Volume One

NEW YORK, HERE THEY COME! The concrete jungle is where dreams are made of; this sentiment certainly rings true for members of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Marching Band (BMB). Come 2027, they will be one of few participating schools to showcase their talents at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade festivities in New York City, N.Y. UW-Eau Claire’s Blugold Marching Band (BMB) will grace the streets at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, N.Y. next year.

THE JOY OF MUSIC. For many in the Chippewa Valley, this year's Multicultural Festival (pictured) was the first time seeing a qeej performance by Hmong youths involved with the Eau Claire Area Hmong Mutual Assistance Association. This year, the organization's Qeej Club has seen growth in its enrollment; a dozen boys and girls gather weekly to learn how to play a culturally significant instrument passed down through generations.

A NEW CHAPTER. By the end of the year, the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce will be moved into a new location – and have a new leader. Andrew Holt, pictured, was announced as the organization's next CEO and president on Oct. 8. (Photo by Andrea Paulseth / Headshot submitted) The Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce has named its next CEO and president. Andrew Holt, a California native and longtime organizational leader, will begin his new role in the Chippewa Valley on Thursday, Oct. 22.

A COMMON THREAD. A new installation at the Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa falls, “Celebrating Fiber Arts,” will begin on Oct. 21 and continue through Nov. 21. (Submitted photo) “Wearable art reminds us that creativity does not need to exist within a frame or a pedestal,” Patty Wollum, a local textile artist, said.

WHAT NOW? Micon Cinemas Operations Manager Olson told Volume One financial challenges, theatrical release schedules and downtown parking were factors in the decision to sell the downtown theater location. Trillium Commercial Realty agents said a “restricted deed” has been placed on the two venues; this limits how a piece of real estate can be used in future operations.

WHAT NOW? Micon Cinemas Operations Manager Olson told Volume One financial challenges, theatrical release schedules and downtown parking were factors in the decision to sell the downtown theater location. Micon Cinemas announced the decision on Oct. 2, leading to online conversations around the possibility of a community-owned cinema.

Visual Art People On Campus Neo-Surrealist Painter Shares His Visual Approach To Language ARTIST TO ARTIST. Internationally acclaimed visual artist and UW-Madison faculty, Fred Stonehouse, will present an artist talk for “Emblem and Epigraph/Curses and Catchphrases” on Oct. 8 in the Furlong Art Gallery of UW-Stout Polytechnic. In this retrospective collection, Stonehouse uses both humor and language throughout his paintings.

A NEW DIRECTION. The Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra (CVSO) has begun its latest series of performances for 2026-2027, "A Season of Discovery." The new season will showcase a handful of conductors, eligible to become the organization's next music director. (Former CVSO music director and conductor, Nobuyoshi Yasuda, pictured) This fall season and into 2027, audiences are invited to experience imaginative realms of curiosity, emotion and human connection through musical storytelling.

Visual Art Style Entrepreneurship Uptown Girl Gallery Specializes In Functional & Beautiful Woodwork If you chat up any of the vendors at local artisan maker markets, you’ll likely hear that their craft – ceramics, fiber work, jewelry, prints and more – isn’t their “day job.” In the late 2010s and recent years, this was also the case for Augusta’s Holly Goetz. Holly has been an occupational therapist for just over 20 years. It’s a career that’s doubled as a passion, she said.

A high-energy night of live music with the Shillelagh Lads, dancing, and powerful stories of lives being changed. Celebrate freedom, hope, and a fresh start.