Downtown Eau Claire, Inc. organizes the annual downtown Fall Festival, pictured, among other events and initiatives. (Photo by Andrea Paulseth)

10 years ago, Eau Claire was on a heck of an all-gas-no-brakes run, making forward-moving strides at a fantastic pace. At least through a scroll back in time via Volume One’s digital archives, there was so much positive action occurring in 2016, and V1 was talking about a lot of it.

Eau Claire’s Cannery District redevelopment was being dreamt up and honed (and, as of recent years, we’ve seen some of that come to fruition via residential units being built and a brand-new playground); the Confluence Project was unveiling its actual floor plans while continuing to fundraise (today, of course, the Pablo Center is well into its eighth season); the local brewing scene was booming; all four frontrunners in the 2016 presidential election primaries visited Eau Claire on the same weekend, putting the city into the political spotlight; and the second Eaux Claires Festival came to town hot off the heels of Bon Iver’s release of 22, A Million, which premiered live right in town.

A glimpse into the lineup announcement shindig. (Photo by Mike O'Brien)

It’s been a decade since all of that. Maybe in some ways, some things have stayed the same in our community. I’d argue that, in most ways, a lot has changed.

But then, last week, a serious dose of nostalgia hit. Roughly 200 people were thrown into a mixture of equal parts nostalgia and excitement for what's ahead, thanks to Eaux Claire Festival organizers. Justin Vernon and Asher Weisberg led the live lineup announcement for this summer's festival, just down the road from V1's offices at The 410 Bar. 

 

Things are still in flux as far as what's all going down at the festival, but as cheesy baseball tunes and cheers and familiar faces filled the room, things felt... good. I’m not sure the last time I’ve seen that many genuine, giddy smiles directed at something happening in our city. 

Not everyone cares about the local arts scene (then again, you’re holding a local arts and culture publication in your hands right now, so...), but still, there’s something to be said for anything that builds as much togetherness for our community as Eaux Claires previously has.

Another community event happened last week too, albeit featuring less musical star power: “The Future of Downtown” event, hosted by DECI and WEDC. The event didn’t end in some kind of communal light-bulb moment; no one had a singular answer as to how downtown Eau Claire lands on its best foot this year in order to keep building forward. But it did try to bring that conversation more to the forefront.

I wrote about the event, which you can read on p. 10 (or online, here), and couldn’t help but pose something of a question at its conclusion. Maybe it'll bring you into the conversation, too, if you weren't already.

I’m young, but I’ve called the Chippewa Valley home my entire life. I’m invested in the success of this place, from Chippewa Falls to Eau Claire to Menomonie. So, while all the nostalgia is great, I want to get excited about what's next. I hope you do, too.