Back in early 2020, when the smoke went up but we couldn’t see beyond it – or predict just how long the flames of the pandemic would last – Eaux Claires festival organizers were in the midst of planning some sort of downtown-takeover iteration. 

The dates were set – July 10-11, 2020 – with plans to boogie ’til 2am throughout downtown Eau Claire instead of its original Foster Farms stomping grounds. A family-style dinner for hundreds was slated for Sunday, July 12.

That festival weekend didn’t happen, of course. As the years came and went, hopes of an Eaux Claires return dwindled. Its time had passed, fans thought.

Then last year, swirling murmurs turned into substantiated plans; a new venue, different vibe, and the same kind of enigmatic energy around what was actually up organizers’ sleeves for the revival year.

But for a not insignificant number of locals, this year's Eaux Claires doesn't mean much more than increased traffic near Carson Park for a few days. Fair enough.

Naturally, life doesn’t stop just because the music starts up again – I think we've all learned that lesson, a time or two – but I sure am excited for what's to come, this weekend and beyond. 

Those seconds when you realize, this place/person/moment is really, really special, and how lucky are we to experience that – whatever that is, is probably what life is about. 

Until another one of those experiences pops up, take some time to catch up with the local goings-on by diving into our latest issue. Whether or not we run into each other at the festival (keep up with us online for real-time updates @VolumeOne), we'll connect again through these pages in another two weeks. You can count on that.