I attended the inaugural Eaux Claires Festival, curated by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and it has…read morealready earned it spot as an annual must-do event in my book. It was affordable (~$90 for 2 full days), and within a good driving range where you feel like you're embarking out of the Twin Cities, but you're not really going too far. It's a fun state of mind that's easy on the mileage. I'll get right to the point. My favorite sets: Bon Iver, Sylvan Esso, Policia, Doomtree, Lizzo. There were plenty of porta potties, which were also kept clean and stocked. The scenery was just dreamy - rolling hills, trails through the trees, light-up color-changing forests, and cool art installations. Depending on the times of the sets, I was able to grab drinks at the right time without crazy lines. I loved the local artists and stores that were in the "village" there. I think each of my friends and I ended up buying something. Some cons though: the food, or lack there of. There was like 20,000 people and like 10 vendors. Lots of people waited in lines over an hour long, only for the vendors to run out of food. A lot of the merch sold out quick too. And the crowd leaving at the end of the last set was not managed well, because thousands of people were forced down this one narrow roped off path.

Improvements The first of hopefully many Eaux Claires…read morefestivals, they definitely had some kinks to work out. The first night food ran out and wait lines were 20 minutes or more. Water stations were spaced throughout but only in the main areas and not in the second staging area by the Dells. With some miscommunication on what could be brought into the campsites and festival, lots of folks had to throw out glass bottles and blankets. I hope the communication around camp ground and festival rules is made clear next time. Positives The music itself however was phenomenal. It was amazing having so many folks in one space and a wide variety of music at that. My favorites were Bon Iver, Lizzo, Poliçia, The Staves, and Charles Bradley. I loved the collaborations and how many folks were new to the music festival scene. The bathrooms were also kept extremely clean with the company cleaning bathrooms out at least once a day. A saving grace given the reputation most port-a-potties have. Art installations! Who knew how great they would go with music. Well...the organizers did. It was amazing that the shirt printing was done in Eau Claire and a lot of the artists were Midwest based. I almost wished there had been more art. It was great to see visuals while waiting for the next set to begin. I hope they bring this back for next year. Overall a great lineup and festival. Will attend again if planned.

It's the fair. I've been coming here since I was a kid. I love it. Parking is a bit challenging. If…read moreyou don't get there early, but we always make it work. Free admission for veterans and Retired military with ID. always all the animal bars. Cheese curds, french fries, funnel cakes. They always get such awesome musical talent here. The trick there is buy your tickets in November when they first come out. Much cheaper. We saw foreigner last night. I think my tickets are $25. That was such a good van. Styx two years ago, Joan Jett, The Beach Boys, blue oyster cult.

This review covers the Fairgrounds, rather than the Fair itself…read more We were here for Oktoberfest, and we appreciated the cleanliness and spaciousness of the grounds themselves. The layout is sensible and manageable. The facilities and walkways were in good, working condition. Many people were there, but it never felt crowded. People were nice to us as well. Oktoberfest itself is worth going to at least once, especially if you like cheese curds, pretzels, beer, people butchering the German language and culture (j/k!), and music. As for the Fair, whooooo, I'd rather not get in the middle of that gang war between the Northern Wisconsin State Fair (Chippewa Falls) and the (implied Southern) Wisconsin State Fair (Milwaukee/West Allis), no siree!

Eau Claire, Wi. The…read moreBlue Ox people really do a good job attracting top of the line talent and organizing the number of festivarians in a streamlined fashion. They even handle the intense rain storms fairly well. This festival is geared toward making money from reserved camping. It appears that some of these reserved entry people forego their reserved spot and head off to the unreserved sections and rope off an acre of land, denying later participants a chance at any of those sites. The reward for reserving is an entry a day early so you aren't scrambling for a good camp site. The fee for a pre pitched tent is an astounding $1900! I'm one of the common folk who enter with the masses on Thursday. The first thing I noticed after staking a claim to a small parcel of real estate is the huge number of smoldering campfires. Everyone seems to be burning smoky wet wood. The family camp area has the most unhealthy air throughout the festival, and these folks are inviting their children to inhale this crap. Half of the people here smoke cigarettes even in the concert areas. They have no clue or don't care about the affect on others. Of course the butts end up on the grass. There is a designated line for lawn chairs, as In don't go beyond this line. This means nothing, people just plop their chairs down right in front of you even if you're on the line. Why no pizza this year Blue Ox? Porta potties are kept clean throughout the festival. Sound is good except when singers belt out a loud burst and over drive the speakers. If the smoke was not such issue I'd give this festival a 4.5.

This is by far the best music festival I have ever been to in Wisconsin. The staff is great, the…read moregrounds are kept immaculate, the Porta potty's are cleaned three times a day every day!! (Even in the middle of torrential downpours they are out cleaning!) Everyone that comes here is of the same mindset, enjoy some bluegrass - spend time in the woods- And overall be really good to one another. The tickets might be considered a bit pricey compared to other festivals, but the way it's put together is by far worth every penny!

Ah, Eaux Claires. So much to love. The inaugural lineup was well curated and culminated with a…read morefive-star performance by Bon Iver. There were some cool art installations and vendors, port-a-potties were plentiful, and water bottle filling stations were available, which was crucial in the heat and sun. Attendees seemed to skew late 20s to late 30s, so the crowds were pretty chill and no one was really going bonkers throughout the day. Basically, it was a dream. Since it was their first year, there were some snags here and there, but overall the festival was run well. Items for improvement: - Some sort of shade - the unrelenting sun forced us to go back to our campsite a couple times to take a break from it. - Better food choices - pizza had a 70-minute wait, several vendors sold out before dinner, and the quality of many options was lacking (spongy chicken tenders - barf). - By day two, the water filling stations was a slippery, muddy mess. Related: having a filling station on the stage up the hill would be ideal. Things that surprised me were how efficient the shuttles to and from the campsites were, how easy it was to get in with our wristbands already issued (we got to walk right past the massive line at the fest's start), the fact that the camp port-a-potties were cleaned throughout the day, and the fact it only took about an hour to get on a bus after Bon Iver's set. The camping will be on a new site for 2016 so I'm curious if that will be as seamless as it's not on an established campground but instead in a field. The fest has sent out a couple of feedback surveys and they seem really invested in improving the experience, so I'm really pumped for this year's festival considering how impressed I was with the first year!

Loved this spot! It's tough to get a good drink in eau Claire but if you want one this is it…read more Fantastic cocktails and service. When we went they had live jazz music and the band was fantastic! I would go back in a heartbeat!

We were seated at a super cozy table in corner next to fireplace. Great atmosphere, hostess was…read morevery friendly, and service was very good. Drinks were great as well. BUT Food is very overpriced! Appetizers are very MEH! main course, $32 for a hanger steak and potatoes. You don't get an actual streak! You get 4-5 thin slices of meat on a MOUNTAIN of potatoes. Absolute rip off that will leave you hungry unless you feel like stuffing yourself with 30 mini potatoes. Dessert was lava cake and carrot cake. Both are not worth it. Carrot cake was overly sweet and exploding with nuts. Lava cake portion is very small and served in this enormous bathtub like trough that make ls it hard to share. Also not worth the 20-25 minutes it takes to get. I would return here though because of the good drinks, service and atmosphere. I would just get a burger next time and hope that it's decent.

We stopped in on a Sunday to shop for birthday gifts. As first-timers, we found the store to be…read morebright and cheery, and the staff greeted us moments after we entered. Tangled Up in Hue has a plethora of quality items that are locally made. We're talking jewelry, wall art, stickers & magnets, lotions and essential oils, honey, sauces & seasonings, candles, pottery, clothing, and knit scarves, hats & gloves. Also, it was all reasonably priced. So even though we didn't intend to buy anything for ourselves, you can rest assured that my husband and I managed to walk out with a few things just for us. My mom checked out ahead of me and was absolutely thrilled that the clerk wrapped her gift items in tissue paper and put them in adorable gift boxes. What a treasure in Downtown Eau Claire!!!

Great store that sells local artist art. I got a shirt and a gorgeous copper guitar pick . Having a…read morestore to show case and sell this stuff is vital for customers wanting something different without going to a gallery which can feel intimidating.

Expert and Compassonite guidance advice and instruction. Julie is a gift to those seeking…read moreassistance and direction in Life pursuits, solutions and complex quandaries.

Julie is such an expert at what she does. She helped me to process grief around the loss of my…read morebrother. But I also felt I could come and bring anything to the session. I now feel like I have a continued connection with my brother in a way I wouldn't have realized had I not worked with Julie!

Things may be different if you were at the main studio. At the elk mound studio it was…read moredisappointing. Our first year was fantastic so I was hopeful we found a forever studio. However this year was anything but that. First we were shown costumes at the beginning of the year that would be for their spring show. I understand distribution is rough right now but we got clothes from target. Like still had rags on looked bought that day. All dancers from the main studio for hip hop had legitimate costumes. Not just play clothes. When I asked the director about it she had an attitude and said that she spent how much I paid for costumes on those clothes. Ummm I didn't give you the money for clothes I could have gone and bought myself. My son was thoroughly disappointed. Though as one of the only boys at the studio he felt more like an accessory than a dancer. Looking at other kids there age level my kids are behind on skills. Needless to say we are switching dance company's next season. Highly disappointed with the experience and how I was talked to when my concerns were raised.