4th of July Celebration at CVM

The Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire's beautiful Carson Park will hold its 22nd annual Independence Day celebration on Friday, July 4, with events from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is free.

Activities at the all-day celebration include wool spinning demonstrations, spelling bees, patriotic music by a brass quintet, cake walks, carnival games, an honor guard, a civil war encampment, live entertainment, and pony rides.

The museum's newest exhibit, Changing Currents: Reinventing the Chippewa Valley, will also be open for visitors to preview, while the exhibit is set to officially open in December.

Visitors may also purchase hot dogs, brats, chips and soda from the grill or sample an ice cream treat from CVM's Fab Fifties ice cream parlor.

"The Family Fair has really become Eau Claire's signature daytime event on the Fourth," said Liz Reuter, the Museum's programs manager. "Our day is actually the rebirth of a long city tradition. Eau Claire held its first big Fourth of July celebration in 1858, almost fifteen years before it was officially a city."

Many of the activities are free, and others have a small charge. Visitors can buy tickets 3-for-$1 at two outdoor booths. The Museum uses the event as a fundraiser. In 2011, the event grossed nearly $13,000 to support the Museum's programs and preservation activities throughout the year.

"Our members, and many local businesses, donate money and supplies for the event," said Dorie Boetcher, the Museum's operations manager. "Their support keeps admission free for the day."

Although many of the events and activities take place on the lawn, the Museum itself will be bustling as well, as the exhibits and performances of the award-winning multimedia show "This Day" will be available all day.