With classes on pause and hopefully summer jobs not taking up all your free time, here are Staff Writer Brittni Straseske’s suggestions for filling up time during an Eau Claire summer.
Festivals & Music
— Open Air Festival of the Arts at Phoenix Park: June 8 and 9. Features artwork for sale and on display, music, food and poetry. www.ecoafa.org.
— Country Fest: June 27 through 30 in Cadott. Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, Toby Keith and more. Campsites available, www.countryfest.com.
— Northern Wisconsin State Fair: July 10 through 14. Chippewa Falls. Music, vendors, exhibits.
— Rock Fest: July 18 through 21 in Cadott. Seether, Korn, The Offspring, KISS, Motley Crue, Skillet. Campsites available, www.rock-fest.com.
— Country Jam USA: July 18 through 20 Eau Claire. Rascal Flatts, Kelly Clarkson, Craig Morgan, Gary Allen. Campsites available, Three day student special tickets available, www.countryjam.com.
— Tuesday night blues in Owen Park: Free event run by the Chippewa Valley Blues Society.
Spectator Sports
— Ski Sprites Water Show: Award winning ski team. Shows every Wednesday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Altoona County Beach. Free admission, concessions. www.skisprites.com.
— Rock Falls Raceway: Elk Mound. Quarter mile drag racing track open most weekends April through October. Classes of races include sport compact races, bracket races and motorcycle drag races. www.rockfallsraceway.com.
— Eau Claire Express Baseball: Amateur baseball league that plays at Carson park. Tickets only $6-9. Season starts the beginning of June and runs through the middle of August. www.eauclaireexpress.com.
Seasonal Attractions
— Eau Claire Farmer’s Market: In Phoenix Park. Locally grown produce sold in an open air market. 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, 12 to 5 p.m. Thursdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Schedule runs from beginning of June through end of October.
— Green Oasis Gardens: Chippewa Falls. Garden center. Offers classes. www.greenoasisgardens.com
— River Bend Vineyard and Winery: Chippewa Falls. Tastings and Live in the Vineyard Concert Series Sunday. Check riverbendvineyard.com for lineup.
— Leinie Lodge Brewery Tours. Free tours starting every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday. Every half hour starting 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and every half hour from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Outdoor Activities
— Beaver Creek Reserve: Fall Creek. Four hundred acre reserve. Home of Hobbs Observatory, butterfly house, obstacle course and nature center. Has $3 trail fee per person and additional charge for equipment rentals. Hours and events for Hobbs Observatory, nature center and butterfly house can be found at www.beavercreekreserve.org.
— Bike Trails: The Eau Claire area hosts miles of trails between the Chippewa River State Trail, Big Falls County Park, along the Eau Claire river and more.
— Beaches: Lake Wissota State Park in Chippewa Falls, Lake Altoona County Park in Altoona and Coon Fork Lake County Park all offer large beaches, picnic tables and grills.
— Outdoor Equipment Rental: The Environmental Adventure Center rents canoes, kayaks, fishing equipment
and camping gear exclusively to UW-Eau Claire students. Loopy’s in Chippewa Falls rents canoes, kayaks and inner tubes and offers a free shuttle service that takes riders to and from the river.
