Holiday Events
Osseo's 37th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade
Save the date for Osseo's 37th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade on November 29, 2024! The parade takes place at 7 PM, and Santa will be at the Garber Bandshell in Central Park before and after the parade. Visit the Osseo Chamber of Commerce website to learn more about the parade and this year's theme, "Remembering our Christmas Angels."
Clearwater Winter Parade
Kick off the holiday season in Eau Claire at the Clearwater Winter Parade! The parade is on December 6, 2024, and it begins at the corner of West Grand Avenue and 2nd Avenue and travels through 1st Avenue. The parade starts at 6:30 PM and is filled with family entertainment, music, and even fireworks to follow!
Chippewa Valley Parade of Lights
Make your holiday season merry and bright with the Chippewa Valley Parade of Lights! The most festive homes and businesses in the Chippewa Valley register to participate and decorate their houses/establishments with holiday lights, scenes, and different decor in celebration of the season. They are then featured on a map that you can use to guide your driving route as you venture out on your own little holiday lights tour. A map of participating addresses is set to be released soon. Find more event details!
Santa Cycle Rampage
Bust out your Santa suits and goofiest elf costumes, and get dazzled up for a bike ride around Eau Claire at the Santa Cycle Rampage! This holiday social ride goes for 6 miles at a friendly, slow pace, inviting bikers of all levels to celebrate the holiday season in style. Deck your bikes out with jingle bells and ribbons, and wear your most festive outfits for the iconic Eau Claire Santa Cycle Rampage on December 7, 2024.
Ho H-Eau Ho 5K
Lace-up your running shoes for an unforgettable holiday run in Eau Claire this season! The Ho H-Eau Ho 5K will take place in Carson Park on December 14, 2024. The 5K begins at 9:00 AM, and the kids' run will follow at 10:30 AM. Get into the holiday spirit by dressing in your favorite festive outfits, and be sure to say "Hello!" to Santa and Mrs. Claus after your run!
Breakfast with Santa
Santa is going to be extra busy this holiday season attending a variety of family-friendly breakfast events! Started on December 7, 2024, have breakfast with Santa in Altoona at the River Prairie Center from 9-11 AM. Due to the popularity of this event, all attendants must pre-register before December 2, 2024. The city of Osseo is also hosting its Breakfast with Santa event on December 7, 2024, at the Osseo Evangelical Lutheran Church. Fill up on pancakes, participate in crafts, and take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus! On December 22, 2024, Wheaton Family Restaurant will be hosting a special Christmas brunch where kids can write letters to Santa, take photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, decorate cookies, and more!
Ugly Sweater Christmas Party at The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen
Bust out your hideous holiday sweaters, and get into the holiday spirit at The Phoenix Taproom & Kitchen! Join the party on December 21, 2024, for specialty holiday cocktails and sweater contests at the taproom. Click here to learn more!
Get into the Holiday Spirit
Lights in the Valley
Get your tickets for the first-ever Lights in the Valley event in Eau Claire! Taking place from November 29, 2024, through January 1, 2025, the Eau Claire County Expo grounds are turning into a beautiful light show just in time for the holiday season. Experience the magic while driving through a large show of colorful lights and holiday festive decorations. The light show will feature more than 180,000 lights and even a 250-foot lit-up tunnel! Entries are $20 per car, and cars are allowed to fit up to 8 people. The lights are also synced to music through FM radio or the Tune2 app. Click here to learn more and to purchase your tickets.
Stroll Through the Christmas Village
Christmas Village is an impressive light display over at Irvine Park in Chippewa Falls, WI. The park gets lit up with over 100,000 lights and creates Christmas scenes that will make you feel like you've been transported back to the Victorian era. You can put on your snow boots to walk through the park on foot or cozy up with a warm cup of hot cocoa and Christmas music in your car to drive through the park. The Christmas Village is free, but donations are always appreciated to help keep this lovely tradition alive in the Chippewa Valley. The display will be available to drive/walk through on Monday-Sunday from 7 am-9:30 pm from Thanksgiving through January 1, 2025, and will be open until midnight on Christmas Eve (12/24/2024).
Pick Out Your Christmas Tree
There's something about picking out that perfect Balsam Fir, strapping it onto the rooftop of your car, and bringing the fresh smell of pine through the front doors of your home. Look no further than Curvue Hideaway & Trees for a tree farm that will have just what your living room needs this season. They have 10 acres worth of trees for you to browse through including ones you can cut yourself or pre-cut trees that will save you some sweat. Then, do some rockin' around the Christmas tree and have a happy holiday! Click here to see our full blog highlighting tree farms in the area.
See a Holiday Show at Pablo Center
Have you made a visit to Pablo Center at the Confluence yet? Well, this place is quite the spectacle to experience both inside and out. Browse Pablo Center's calendar to see what shows they have coming in Late November/December. Find something that piques your interest and purchase your tickets before the seats fill up! Pick something festive like Zach Williams: I don't want Christmas to end or get a taste of a local country artist who made his debut on The Voice, Chris Kroeze! Find Pablo Center's full event calendar.
Get in The Christmas Spirit with Spirits
What are the holidays without seasonal, creamy cocktails and red wines? Infinity Beverages Winery & Distillery has just the things to fill those needs. They serve their own house-made wines and spirits 365 days a year and invite you to come in for a memorable wine-tasting experience with your closest friends and family. Click here to see more winter-themed cocktails in Eau Claire this season!
Winter Getaway at Leinie Lodge
Why not enjoy the holidays with a beer in hand?! Spend the winter season at Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls shopping for holiday gifts and sipping on Leinenkugel's famous flavors that make the holiday season extra hoppy! Get a taste of exclusive flavors like Gingerbread Ale, Wisconsin Harvest Ale, or Leinie’s Hibernated Hefeweizen. Speaking of beer... have you signed up for your free Eau Claire Brew Pass yet?!
Holiday Dining
Dine-In
Let's be real; sometimes the holidays can get out of hand. All the cooking, cleaning, and shopping... all you need is a night out! This holiday season, check out some of Eau Claire's local restaurants that serve dishes that put us on the map.
Take-Out
Since the effects of COVID-19, many restaurants have continued their take-out and curbside pick-up options. Pick up some of your favorite comfort foods and make it a cozy night in with a holiday movie on the TV and your fireplace lit.
Desserts
Don't think we forgot about dessert! The holidays are all about baked goods. Craving French pastries? The Nostalgic Bean in Altoona is your place. Pie? Stop at Norske Nook in Osseo! Treats that pair well with coffee? Pick up something curb-side from ECDC! Click here to check out our blog highlighting bakeries in Eau Claire where you can place orders for you holiday goodies!
Winter Activities
Sledding
Where there is a hill and a blanket of snow, there are sleds racing down the slopes in Eau Claire! Grab your snow pants and sleds and enjoy a winter afternoon of pure snowy fun on the sledding hills at Wheaton Park!
Cross Country Skiing & Snowshoeing
Skiing and snowshoeing, oh my! Eau Claire has plenty of trails that are made just for winter recreation. You can glide through Tower Ridge on your skis or put one foot in front of the other with your snowshoes on at Lowes Creek. Wherever you go, enjoy the beautiful snowy scenes that winter brings to Eau Claire.
Fat Tire Biking
Eau Claire offers miles of bike trails year-round. When winter comes to town, some trails are groomed and ready for the fat tire biking enthusiasts out there. Get outside and get your rush of adrenaline this winter!
Winter Kubb
It's no secret that Kubb is Eau Claire's favorite lawn game. After all, Eau Claire is the Kubb Capital of North America! So, who's to say some snow is going to stop us from playing this game? Grab a group of friends and lay out your Kubb pitch at some of our favorite parks in the area like River Prairie, Pinehurst Park, or Phoenix Park!
Ice Skating
Lace-up for a day of skating in Eau Claire this winter! Discover ice rinks at various parks including Boyd Park, Demmler Park, or Putnam Park. On those extra cold days, hit the rink at Hobbs for daytime or evening skates with skate rentals available. Learn more about ice skating in Eau Claire here.
CLICK HERE TO SEE WINTER RECREATION ACTIVITIES IN EAU CLAIRE
