Media Release 7.9.24

For Immediate Release

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Chainsaws Buzzing                     Ghosts Visiting           Campfires Glowing    

 Eau Claire, Wisconsin—The Chippewa Valley Museum, in Eau Claire’s Carson Park, is Outside in August

US Open Chainsaw Sculpture Championship, events August 1-4, 2024. Competition Carvers include Sam Bowsher (Scotland), Dawna Ceriani (Pennsylvania), Takao Hayashi (Japan), Nathan Howard (Pennsylvania), Mike Koeppel (Our local Menomonie artist), Chris Kuehn (Minnesota), Jake Rhodes (Canada), Kyle Thomas (Michigan), Jesse Toso (Canada), Ryan Villiers (Canada), and Chris Wood (Wales). If you’re a fan of A Cut Above, the Discovery Channel’s Chainsaw competition television show, you will remember watching Villiers and Toso compete, with Wood as one of the three finalists, and Bowsher winning first prize.

Thursday, August 1, 5-8p. Save the date for our Pre-Chainsaw Party with no admission. Visitors can meet the carvers, participate in an auction, purchase dinner from the Lions Club and stop by the bar while listening to music by Jim Nelson. (Visitors can watch the carvers begin their sculptures on Thursday at no charge, but museum visits require regular admission.)

Friday, August 2, 10a-9 p. Watch the carvers do their magic. Live music begins at 8p with Andy Hanson, followed by Irie Sol at 9p. 

Satrday, August 3, 10a-7p. Family Day is 12-4p. There will be plenty of activities happening. Watch Kevin Schwartz create balloon sculptures and get your face painted. Enjoy Exaggerated Entertainment professional caricaturists; take one home for free. Listen to the Jensen Lind Band. Learn fun facts about nature with Beaver Creek Reserve naturalists. Get a little nostalgic with the Red Cedar Rousers Barbershop Quartet. Play outdoor games with the Chippewa Valley Council Boy Scouts of America. Hear stories of the Anderson Log House and Sunnyview School with museum docents. Educator Karen Jacobson says that “Our goal is to include activities for all ages to enjoy, along with those that allow families to spend quality time together." 

Sunday, August 4, 10a-4p. The carvers put on their finishing touches before the judging begins. After judging, there will be an award ceremony, followed by an auction of all these beautiful and intricate pieces. 

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, check out the exhibitor fair, socialize in the bar, and check out the food truck selections. There will be free parking in the large Carson Park lot with shuttles available to get you to the main event. 

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Thursday, Aug 8, 6 - 7:30pm or Thursday, August 15, 6-7:30 pm: “Echoes of Eau Claire: A Walking Tour through Lakeview Cemetery” with Greg Kocken and Bob Gough. This journey through Lakeview Cemetery explores fascinating memorials and reveals the tapestry of lives connected to these monuments. The 90-minute walk will be over level ground. Be prepared to encounter ghosts or other spectral creatures who have been reported to visit the cemetery in the evening! Registration is available online through the calendar at cvmuseum.com.

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Wednesday August 21, 7- 8:30pm, Campfire Stories and Sing Along. Bring your favorite Wisconsin summer memory to our birthday party campfire. Ken Szymanski and Derick Black are on hand to celebrate the CVM being in Carson Park for 50 years. Ken will lead off with a fun summer story and then we’ll open the mic for anyone who wants to share a family-appropriate tale. Derick will lead a sing-along ending with Happy Birthday. Bring your lawn chair and favorite beverage. This program is free. Registration is available online through the calendar at cvmuseum.com.

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Hope to see you in Carson Park…

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For more information contact Diana Peterson at d.peterson@cvmuseum.com | (715) 834-7871.