New Year’s Eve will mark Royal Credit Union’s second annual Light Up Eau Claire, and this year it will be brighter than ever. This event is produced by Visit Eau Claire and proceeds will benefit the operations fund of the Confluence Arts Center. Light Up Eau Claire is proud to offer multiple lantern workshops prior to this artful evening of parades, music, fireworks and merriment. These workshops were created to ensure everyone has a chance to light up the night, celebrate the New Year and honor our sister city, Lismore, Australia with a lantern in hand. |
Light Up Eau Claire, which features live local music, two lantern parades, fireworks and a formal soiree, New Year’s Eve Gala presented by BMO Harris Bank, donates all proceeds to the funding of the Confluence Arts Center.
For more information on Light Up Eau Claire and a full schedule of events, visit www.lightupeauclaire.com.
How the Lismore Lantern Parade Came to Be
Jenny Dowell, former mayor of Lismore, Australia, Eau Claire’s sister city, paid a visit to Eau Claire to join in the celebration of the grand opening of The Lismore Hotel back in 2016. It was during that visit that she encouraged Eau Claire to bring a piece of Lismore culture to the city, explaining how each year Lismore celebrates the winter solstice with a lantern parade. While their winter solstice is in June, Eau Claire leaders decided it would be a perfect way to ring in the New Year.
About Visit Eau Claire
Visit Eau Claire is the area’s official tourism marketing organization with a role to better the city for all who live, work, study and play here and a mission to bring visitors to the area. With encouragement and support from Visit Eau Claire and benefiting greatly from the independent spirit of those who call the community home, this northern Wisconsin university city is making a name for itself as a creative hub with a hip and homegrown music and arts scene and a robust entrepreneurial culture. This city of bridges sits at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers, a breathtaking backdrop that inspires originality and encourages a love of outdoors at every turn. Midwest indie? Yes, really.