinks available.

Fourth of July Family Fair Jul. 4, 11am-4pm • Chippewa Volume One

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Valley Museum, 1204 Carson Park Dr. • FREE • 8347871 • This family fair features carnival games and free family games, big bang music, cake walks, spelling and history bees, cotton candy, and, for the second year, a live Civil War Encampment.

FreedomFest Jul. 4, 11am • Wakanda Park, Menomonie

• $1 • 235-9087 • Firecracker run at 8:30am. Live music from Ranger Rudy & the Singin’ Wingtips, the Cutaways and Sassy Magoo, children’s inflatable garden and games, petting zoo, face painting, scavenger hunt, Menomonie’s Got Talent, food and craft vendors, and fireworks at 10pm.

Bingo in the Park Jul. 4, noon-3:30pm • Wakanda Park, Menomonie • $1 entrance fee, $1 per card • Freedom feast bingo with lots of good prizes.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Mojo Lemon Jul. 6, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Northern Wisconsin State Fair Every Day from Jul. 7 to Jul. 11, 9am-11pm • Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • Adults $7, Kids 6-11 $3, Kids Under 5 Free • 723-2861 • Music by Inpulse, the New North String Band, the Guess Who, Phil Vassar, Chris Young and Rick Springfield. Tickets necessary for main stage events. Also featuring hypnotists, ventriloquists, illusionists, the gaming garage, and an exotic animal show. Exhibits of livestock, crafts, homemaking, education, and 4-H displays.

True Blue and Trusted Every Day from Jul. 7 to Jul. 10,

7:30-9:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org An old-fashioned boo the villain, cheer the hero melodrama complete with songs, olios, and enough bad jokes to keep you laughing all night long!

63rd Annual Gilmanton Free Fair Jul. 8, ; Jul. 9, ; Jul.

10, ; Jul. 11, • Gilmanton Fair Grounds, Larson Road, Gilmanton • FREE admission • 495-2959 • Annual community festival with carnival, games, softball, pageant, talent show, BBQ cook-off, parade, chicken, nightly bands, tractor pulls, chainsaw carvings and more. If needed, check venue for hours.

Chippewa Falls Youth Baseball Tournament Every Day from Jul. 8 to Jul. 11 • Chippewa Falls Youth Baseball Fields, Chippewa Falls • daleang@sbcglobal.net • 8286296 • See contact info for full details.

Ladies Night Out Jul. 8, 3-8pm • Participating downtown businesses, Menomonie • FREE • 235-2666 • Tonight, round up your girlfriends. While you shop, consider tastetesting some great food (and beverages).

6th Annual Gospel Bluegrass Jamboree Every Day from Jul. 9 to Jul. 11 • S. 8th Street at the future home of the New Hope Assembly of God Fest Grounds, Cornell • see website for prices • 828-5518 • Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the sites and sounds of Christian performers from the stage at the base of the natural amphitheater where any seat is the best seat in the house. RV and tent camping sites are available.

Cadott Nabor Days Every Day from Jul. 9 to Jul. 11 • Riverview Park, Cadott • FREE • 289-3338 • Carnival, food booths, mud bog, cattle judging, and beer tent with free nightly music. Friday evening donkey racing. Saturday duck racing and pickled egg eating contest. Sunday garden tractor pull, parade, antique car show, and fireworks.

Opening and Dedication of the Stanley Area Historical Society’s New Addition Every Day from Jul. 10 to Jul. 11

• 228 Helgerson Street, Stanley • 644-5880 (Dan), 6445492 (Betty) • The new addition houses a 1906 Cadillac and numerous other interesting exhibits. Grand reopening of the farming and logging building, completely reorganized. Complete program yet to be developed.

Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Jul. 10,

8am-4pm • First Avenue, Eau Claire • $124 a team • (888) 523-3866 • The original Gus Macker Tournament was started in 1974 by Scott McNeal (alias Gus Macker) on his parents’ driveway basketball court in Lowell, Mich., with 18 friends. Since 1987, the Macker Tour has expanded, holding both indoor and outdoor tournaments in over 75 cities and with over 200,000 players and 1.7

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hot > events & happenings million spectators enjoying 3-on-3 competition and family fun each year. Registration required on July 9.

9th Annual Interfaith Volunteers Garden Tour Jul. 10, 9am-3pm • Menomonie area, call for details • $10 in advance, $12 day of tour. Bonus garden available for additional $2 • janh@hybben.com • Garden lovers can enjoy a leisurely tour of 5 area gardens. A special bonus garden will be available for those choosing to pay an additional $2 fee. All proceeds go to support the Interfaith Volunteers of Dunn County, helping the Food Pantry, The House of Hope, and the Caregiver Programs.

Water Street Mile Jul. 10, 9am • Menomonie St. Dental,

1020 Menomonie St., Eau Claire • 834-3774 • One mile run.

Got Talent? Annual Teen Talent Show Jul. 10, 1-4pm • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St • teens • 839-1648 • www.ecpubliclibrary.info Teens may enter in two categories - bands or miscellaneous. Each category will be judges separately. Pick up a submission form and return it by June 26 or register at ecpubliclibrary. info/teens.

Sage Jul. 10, 9pm-midnight • Gilmanton Free Fair, Lar-

son Road, Gilmanton • FREE • 495-2959 • Sage will be bringing their classic country and rock sound to the stage on Saturday night of the Gilmanton Free Fair.

Chippewa Valley Firecracker Jul. 11, • Lowe’s Creek County Park, S. Lowes Creek Rd., Eau Claire • Every July, mountain bikers, trail runners and spectators swarm this high-energy bike race. Expect a perfect mix of tight, technical singletrack and lightning-fast doubletrack with trail highlights like the switchbacks of Onion, the creek crossings of Rad and Skull, and the seemingly endless rock garden of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Dames: Musical Duo James Ignacio & Dan Boetcher

Jul. 11, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com/ Guitars & vocal harmonies, covering a mix of current and classic artists including the Avett Brothers, Ray LaMontagne, The Beatles and Bob Dylan with a handful of originals.

Pondside fishin’ noon-6pm and hobo chefin’/shorelunch 1-6pm.

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Nicholas Phillips, Piano & Mark Mowry, Tenor Jul. 11, 2-3pm • Phillips Recital

Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 8364803 • A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians, from cellists to vocalists. Nicholas and Mark perform works by Schumann.

Hansel & Gretel Jul. 11, 4 and 7pm; Jul. 12, 10am and 1pm; Jul. 13, 10am and 1pm • Grand Little Theatre, 102 W. Grand Ave • $3 at door • all ages • 832-7529 • www. cvtg.org Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild presents the classic story of a brother and sister, trail of bread crumbs, and a hungry witch.

Music on the Mall: Peter Phippen Group Jul. 12, 7pm •

Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • The voice of the flute is the voice of the human heart - its passions, joys and losses. Flutist Peter Phippen captures the power of the flute to invoke the hidden places of the heart. His music for ancient and contemporary shakuhachi, Native American, Anasazi and bamboo flutes is intimate and insightful, joyous and melancholy.

Music in the Park 2010: Bound 2 Break Jun. 22, 6-8pm;

Jul. 13, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Dave Lambert Jul. 13, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Ludington Guard Band Every Tuesday from Jun. 1 to

Aug. 3, 8-9:30pm • Wilson Park, Menomonie • FREE • 235-3914 • The free summertime concerts by the Ludington Guard Band have been an unbroken Menomonie tradition for over 120 years. Every week about 50 band

members led by James Woodford, band director at Colfax High School, perform a lively mix of pop songs, Broadway and movie music, big band numbers, and band music. Pie and ice cream social.

International Native American Flute Association’s 2010 Convention Every Day from Jul. 14 to Jul. 18 •

Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St. • $15, available at door • 757-651-8328 • Featuring daily classes and workshops (registration required), plus vendors selling Native American flutes, percussion, CDs, art, crafts and more.

Evening concerts held each night at the Gantner Concert Hall. See website for full schedule.

Rock Fest Every Day from Jul. 15 to Jul. 18 • Just north of Cadott • see website for prices • 800-326-FEST • This four-day event brings the best of rock music to the Chippewa Valley. Enjoy great food and music while camping in one of the 8,000 campsites, walking distance from the concert area. This year’s lineup includes Limp Bizkit, Alice in Chains, John Mellencamp, Collective Soul, 3 Doors Down, Drowning Pool Gavin Rossdale (of Bush fame) and many more.

Live in the Vineyard Concert Series: Brian Bethke Jul. 16, 5:30pm • River Bend Vineyard & Winery, 10439 33rd Avenue • FREE • all ages • (715) 720-9463 • www.riverbendvineyard.com River Bend Vineyard & Winery’s outdoor series presents prolific solo performer Brian Bethke, an acoustic singer/songwriter from Eau Claire.

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr. Jul. 16, 7pm; Jul. 17, 2pm • Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater, 205 Main St. E • all ages • 235-0001 • www.mabeltainter.com A production by the Summer Theater Camp partnership between Menomonie Public Schools, MTG’s Red Cedar Youth Stage, and Mabel Tainter.

A Dash of Rosemary Every Day from Jul. 16 to Jul. 19, 7:30-9:30pm, Jul. 20, 1:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org The music and songs of Rosemary Clooney come to life in this Eau Claire Children’s Theatre revue, starring Cathy Reitz, Jessica Breed, David Olson, and Zach Schultz.

Chippewa Valley Symphony Garden Stroll Jul. 17, 9am4pm • Hope Lutheran Church, 2226 Eddy Lane, Eau Claire • $12 • 832-6366 • Tour six beautiful gardens and enjoy live music at this fundraiser for the Chippewa Valley Symphony.

2010 U.S. National Kubb Championship Jul. 17,

9:30am-8pm • Boyd Park, 1202 Fairway Street, Eau Claire • FREE to spectate, $10/person to play • 830-0122 • 64 teams from around the nation are coming to Eau Claire (Kubb City, USA) to battle for the U.S. Championship. Kubb is a Nordic lawn game (AKA Viking Chess), once played by the Vikings. FREE admission to spectators. Food will be served. All proceeds will go to Girls on the Run Eau Claire County and refugees from Darfur Sudan. Registration ends July 9. It’s a kubbolution. Bring it!

37th Annual Stockholm Art Fair Jul. 17, 10am-5pm • Village Park off Highway 35, Stockholm • FREE admission • Featuring 106 artists, live music all day plus organic food.

Water Safety Fest Jul. 17, 1pm • Fairfax Municipal Pool, 4200 Fairfax St., Eau Claire • $3.75 or season pass • 8391680 • Join Eau Claire Parks and Recreation lifeguards and learn about basic water safety. Learn basic rescue techniques and play safety games.

29th Annual Otter Lake Charcoal Chicken Dinner Jul. 18, 11am-5pm • Otter Lake day use park, Stanley • 6442525 (Larry) • Food, refreshments, raffles and music.

Tony Rongstad Jul. 18, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com/ Rongstad is a local singer and songwriter playing traditional folk music, original songs and others.

Musical influences range from Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie to Richard Shindell and James Taylor. Pondside fishin’ noon-6pm, hobo chefin’/shorelunch 1-6pm.

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Paul Kosower, Cello & Owen Lovell, Piano Jul. 18, 2-3pm • Phillips Recital

Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 8364803 • A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians.

Paul and Owen perform works by French composers.

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hot > events & happenings FRANK H. ROBINSON

High School Shakespeare Workshop Jul. 19, 9am-4pm; Jul. 26, 9am-4pm • Grand Little Theater, 102 West Grand Ave. • $120 ages 14-19, $20 for ECASD students • 8327529 • Kids will learn about the language of the Elizabethans and how to perform Shakespeare. Taught by Rob Vanderloop, Theresa Kemp, and Gloria Fant, the kids will design and perform Comedy of Errors through CVTG. Register by July 1.

Nature Girls Summer Camp Jul. 19, 9-9am • Wise Nature Center, Beaver Creek Reserve, S1 Cty Rd. K, Fall Creek • $120 friends, $135 nonmembers • girls 10-12 • 877-2212 • A fun-filled week at Beaver Creek, with archery, river exploration, fishing, fire building, taking part in an official lake study, compass and GPS, hiking, journaling, exploring different habitats, bird watching, star gazing, and building bird or bat houses. The week will culminate with a tent camp-out Register by June 15.

Music on the Mall: Julie Rust Jul. 19, 7pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • Julie Rust has been a performing songwriter for over 20 year.

She touches audiences across the United States with her soothing voice, honest lyrics, and virtuoso piano playing.

She enjoys sharing her music with others to promote love, healing, and peace.

Music in the Park 2010: Bruce Hanson, Singing Star Productions feat. Karaoke Music Jul. 20, 6-8pm • 10th

St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 831-0775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Deepwater Reunion (Community Table) Jul. 20, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st

Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 577-4197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Just Us for Justice Jul. 21, • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • 830-9585 • Two mile or five mile run.

Krazy Daze Every Day from Jul. 21 to Jul. 22 • Down-

town Chippewa Falls businesses • Merchants offer goods and services at bargain prices to the delight of downtown shoppers.

17th Annual Chippewa YMCA Charity Golf Outing Jul. 22, • Lake Wissota Golf Course, 16108 97th Ave. • 1-888382-4780 • www.lakewissotagolf.com See contact info for details.

Country Jam USA Every Day from Jul. 22 to Jul. 24 • 3633 Crescent Ave, Eau Claire • see website for prices • 800-7800-JAM • The Hottest Country Stars on Stage, featuting Jake Owen, Jason Aldean, Sawyer Brown, Miranda Lambert, Billy Currington, Sugarland, and many more. Camping available.

New Auburn Jamboree Days Every Day from Jul. 22 to

On the 4th of July, do not be afraid of the bright colors and big booms appearing in the sky over Carson Park in Eau Claire. They are on purpose.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Jul. 22, 10am and 1:30pm;

Stanley Lions Watermelon Festival Jul. 25, 8am • Chap-

hero, handling a job in cubicle hell, distracted drivers, college housing and a different kind of fake ID are just a few of the topics covered in original songs by singer/ songwriter Matt Wahl. His down-to-earth, lighthearted acoustic sound appeals to any age.

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Christa Garvey, Oboe, Karen Atria, Bassoon Nicholas Phillips, Piano Jul. 25,

Music in the Park 2010: Steve & Doris Szydel Jul. 27, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 831-0775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Jul. 25 • Lion’s Memorial Park, New Auburn • 237-2223 • Softball, volleyball, carnival, live music, beer garden, firefighters, water games, parade at noon on Sunday (open to all; show up 11:30).

Jul. 22, 6:30pm; Jul. 23, 10am and 1:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org Hamelin is overrun by rats! Find out what happens when the city calls in a Piper to solve their problems but don’t follow through on their promises. An enchanting tale with a lesson for all from the folks at Eau Claire Children’s Theatre.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Tournament Jul. 23,

1-3pm • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St • teens • 839-1648 • www.ecpubliclibrary.info Come rock out for a chance to win prizes. No registration necessary.

The Boy Friend Jul. 23-24, 7-9pm • Heyde Center for

the Arts, 3 High Street • adults $10, seniors $9, youth $5, family of four $20 • 715-726-9000 • www.cvca.net Julie Andrews starred in the 1954 Broadway debut of this musical romance set in the 1920s at Madame Dubonnet’s fashionable finishing school on the French Riviera. The Boy Friend brings to life the Charleston dance craze, banjo music, the language, costuming, and characters of

that era. man Park, Stanley • FREE • 644-5758, or 644-5880 • Flea market 8am, car show 10am, kids’ games 3pm. Charcoal chicken, free watermelon, raffle.

2-3pm • Phillips Recital Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 836-4803 • A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians.

Full Moon Bike Ride - Menomonie Jun. 26, 7pm; Jul. 26, 7pm; Aug. 24, 7pm • Bad Cat Bicycles, 327 E. Main St. • 231-2453 • Don your required lights and helmets for this night ride by the light of the moon. Routes to be determined the night of the ride.

Music on the Mall: Matt Wahl Jul. 26, 7pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • Welcome to the fun side of life. Fantasies of life as a super-

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Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: The Nightcaps Jul. 27, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Dive-In Movie Jul. 27, 9pm • Fairfax Pool, 4200 Fairfax

St. • $3.75 or season pass • 839-1680 • Head to the pool and watch a movie on the big screen while you sit or float in the shallow area.

Eau Claire County Fair Jul. 28-31, 8am-10pm • Eau Claire County Expo Center, 5530 Fairview Drive • FREE

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > events & happenings FRANK H ROBINSON

• 839-4712 • www.eauclaire-expo.com This youth and family-focused event places emphasis on education, recognition and family involvement. The county fair is non-commercial and has no midway or carnival. In addition to a wide variety of animal shows and hundreds of non-animal exhibits, the fair features a style revue, talent show, livestock auction, pie baking contest, small animal fun show, charcoal chicken dinner, polka band, antique appraisal, award ceremony, and dance.

Fame Jul. 28-31, 7:30-9:30pm; Jul. 31 to Aug. 1, 1:30-

3:30pm • State Theatre, 316 Eau Claire St. • $18 adults, $16 seniors, $8 youth • 839-8877 • First the hit motion picture, then the long-running TV series, and now ECCT ends its 21st season with the new stage adaptation. Set during the last years of NYC’s High School for the Performing Arts, Fame is the bittersweet but ultimately inspiring story of a diverse group of students as they commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.

Bloomer Community Fair Every Day from Jul. 29 to Aug.

1 • Bloomer Fairgrounds on 9th Ave., Bloomer • 568-3339 • Open daily at noon. Music, carnival, 4-H and FFA exhibits, merchant displays, demo derbies, tractor pulls and more. Parade on Sunday at 12:30pm on Main Street.

Comedy of Errors Jul. 29, 7pm • Grand Little Theatre, 102 W. Grand Ave • 832-7529 • www.cvtg.org This early Shakespeare production is the result of the High School Shakespeare Workshop through Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild.

Tortoise and Hare Jul. 29, 7:30pm • Eau Claire YMCA, 700 Graham Ave. • 835-5897 • 5K run/walk. Discount for Indianhead Track Club members.

The area’s rich base of creatives will band together and take over Wilson Park for Volume One’s third annual Chalkfest, August 14 in downtown Eau Claire.

Men’s Slow Pitch Softball Tournament Every Day from Jul. 30 to Aug. 1 • Casper Park, Chippewa Falls • $125 entry fee • 281-9986 • Featuring up to 36 teams, each team guaranteed four games, 3-12 team brackets, pool play 2-games. All proceeds benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Email contact: softball.stjude@gmail. com.

Celebration of Summer Family Picnic Aug. 1, 11am-

Pirates Plunge Splash Party Jul. 30, 1-5pm • Fairfax Pool, 4200 Fairfax St. • $3.75 or season pass • 839-1680 • Parks and Rec Playground staff will be organizing a variety of land and water activities like soggy shirt relays, walking the plank, treasure hunt, and many other contests.

An afternoon of music, games, and inflatable fun and entertainment. Fairfax bus will provide free transportation for this event.

Fame Every Day from Jul. 28 to Jul. 31, 7:30-9:30pm;

Relay For Life of Chippewa County Jul. 30, 6pm-9am

• Chippewa Falls Middle School, 750 Tropicana Blvd. • 877-423-9122 (Roberta) • www.cfsd.chipfalls.k12.wi.us Teams will gather at the Chippewa Falls Middle School track for an overnight relay that will celebrate anyone who has battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and empower all to fight back against the disease.

NTPA Truck & Tractor Pull Jul. 31, 7-11:55pm • Dunn

County Fairgrounds, 620 17th Street, Menomonie • info@ dunncountyfair.org • 232-4005 • Come have fun at this NTPA regional national event. There will be various truck and tractor pulls at this event to create an entertaining, exciting event.

The Finesse CD Release Show + Letters From Earth + Others Jul. 31, 9pm • Eau Claire House of Rock, 422

Water St. • 21+ • 838-0158 • www.house-of-rock.com Local funk ‘n’ roll band The Finesse (formerly Wes and the Arabian Finesse) celebrates it’s first CD’s release with a rock show at the House of Rock. Joining them, among other bands, are Eau Claire epic space garage rock band Letters From Earth.

AUGUST EVENTS

Bloomer Community Fair Every Day from Jul. 29 to Aug.

1 • Bloomer Fairgrounds on 9th Ave., Bloomer • 568-3339 • Open daily at noon. Music, carnival, 4-H and FFA exhibits, merchant displays, demo derbies, tractor pulls and more. Parade on Sunday at 12:30pm on Main Street.

Indianhead Swap Meet and Car Show Aug. 1, 7am • Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • $3 advance, $5 gate, kids under 12 free • 832-0552 • 700 show cars, food and refreshments.

5pm • McDonell High School, 1316 Bel Air Blvd • Always the 1st Sunday in Aug. St. Charles Parish host a family picnic. Festivities include a chicken plate, steak sandwiches, Main Street Cafe pies, beverages, kids games, bingo, silent auction, cake walk and more. Music and dancing 12-5pm.

Every Day from Jul. 31 to Aug. 1, 1:30-3:30pm • State Theatre, 316 Eau Claire St. • $18 adults, $16 seniors, $8 youth • 839-8877 • First the hit motion picture, then the long-running TV series, and now ECCT ends its 21st season with the new stage adaptation. Set during the last years of NYC’s High School for the Performing Arts, Fame is the bittersweet but ultimately inspiring story of a diverse group of students as they commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.

Live in the Vineyard Concert Series: Matt Wahl Aug. 1, 1:30pm • River Bend Vineyard & Winery, 10439 33rd Avenue • FREE • all ages • (715) 720-9463 • www.riverbendvineyard.com River Bend Vineyard & Winery’s outdoor series presents Matt Wahl, a solo performer who grew up in Eau Claire and plays his fun acoustic tunes across the state and nation.

2010 Summer Sounds Series: Mitra Sadeghpour, Soprano, Barbara Young, Piano Aug. 1, 2-3pm • Phillips

Recital Hall, Haas Fine Arts Center, 121 Water St • FREE • 836-4803 • Pianist Barbara Young A collaboration with the Department of Music and Theatre Arts brings you a range of classical musicians, from cellists to vocalists.

Teen Prize Auction Aug. 2, 1-3:30pm • L.E. Phillips Me-

morial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St • teens • 8391648 • www.ecpubliclibrary.info The winning talent from July’s Annual Teen Talent Show will perform, plus professional auctioneer Jerry Andrews will add extra excitement to this year’s prize auction. Bidding begins at 2pm.

Music on the Mall: Keith Scott Aug. 2, 7pm • Central

Campus Mall, UWEC (Rain site: Schofield Auditorium or The Cabin, Davies Center) • FREE • 836-5904 • For the last 20+ years, Keith has been performing his brand of electrified blues. He has toured throughout the US, Europe and Canada - playing festivals, clubs and colleges.

Keith has recorded 5 CD’s of original material including blues, rock and acoustic music.

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National Night Out Playground Art Fair & Carnival Aug.

3, 5-7pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 8395032 • 25 cent carnival games, dunk tank, snow cones, popcorn, inflatables, hotdogs, chips, soda, balloons, finger painting, music, and prizes.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Young Blues Night/Love Buzzards (Big Brothers/Big Sisters) Aug. 3, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 577-4197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Dunn County Fair Every Day from Aug. 4 to Aug. 8, 9am-

10pm • Dunn County Fairgrounds, Menomonie • $1 • 232-4005 • Celebrating 125 years of agriculture with exhibits, rides, live music, free stage events, food vendors, demolition derby, truck and tractor pull, a video competition and more. Please call or check online for actual fair hours.

Drums on the Chippewa Aug. 4, 6:30pm • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr. • $10 door, $8 advance, 5 and under FREE • 829-3950 • This drum and bugle corps competition will bring in brigades from California, Florida, Iowa, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Car Show in Cornell Aug. 7, • Main Street, Cornell • Held

on the Main Street of Cornell with a special guest appearance. For more information contact Brian or Lisa Sie at 239-6868.

Eastside Hill Neighborhood Annual Picnic Aug. 7, 1-3:30pm • Boyd Park, off Main St., Eau Claire • This picnic is a great way for neighbors to meet and enjoy a splendid summer day at beautiful Boyd Park along the Eau Claire River. Food will be provided and cash donations will be encouraged.

Robin Hood Aug. 7, 1:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org Meet Robin Hood and his band of merry men in this musical version of the classic novel.

St. James SummerFest Aug. 7, 4:30-9pm; Aug. 8, 10am-

5:30pm • St. James Church, 2502 11th St, Eau Claire • FREE • 835-5887 • Starting with an outdoor mass Saturday at 4:30pm followed by a free-will offering dinner, beer garden, bonfire and live entertainment. SummerFest continues on Sunday with a 10am polka mass, followed by, St. James’ famous Chicken Dinner 11am-2pm, live

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Hot Spots 2010

music and entertainment throughout the day, great food, silent auction, prizes, a beer garden and much more.

Blues on the Chippewa 2010 Aug. 7-8 • Memorial Park,

Durand • FREE • alla ages • 672-8785 • bluesonthechippewa.org • This third annual event promises 15 bands over the course of two days, including South Farwell, Mojo Lemon, Davey Jones, Left Wing Bourbon, Ellen Whyte, and Sue Orfield Band. Camping encouraged.

Dunn County Fair Aug. 4-8, 9am-10pm • Dunn County

Fairgrounds, Menomonie • $1 • 232-4005 • Celebrating 125 years of agriculture with exhibits, rides, live music, free stage events, food vendors, demolition derby, truck and tractor pull, a video competition and more. Please call or check online for actual fair hours.

The Singing Bus Driver: Steve Szydel & Boss Doris

Aug. 8, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com/ Playing “Kountry Klassics”, songs made famous by Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Johnny Horton, Jim Reeves, John Denver, and Kenny Rogers. Pondside fishing noon-6pm and hobo chefin’ with shorelunch 1-6pm.

Chippewa Valley Lifeguard Competition Aug. 8, 6:30pm • Fairfax Pool, 4200 Fairfax St. • FREE • 839-1680 • Watch lifeguards from around Wisconsin compete to see who is the best!

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: South Farwell Aug. 10,

6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Tamburitzans Aug. 10, 7pm • Chippewa Falls Middle School, 750 Tropicana Blvd. • $12 • 726-2400 • www.cfsd. chipfalls.k12.wi.us Come watch the Duquesne University Tamburitzans present their exciting show of Eastern European song, music, and dance. For info, contact Karen at 412-396-5185 or email LKKeiser@gmail.com.

Play That Swampgrass Music - The Swampers Annual Concert Every Day from Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, 7:30-9:30pm

• Heyde Center for the Arts, 3 High Street • 715-726-9000 • www.cvca.net The Swampers’ musical lumberjack aggregation plays original songs, stories, humor and possibly projected photographs.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood Aug. 11-14, 7:30-9:30pm

• The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave. • 839-8877 • 839-8877 • www.ecct.org Eau Claire Children’s Theatre musical based on the unfinished novel by Charles Dickens. When the show stops half way through Act Two the audience goes through a series of votes to determine how the show ends – a different ending each night!

2nd Annual Art in the Park Aug. 13, • Soo Park, down-

town Stanley • 644-0244 (Jeanne) • Local artists and photographers will have their art work and photography on display and for sale.

Annual Pioneer Days Every Day from Aug. 13 to Aug.

15 • Highway 37 & 85 Porterville Rd., Eau Claire • 8323977, 829-7937 • Annual event features antique farm equipment, exhibits, steam engine display, flea market, and more. This year features the engine that was in the Leinenkugel Brewing Plant and later at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls. Concessions available. Hosted by Chippewa Valley Antique Engine Model Club.

Leinenkugel’s 142nd Anniversary Softball Tournament

Every Day from Aug. 13 to Aug. 15 • Casper Park, Chippewa Falls • 723-0051 • Co-ed and men’s slow pitch.

Pure Water Days Aug. 13-15, 9am-11pm • Downtown

Chippewa Falls • FREE • 723-0331 • Events include a run/walk Saturday morning sponsored by the YMCA, softball tournaments at Casper Park, a kids parade on Saturday at 12:30, and a larger parade at 1pm sponsored by Premium Waters. The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company will also be offering brewery tours, a Breweriana Show and a last call sale. Enjoy fireworks at Casper Park at 9:30pm.

Chippewa Valley Chase Aug. 14, 7am • Owen Park, 1st

Ave., Eau Claire • 831-2345 • The Chippewa Valley’s first true Bicycle Festival featuring fun for the whole family, featuring food, drink, music, awards. Four competitive race classes: Citizen women 15 laps, citizen men 15 laps, open women 20 laps and open men 30 laps. $3000 prize

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Hot Spots 2010

hot > events & happenings JEREMY GRAGERT

• Family fun, great music and pork fest.

Festival Foods Farmers Market Every Sunday from Jun. 12 to Oct. 7, 8am-2pm • Festival Foods parking lot, Eau Claire • 838-1000 • A variety of fresh produce from local farmers.

Live in the Vineyard Concert Series: Jeff White Aug. 22, 1:30pm • River Bend Vineyard & Winery, 10439 33rd Avenue • FREE • all ages • (715) 720-9463 • www.riverbendvineyard.com River Bend Vineyard & Winery’s outdoor series presents Jeff White, a foot-stompin’ solo artist who plays a blend of country and blues, both classic and contemporary, covers and originals.

United Way Golf Tournament Aug. 23, • Lake Wissota Golf Course, 16108 97th Ave. • 1-888-382-4780 • www. lakewissotagolf.com See unitedwaychippewa.org for full details.

Music in the Park 2010: Steve & Doris Szydel Jun. 8, 6-8pm; Jun. 29, 6-8pm; Jul. 27, 6-8pm; Aug. 24, 6-8pm; Aug. 31, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Tommy Bentz Aug. 24,

6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

End of Summer Picnic Aug. 26, 5-7pm • Irvine Park

Pavillion, Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 7201841, 888-413-3400 • Hosted by the River Source Family Center, join us in one last hurrah before school is back in session. Bring the entire family for a potluck style supper.

River Source Family Center will provide a HI-C drink, hot dogs, and buns.

Eau Claire’s Owen Park, featuring its historic bandshell, hosts summer events like the Tuesday Blues series and the Eau Claire Municipal Band every Thursday.

Summer Fest Aug. 26, 5-7pm • Irvine Park Pavilion,

purse. See visiteauclaire.com for details.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Ellen Whyte (UCP & Bike Show) Aug. 17, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau

Kickball Tournament Aug. 27-28 • Village of Lake Hallie Park Playing Fields • $150/team • Hosted by United Way of Chippewa County and Eau Claire. Form a team of 10 or more adults (co-ed). Contact Amy Maziarka at amy. maziarka@unitedwaychippewa.org or call her at 7234201.

JA FREE Enterprise Invitational Golf Outing Aug. 19, 8am-4pm • Wild Ridge Golf Course, 3905 Kane Rd. • 8355566 Ext 26 • Registration required, deadline: Aug. 12.

Early bird registration until May 30 is $135, after is $150.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Every Day from Aug. 20 to Aug. 21, 7:30-9:30pm; Every Day from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, 7:30-9:30pm • Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater, 205 Main St. E • all ages • 235-0001 • www.mabeltainter. com MTG’s Red Cedar Youth Stage will launch it’s new youth mentorship program with this production of the Peanuts classic.

Summerfest Aug. 14, 10am-10pm • South Barstow

Street, Eau Claire • FREE • 839-4914 • Downtown Eau Claire’s hottest summer festival features something for everyone, big or small. Enjoy sensational food, live music and hundreds of classic cars lined up along the streets.

Shop, browse, and see what downtown has to offer. Kids can enjoy old fashioned games, a silly string war zone, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. New this year, the American Strongman Competition is coming to Eau Claire. See some of the nation’s strongest men compete for the title of America’s Strongman. Pre-sale buttons can be purchased at many downtown merchants for discounts, free tickets, and special deals.

Chalkfest 2010 Aug. 14, 11am-11pm • Wilson Park,

downtown Eau Claire • FREE • 552-0457 • Imagine a small park overtaken by a day-long firestorm of creativity culminating in yards and yards of sidewalk space displaying amazing chalk artwork. That’s Chalkfest. This third annual event, part of Summerfest, takes place in beautiful Wilson Park where artists from throughout the area will create elaborate, large scale chalk artwork on the sidewalks. There will be food, music, chalk-related games, and much more. An area for kids to do sidewalk chalk will also be on hand. In the evening there will be a large reception where people can view the finished work. Artists and groups should contact Volume One to register in advance. Space is limited.

Family Fun Day Aug. 14, 11am-4pm • Russell J. Rass-

bach Heritage Museum, 1820 Wakanda St. NW • 2328685 • An inexpensive, all-inclusive day of family activities for everyone to support renovation of the Hilkrest Rural School exhibit at the Heritage Museum.

5th Bi-Annual Baby Boomers Class Reunion Aug. 14,

6pm-1am • Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • $10 • Did you graduate from Chi-Hi or McDonell in the 1950s, 1960s, or 1970s? You’re invited.

Music in the Park 2010: Susan Halderman, The String Connection Aug. 17, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Al-

toona • 831-0775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Claire • FREE • 577-4197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

Corn Feed & Street Dance Aug. 20, • Call for event lo-

cation • 703-3581 (Steve) • Enjoy music, food, and free sweet corn at an appreciation night for the Boyd area.

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Every Day from Aug. 20 to Aug. 21, 7:30-9:30pm; Every Day from Aug. 27 to Aug. 28, 7:30-9:30pm • Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater, 205 Main St. E • all ages • 235-0001 • www.mabeltainter. com MTG’s Red Cedar Youth Stage will launch it’s new youth mentorship program with this production of the Peanuts classic.

Hmoobfest 10 Every Day from Aug. 21 to Aug. 22 •

Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds, 331 Jefferson Avenue • An interactive, intercultural, experience for everyone. Through specific games, activities and classes, participants will come away with a deeper connection to the Hmong culture.

Notre Dame Parish Picnic Every Day from Aug. 21 to Aug. 22 • 117 Allen St, Chippewa Falls • 723-7108 • Family fun, great music and pork fest.\

3rd Annual Ice Cream Social & Pontoon Boat Ride Fundraiser Aug. 22, • Chippewa River, Eau Claire • lgbtcommunitycenter@yahoo.com • 552-LGBT • See contact info for more information.

Notre Dame Parish Picnic Every Day from Aug. 21 to Aug. 22, 12am • 117 Allen St, Chippewa Falls • 723-7108

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Bridgewater Ave, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 720-1841 • Summer’s almost done. Bring the whole family to the park for a potluck supper. Family fun is open to all families.

Michael Johnson Aug. 27, 8pm • Heyde Center for the

Arts, 3 High Street • adults $16, seniors $15, youth $8 • 715-726-9000 • www.cvca.net A classically trained musician, an off-Broadway actor, and an ex-member of The Chad Mitchell Trio where he co-wrote songs with John Denver. His voice immediately identifies him as the man who sings “Bluer Than Blue”, “Give Me Wings”, “That’s That”, and other landmark songs.

On Golden Pond Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday

8-10pm Sunday 1:45-3:45pm from Aug. 27 to Oct. 31 • Fanny Hill 3919 Crescent Ave, Eau Claire • $39.99$42.99 dinner and show; $29.99 show only; group and student discounts available • This is the love story of Ethel and Norman, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year. We all remember the movie with Katherine Hepburn and Henry and Jane Fonda. Wry humor, much affection, and a keen sense of life well-lived have made this show a timeless classic.

Chippewa River Rendezvous: Bringing The Past into the Present Every Day from Aug. 28 to Aug. 29, 12am

• Mill Yard Park, Cornell • 239-3620, 239-6628 • Enjoy displays from the early 1600s-Indian camps to modern day crafters.

Kickball Tournament Aug. 27-28 • Village of Lake Hallie Park Playing Fields • $150/team • Hosted by United Way

of Chippewa County and Eau Claire. Form a team of 10 or more adults (co-ed). Contact Amy Maziarka at amy.maziarka@unitedwaychippewa.org or call her at 723-4201.

Wild West Fest & Steampunk Emporium Every Saturday, Sunday from Aug. 28 to Sep. 26, 12am • Wisconsin Festival Grounds, 2302 Nelson Rd, Chippewa Falls • 723-9999 • Celebrate five weekends of the popular genre fiction and alternate history, where steam power is still widely used deeply immersed in a story’s plot, setting, lifestyle and technological developments.

River Run to Hope 2 Mile Run/Walk Aug. 28, 8am • 59th St., Menomonie • 518-321-2984 • See contact info for full details.

River Run to Hope Half Marathon Aug. 28, 8am • Cty Highway BB, West of Highway 40, Colfax • 518-321-2984 • A 13.1 mile run.

Festival in the Pines Aug. 28, 9am-6pm; Aug. 29, 10am5pm • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr. • $4 general, 11 and under free • 552-5504 or (888) 611-7463 • Arts and crafts exhibitors, great food, and games and rides for kids with live music and professional, family-oriented entertainers.

Free petting zoo and beer garden.

3rd Annual “Bare Foot” Horse Pull Aug. 28, 10am-5pm

• DAV Chapter 26 Center, 2 miles north of Menomonie off Hwy. 25 • davchapter26@yahoo.com • Presented by the Midwest Horse Pulling Association.

Discover Downsville Day Aug. 28, 10am-4pm • Downsville, See contact info for exact location • FREE • sgm@ wwt.net • 664-8600 • Family entertainment, parade, historical talks, food and crafts.

Doggie Swim Fest Aug. 29, noon-3pm • Fairfax Pool,

4200 Fairfax St. • $10/dog, free for spectators • 839-1680 • With proceeds benefiting Eau Claire’s Off-Leash Dog Park, the pool will be open exclusively to the canine crowd for this event. Activities include water retrieval, open swim, and lure course. Concessions available. All dogs participating must show proof of current vaccinations.

Music in the Park 2010: Steve & Doris Szydel Jun. 8, 6-8pm; Jun. 29, 6-8pm; Jul. 27, 6-8pm; Aug. 24, 6-8pm; Aug. 31, 6-8pm • 10th St. Park Pavilion, Altoona • 8310775 • A series of music acts ranging from acoustic cover classics to rock n’ roll bands running throughout the summer.

Tuesday Blues in Owen Park: Howard Luedtke Aug. 31, 6:30pm • Owen Park, 1st Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 5774197 • Organized by Chippewa Valley Blues Society, this family-friendly series invites talented local blues musicians to play weekly concerts.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

Lions Sturgeon Festival Every Day from Sep. 3 to Sep. 6, 12am • See contact info for location • Nightly music, demolition derbies, tractor pull and truck pull on Saturday & parade on Sunday. Sponsored by the Lions Club.

Leader-Telegram Buckshot Run Sep. 4, 9am • Carson

Park, Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • 833-0833 • Five mile run begins at 9am; two mile run begins at 10:30am.

Wild West Fest & Steampunk Emporium Every Saturday, Sunday from Aug. 28 to Sep. 26, 12am • Wisconsin Festival Grounds, 2302 Nelson Rd, Chippewa Falls • 723-9999 • Celebrate five weekends of the popular genre fiction and alternate history, where steam power is still widely used deeply immersed in a story’s plot, setting, lifestyle and technological developments.

Ski Sprites Sand Castle Contest Sep. 6, 11am • Lake Altoona Beach • $10 to build, free to watch, $3 to park • Running before and alongside the last show of the Ski Sprites Water Ski Show Team’s season, this 2nd annual event will see teams compete to build the best granular fortress they can imagine.

RECURRING EVENTS

Don’t Hug Me: County Fair Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8-10pm Sunday 1:45-3:45pm until Jun. 20 • Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre, 3919 Crescent Ave • $39.99-$42.99/ dinner and show; $29.99/show only; group and student discounts available • 836-8184 • www.fannyhill.com All new musical fun at Clara and Gunner’s Bunyan Bar in

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hot > events & happenings northern Minnesota. Clara enters the Miss Walleye Pageant. (Winner gets their face carved in butter at the Minnesota State Fair!) The fun really starts when Gunner’s twin sister (played by the actor) shows up intent on competing for the Miss Walleye rown.

Train Ride Every Day from May. 24 to Sep. 8, noon-5pm

• Carson Park, Carson Park Dr. • $3 adults, $2 children • 831-0900 or 835-7500 • Come visit the Chippewa Valley Railroad Depot! A one-quarter sized steam train gives one-half mile rides through the park. Call for operating times.

Live Jazz Every Tuesday, 6-8pm • Infinitea Teahouse, 112 East Grand, Eau Claire • FREE • 514-1975 • www. infiniteateahouse.com Some of the area’s best young jazz musicians take center stage at Infinitea Teahouse every Tuesday night. A great experience for those who love jazz or are just looking for something different.

Ludington Guard Band Every Tuesday from Jun. 1 to

Aug. 3, 8-9:30pm • Wilson Park, Menomonie • FREE • 235-3914 • The free summertime concerts by the Ludington Guard Band have been an unbroken Menomonie tradition for over 120 years. Every week about 50 band members led by James Woodford, band director at Colfax High School, perform a lively mix of pop songs, Broadway and movie music, big band numbers, and band music. Pie and ice cream social.

More Than Child’s Play: Becoming an American Girl

June-October • Russell J. Rassbach Heritage Museum, Menomonie • 232-8685 • Join Dunn County Historical Society in a discovery of dolls in local history. Explore interactive exhibits with a wide assortment of dolls (including 10 original American Girl dolls).

Volume One Sounds Like Summer Concert Series Ev-

ery Thursday from Jun. 3 to Aug. 26, 6:30-8:30pm • Phoenix Park, Downtown Eau Claire • FREE • 552-0457 • Join your family, friends, and neighbors on the grass and giant rocks at the Phoenix Park labyrinth for a concert with the Chippewa River and evening sunset as the backdrop.

Bring a blanket, some snacks or beverages, and enjoy the local scene and sounds.

Eau Claire Bit and Spur Horse Show Jun. 12, 8:30am;

Jun. 13, 8:30am; Jul. 10, 8:30am; Jul. 11, 8:30am; Aug. 21, 8:30am; Aug. 22, 8:30am • 10409 W. Cameron St., Eau Claire • FREE • 833-2086 • Join the Eau Claire Bit and Spur Saddle Club for one of their WSCA Open Horse Shows.

Jazz at Noon Every Weekday from Jun. 14 to Jul. 2, noon-

1pm • Central Campus Mall, UWEC (The Terrace, on Davies Center’s upper level) • FREE • 836-5904 • Featuring UW-Eau Claire student and alumni musicians, the 60-minute shows will range from jazz standards to improvisation. A variety of grilled lunch items will be available for purchase. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics to events on the Central Campus Mall.

Festivals at The Market Jun. 19, 9am-2pm; Jul. 10, 9am-

2pm; Aug. 14, 8am-noon; Sep. 18, 9am-2pm • 100, 200 and 300 blocks of Bridge St., Chippewa Falls • Each festival brings a theme coinciding with an event taking place around that time to the Chippewa Falls Farmers Market.

June: Gardening, Leinie Family Day; July: Arts & Crafts Theme, Northern WI State Fair; August: Duck Race & Family Fitness Theme; September: Fall Harvest and Art Walk Theme, Oktoberfest.

Chill on the Hill Every Tuesday from Jun. 22 to Aug. 24,

11:15am-noon • Heyde Center for the Arts, 3 High Street • 726-9000 • www.cvca.net The Heyde Center will offer to children between the ages four and ten a series of free, 45-minute presentations by area artists and performers who will share their love of an instrument, a style of music, dance, and other types of artistic and/or cultural expression. Call for dates and volunteer opportunities.

Always… Patsy Cline Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8-10pm Sunday 1:45-3:45pm from Jun. 25 to Aug. 22 • Fanny Hill, 3919 Crescent Ave • $39.99-$42.99 dinner and show; $29.99 show only; group and student discounts available • 836-8184 • www.fannyhill.com This musical

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tribute is complete with down home country humor and many of Patsy’s unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams and Waking After Midnight.

There’s 27 songs in all. The show was inspired by Cline’s letters to a fan, which she always signed “Love ALWAYS... Patsy Cline.”

Flea Market May. 15, May. 29, Jun. 19-20, Jul. 3-4, Jul. 4, Aug. 8, Sep. 4; 8am-2pm • Creswood Corners, 25892 County Highway S., Cadott • FREE • 703-0696 • Conveniently located on the corner of State Highway 27 and County Highway S, 8 miles north of Cadott, WI. Featuring all vendors, crafts, and food from around the area.

See our brand new merchandise including cowboy hats, custom printed t-shirts, sun glasses, fireworks, knives, jewelry and much much more.

Volume One Back-Alley Summer Cinema Series Mon-

days in July • the alley that would be 205 Graham Ave. • 9:30pm • FREE • 552-0457 • www.volumeone.org • This groundbreaking outdoor film series presented by Volume One features out-of-the-mainstream and classic films of all kinds taking place every Monday night this summer (weather permitting). Concessions available. Bring your own chairs or blankets. Be aware of each film’s rating, as not all films are for everyone. Movies to be announced.

Young Athletes Program Wednesdays Jul. 7-Aug. 25,

9:30-10:30am • Northern Center Head Start Building, 2820 E Park Ave, Chippewa Falls • FREE • ages 2-7 • 720-1841 • The Young Athletes Program (SO-YAP) sponsored by River Source Family Center and Special Olympics invited you to join in on the fun. Children will learn large motor skills through a specifically developed variety of large motor activities. Parent will take part in discussions regarding the social/emotional development of their children. Register by Jul. 6.

Minnesota State Fair Every Day from Aug. 26 to Sep.

6, noon-10pm • Minnesota State Fairgrounds, Falcon Heights, MN • The great Minnesota get-together will boast more fried things on a stick and a huge music lineup, including Rush and Weird Al. Visit website for full info.

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