Halloween Hauntings 2014

V o lu m e O n e ’ s s p o o k i e s t s p e c i a l s e c t i o n EDITORS: Eric Christenson + Tom Giffey DESIGN: Janae Breunig + Eric Christenson + Tom Giffey WRITERS: B.J. Hollars + Chad Lewis + Tom Giffey PHOTOS: Andrea Paulseth LISTINGS: Tyler Griggs

RESURFACING WITH THE TRUTH B.J. Hollars recreates (and fabricates) tales of death on the Valley’s waterways “It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn’t so much wilderness around you couldn’t see the town. But on the other hand there wasn’t so much town you couldn’t see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness.”

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ot a year goes by that I don’t read Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree, the story of a pack of children who head out one Halloween night to rescue their friend Pip from evil forces. To save him, they must first endure a whirlwind tour to better understand the holiday’s beginnings – from ancient Egypt, to the Romans, to the Celts. At book’s end, when confronted with Moundshroud, the skeletal-headed manifestation of Death himself, the children are faced with a terrible choice: Are they willing to give up a year at the end of their lives in order to save their beloved friend?

It’s the kind of moral crisis that’s perfect for big-hearted Midwesterners such as us. We aim to please – always at the ready to offer a helping hand – but just how much more of ourselves are we willing to give?

Beyond Bradbury’s fantastical world, none of us will ever face such a curious choice. But it’s a question worth mulling: What might we do to bring someone back?

Of course, there’s no bringing anyone back; though through literature, we might at least allow the memory of the departed to resurface. Which is what I’ve tried to do by researching historical drownings from this region, retelling the tales of people who lost their lives in our own small rivers and our own small lakes in our own northern part of a Midwest state.

Here in Eau Claire – much like in Bradbury’s fictional town – the wilderness surrounds us while we, too, surround the wilderness. It’s this borderland, this fringe between wild and tame, that has given and cost us so much. The rivers built this town, and in conjunction with the trees, blessed us with a lumber industry. But the rivers cursed us as

–Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree

Exploits of a Pig

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well, an ever-flowing reminder of the dangers that await us in the wild.

Gluttons for punishment, the kind folks at Volume One not only wrote a generous article on my truth-bending new book, Dispatches From the Drownings, but they also asked me to provide a brief excerpt for this issue.

Who knows why – perhaps they’re trying to scare off readers.

(I’m happy to help where I can.)

In an attempt to prepare you for what lies ahead, allow me to be clear: Not everything you are about to read is true. In the book, 75 of the total historical drowning reports are factual, while the remaining 25 are wholly fabricated. Sticking with this ratio, find below four historical drowning reports, three of which – while rewritten – are indeed true.

My unwillingness to draw the line between fact and fiction is my attempt to bring attention to something I fear almost as much as the rivers: believing everything I read.

Of course, we’re all guilty of taking “facts” at face value. It’s simply easier to believe what we’re told than to interrogate every piece of information we come cross in our newspapers, our cable news, and – dare I say it? – even our always factual (I swear!) Volume One. Yet in an era of the 24-hour news cycle, perhaps we are best served by being skeptical.

And so, as we enter the season of scary, pay little attention to the ghosts and the ghouls that emerge. Rather, consider the greater threats: the rivers, the wilds, the “facts” unencumbered by a fact check.

On this dark and dreary October eve, allow me to spur your skepticism.

For starters, don’t trust me.

local pig was spotted at the confluences of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers earlier today, prompting many curious onlookers to take a momentary break from their routines to root for the swine’s safe return to land.

While little is known of the pig – including its age, sex, or owner – the creature nevertheless gained the attention of many on both sides of the river. While the pig was indeed lacking in surefootedness, this terrestrial shortcoming was quickly forgiven by its unlikely swimming prowess. While pigs trapped in water typically cut their throats with their hooves rather than endure the injustice of a more painful death by drowning, this particular pig appeared wholly unaware of the protocol. Instead, its snout bobbed just above the water as the current continued to sweep it farther downriver.

As the pig approached the bridge its fate seemed sealed, though much to the crowd’s delight, after appearing to be lost in the current, the stoic swine miraculously popped out down river, a confused look on its face but in no worse shape than before. Next, it passed Mayhew’s Mill, and while the majority of the pig’s well wishers were now nearly two hundred yards removed from the scene (“his ears were scarcely visible” reported one witness), the pig nevertheless continued its struggle against the mighty Chippewa.

Spectators observed the harrowing conclusion and were rewarded by the pig’s own renewed zest for life, its legs striking out gallantly toward the eastern shoreline. Its courage seemed to rise until observers lost sight of it once more. Fearing the worst, the disheartened crowd began to dissipate, though one young onlooker spotted a pig-shaped shadow nearing the shore alongside the warehouses. The pig was said to have made landfall soon after.

Though the pig had swum a good half-mile, there are no drowning marks on the fortunate swine. As one onlooker joked, “His complexion is perfect gallows.”

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NARROW ESCAPE

CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSEUM

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August 31, 1875

May 20, 1894

au Claire is a city well known for the precociousness of its youth, a reputation reaffirmed last Saturday at around 5 p.m. when the toddling 4-year-old son of John Engstrom was found playing on the railroad tracks over the Eau Claire River as a train came barreling past. While his playmates spotted the train and ran to safety, young Engstrom – too distracted by his fun – paid no notice to the enormous locomotive.

Spotting the young boy on the tracks, the engineer made every effort to stop the train, though he failed to do so at such a short distance. Instead, he was forced to watch helplessly as the train powered over the child.

The engineer expected the worst, but the worst did not befall young Engstrom.

Instead, the boy was found safe and sound just beneath the tracks.

It is believed the child slipped through the railroad ties at the last moment, plunging the twenty or so feet to the safety of the sandy shore of the river. In this way, he managed to avoid two equally expected ends: death by crushing and death by drowning.

Think of young Engstrom, ye mothers, who allow your children to turn railroad tracks into playgrounds!

The train men immediately rushed to find the fallen babe already back on his chubby feet, crying lustily, a sound that seemed worth a dozen dead babies.

Soon after, physicians tended to a scrape and a bruise and then returned the child to his home on 742 North Barstow Street.

His baffled parents had no idea their son had wandered away but believed him to be playing somewhere in the yard. Instead, young Engstrom is said to have traversed a distance of nearly two miles, overcoming the perils of trains and rivers before returning home hardly worse off than when he had left. Certainly the experience has never been equaled in this town.

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May 7, 1897

and speculators Vincent Tundle and Ethan Rowe of St. Paul, Minnesota, recently arrived in the city for the purpose of buying and reselling river front property along the Eau Claire River, much to the anger of locals who prefer the area left wild. A town meeting was held two days back in which residents made their opinions clear, informing the city council of their preference to keep the natural splendor of the river rather than watch the land ravished for the purposes of profit. Tundle and Unfamiliar with the terrain Rowe – both present at the meeting – acknowledged the townspeople’s concerns, but and wholly unprepared for remained ultimately unmoved in the matter. their journey, the men failed Yesterday morning Tundle and Rowe set out in a canoe in order to gain a better sense of to stay to the left of the the land, as well as to reexamine a few property rapids and, as a result, soon lines. Their business was cut short, however, found themselves battered upon meeting the rapids a mile from the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. against the rocks.

Unfamiliar with the terrain and wholly unprepared for their journey, the men failed to stay to the left of the rapids and, as a result, soon found themselves battered against the rocks. A few witnesses observed the men raising their paddles for assistance, though when assistance finally arrived, the men had already been tossed into the water. The canoe was retrieved at the confluence of the rivers, though the bodies of Tundle and Rowe have yet to be recovered.

No word yet on the fate of the disputed property.

NO TRACES YET OF MISSING BOY

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May 7, 1897

ith each passing hour, optimism for the safe return of 14-year-old Alfred Blomquist continues to wane. Two theories of Blomquist’s fate are currently being debated about town, one of which points toward his drowning in the Eau Claire River.

Blomquist would be far from the first to meet such a death. Witnesses note that Blomquist had taken to swimming with some younger boys, but then moved upriver to swim with some older boys, instead. This was the last that was seen of the missing lad.

A competing theory contends that he left home for the country, where he was lured by the promise of work. Blomquist failed his exams last year, and the dread of returning to school may have prompted him to flee. Adding some credence to this theory is a statement given by a neighbor who claimed to have overheard Blomquist exclaim that he would rather work for five cents a day than return to that dreaded institution.

While both searches continue simultaneously – some men probing the river while others have been dispatched to the country – there are several incidents that give strength to the drowning theory.

First, Blomquist has no history of running away from home. By all accounts he was a well-behaved young man not taken to rash behavior.

Next, a neighbor noted his neatness of dress, telling local reporters that Blomquist would hardly walk the one block to the butcher shop without collar and cuffs, and thus, it seemed unlikely that he would leave for his first job dressed in such a provincial manner: overalls and straw hat. Further weakening this claim is the fact that Blomquist’s modest accumulation of money (money earned from his time playing in the Eau Claire Boys’ Band) remained undisturbed at the family home.

Though Mr. and Mrs. Blomquist join many of their neighbors in believing their son met his fate in the river, they remain unwilling to give up the search. Twenty-six sticks of dynamite have been dedicated to the cause of recovering his body, though so far, the river has remained mum to the missing boy’s location.

In a final act of desperation, Mr. Blomquist was spotted questioning tramps at the hobo camp late last evening. It is unclear what information he hoped to ascertain from these hapless and hopeless men.

Interested in Reading More ?

Find B.J. Hollars’ book Dispatches From the Drownings at The Local Store 205 N. Dewey St. Eau Claire

Search B.J. Hollars at VolumeOne.org for upcoming events

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY MUSEUM

the eau claire river in fate meet speculators

TEN REAL, LOCAL HAUNTS DREW KAISER

Paranormal investigator Chad Lewis shares some of the Chippewa Valley’s most chilling legends

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had Lewis has been exploring claims of the paranormal across the Chippewa Valley, the Upper Midwest, and beyond for the better part of two decades. Lewis, the author of numerous books about the unexplained, offers some of the most unsettling stories he’s encountered from our neck of the (potentially haunted) woods.

1. ELK LAKE DAM

3. Lakeview Cemetery

ELK LAKE Hunched on the hillside of Elk Lake, this secluded dam is haunted by the ghost of a young woman who was brutally murdered and dumped near the dam. The killer has never been caught, and numerous witnesses report seeing the woman walking through the woods eternally searching for her killer.

Eau Claire A popular dare in Eau Claire is for brave souls to walk alone through this haunted cemetery during the evening. Those with enough courage to accept the dare have reported seeing strange glowing lights, disembodied apparitions lurking behind gravestones, and mysterious noises that cannot be accounted for.

4. James Sheeley House Restaurant and Saloon

near Elk Creek Dam, Dunn County

2. Kjer Theatre UW-Eau Claire At this theater, both the actors and the audience are treated to more than just plays. Many witnesses report seeing the ghost of theater namesake Earl Kjer sitting in his favorite seat, just as he had done while he was alive. While working late at night, several janitors have reported seeing Earl disappear right before their eyes.

It also seems that Earl still wishes to assist with the productions, as his ghost will often tamper with the lights, props, and curtains.

When you visit this theater, you may want to make sure you are not sitting in the seat reserved for the ghost of Earl Kjer.

Chippewa Falls When this soon-to-reopen historic eatery and tavern was operating, workers reported seeing the misty apparition of a woman believed to be the ghost of former resident and owner, Ms. Sheeley. Bartenders closing up at night report hearing their names being whispered by an unknown source.

And during renovation, mysterious footprints appeared on the staircase when the varnish was drying overnight.

5. Caryville Road Caryville If you happen to pass through this secluded road, be prepared to see the ghost of a young boy, phantom cars, a vanishing hitchhiker, a hanging priest, and a haunted cemetery. If you do visit Caryville, make sure that the supernatural hellhounds do not follow you back home.

Caryville Cemetery

6. The Ritz Tavern

9. Stones Throw

Chippewa Falls The owners reported seeing the ghost of a strange, short man. A cold chill ran through them as they tried to determine if the “thing” they were looking at was a ghost or some type of supernatural creature. When they bar is busy, customers talk freely about the ghost. However, when the crowd thins out, many are suddenly reluctant to talk about the ghost with the belief that it may be lurking nearby.

Beware: The beer served in this bar always comes with a cold chill.

Eau Claire Both staff and patrons have reported strange events taking place at this downtown tavern. One evening while closing up the bar for the night, an employee jokingly said “everybody out.” Just then, a ghost of a man stood up, put on his jacket, and disappeared into thin air.

7. Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts Menomonie The ghost of an unknown woman still haunts this historic building. Many employees have witnessed a ghostly apparition of a woman roaming the halls.

During rehearsals, actors report seeing a ghostly apparition sitting in the empty theater. One employee was so terrified after seeing the ghost that he quit his job the next day.

Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts

8. Devil’s Punchbowl Menomonie Nestled in the dense woods near Menomonie, reports of shadowy figures, unusual floating balls of light, and unexplained noises originate from this popular spot. Many visitors have had to leave the punchbowl due to fear. If you are brave enough to venture to the punchbowl, bring your camera, as not long ago a woman and her son were quite shaken when they saw a terrifying gnome-like creature standing near the brush.

10. Green Eyes Bridge Augusta It is said that in the late 1800s a man brutally butchered his family. Police found their skinned remains hanging in the family barn. The deranged man fled police by taking his life at the end of a rope on a secluded country bridge. Since that time, those visiting the bridge report seeing the man’s glowing green eyes staring at them.

Want more tales of things that go bump in the night? Lewis will give a free presentation titled “Tales of Ghosts, Mysterious Creatures & UFOs” at 2pm Sunday, Oct. 26, at The Volume One Gallery, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire. Check out his other books and research at uexplainedresearch.com.

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CHIPPEWA VALLEY COSTUME IDEAS Sure, you could be a pirate again. Or you could dig in your closet (and imagination) and embody something that says “Chippewa Valley” for Halloween.

PAUL FUNYUN THE LUMBERSNACK

What happens when you combine everybody’s favorite legendary lumberjack with everybody’s favorite ring-shaped Frito-Lay product? Why, Paul Funyun, of course. With his onion-flavored ax, Paul felled countless acres of white pine while meeting the snacking needs of thousands of northwoods denizens, one little yellow bag at a time.

LIVING ADIN RANDALL STATUE

Portraying one of Eau Claire’s most beloved founding fathers can be as easy as getting a 19th-century suit, a fake beard, and a few gallons of bronze-colored body paint. Sit quietly in the park until some unsuspecting pranksters try to put a garbage can on your head – then stand up and enjoy scaring the sawdust out of them.

GORDY’S GURU

Transforming yourself into the Valley’s second-favorite celeb is simple: wear a polo shirt, mix a bit of gel in your hair, and get very enthusiastic about grocery deals.

Instead of candy, you can hand out valuable Pump Perks to trick-or-treaters.

ZOMBIE FARMERS MARKET GRANNY

What’s creepier than the almost-but-not-quite-lifelike statue “Granny’s Garden” that stands outside the Eau Claire farmers market? Why, a zombie Granny! Instead of garden-fresh produce, fill your upturned apron with fake brains for added realism.

THE CONFLUENCE PROJECT

This could be the most controversial, head-turning costume of all. Depending on your opinion of the project, the costume could go in different directions. You and a friend could dress as a happy couple, one representing the community, one the university, holding hands all night and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes while whispering sweet nothing about the creative class and economic development. Or, you could dress as a white elephant greedily munching taxpayer dollars.

REALCARE BABY INFANT SIMULATOR

Want to teach a valuable lesson about the responsibilities of parenthood to your friends? Become a jumbo-sized RealCare Baby, just like the infant simulator made by Eau Claire-based Realityworks. Don a diaper and a onesie and demand to be cuddled, fed, burped, and changed at inconvenient times all evening, and dock your friends’ grades if they don’t respond to your needs in time. (Note: A less-expensive option is dressing up like a bag of flour.)

EAU CLAIRE CITY COUNCIL OF DOOM

You and 10 of your closest friends can portray the city decision-making body that specializes in dismembered bodies. Possible members include Scary Kincaid, Dave Du-Ax Maniac, and Monica Boo-is.

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BOOKS TO DIE FOR

Get under the covers with your flashlight: These terrifying tales are all from Wisconsin – and all in The Local Store FAMOUS WISCONSIN GHOSTS & GHOST HUNTERS

by Hannah Heidi Levy & Brian G. Borton, $16.95 If you’ve ever loved a ghost story and are curious about the people who dig into those stories, then this book is for you. If you’ve ever just loved a good chilling tale, then this book is for you. If you’re curious about people’s opinions on ghosts and the like, then this book is for you.

GHOSTLY TALES OF WISCONSIN

by Ryan Jacobson, $9 Why is Wisconsin called the most haunted state in the country? Find out in this chilling collection of supernatural stories, highlighting nearly 30 of the state’s spookiest spots.

From a house so haunted it was featured on a national TV show to a road where a werewolf is said to reside – and much, much more – it’s all right here in this book. Don’t read it alone!

MYTHS AND MYSTERIES OF WISCONSIN

by Michael Bie, $15 Unearth the mysteries, myths, strange happenings, and haunted places in Wisconsin’s history. This intriguing, lively, and easy-toread collection of eerie stories will leave readers astonished at the secrets it reveals.

BADGER BONEYARDS: THE ETERNAL REST OF THE STORY

by Dennis McCann, $17 The bodies are buried, but the stories are not.

From the ornate tombs of Milwaukee beer

barons to displaced Chippewa graves and miniscule family plots, Badger Boneyards: The Eternal Rest of the Story unearths the stories of Wisconsin. Football great John Heisman is buried here, as is the state’s smallest man, a woman whose tombstone names her murderer, and the boy who would not tell a lie and paid the price.

of Mineral Point to phantom chickens and werewolves that roam rural Wisconsin. Filled with witness drawings, eyewitness testimony, and mysterious photos, this guide provides the reader with directions to these bizarre places where you might just come face to face with Wisconsin’s most mysterious creatures.

SPOOKY WISCONSIN

by S.E. Schlosser, $13 Twenty-five creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences in Wisconsin.

NORTHERN FRIGHTS

by Dennis Boyer, $17 The northwoods of Wisconsin are filled with ghost tales, folk legends, and stories of supernatural happenings. Sit back and enjoy this book of legends as told

by Native American storytellers and descendants of French, English, and other early pioneers to the north country.

THE MOST GRUESOME HAUNTINGS OF THE MIDWEST

by Chad Lewis, $16 Chilling tales of murder, suicide and untimely death brought to you by the Midwest’s most famous legend tripper. Chad Lewis is a researcher, author, and lecturer on topics of the strange and unusual.

He has a master’s degree in psychology and has traveled the globe in search of unique and bizarre stories and history.

THESE

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE!

GOT MURDER?

by Martin Hintz, $19 Ah, Wisconsin … land of beer, cows, and the Green Bay Packers. And also the home of Ed Gein, Jeffery Dahmer, and a host of other bloodthirsty maniacs. Got Murder? goes behind the bucolic Dairy State image to reveal shocking acts of mayhem in the dark corners of Wisconsin history, and asks the troubling question: Is it something in the cheese?

205 N. Dewey St.

THE WISCONSIN ROAD GUIDE TO MYSTERIOUS CREATURES

by Chad Lewis, $15 Grab your camera and set off in search of Wisconsin’s most elusive creatures. This guide features on-site investigations into the Bigfoot of the northwoods and the vampire

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DISPATCHES FROM THE DROWNINGS: REPORTING THE FICTION OF NONFICTION

by BJ Hollars, $30 Disturbed by stories of drownings in the river behind his home in Eau Claire, B. J. Hollars combed the archives of local newspapers only to discover vast discrepancies in articles about the deaths. In homage to Michael Lesy’s cult classic, Wisconsin Death Trip, Hollars pairs reports from late 19th- and early 20th-century journalists with fictional versions, creating a hybrid text complete with facts, lies, and a wide range of blurring in between. Charles Van Schaick’s macabre photographs from the era appear alongside the dispatches, further complicating the messiness of history and the limits of truth.

HAUNTED LISTINGS from corn mazes to cinematic chills, everything you need for a spook-tacular holiday ATTRACTIONS Celebrate the Harvest Festival Every day until Oct. 27 • Pleasant Valley Tree Farm, N7240 810th Street, Elk Mound • All ages • 879-5179 • pleasantvalleytree.com Corn maze, play area, pedal toy track, Spooky Ridge Trail, wagon rides, pumpkins, country store and more, including a petting zoo on the weekends.

Corn Maze at Schultz’s Country Barn Tuesdays-Satur-

days until Oct. 31, 10am-5pm • Schultz’s Country Barn, 50996 N. Main St., Eleva • $7, $5 children ages 5-12, group discounts available • 287-4684 • schultzscountrybarn.com Take a challenging tour through this corn maze.

Spooky Hollow Haunted Barn Oct. 17-18, 24-25, and

31, 7-11pm • W141 Segerstrom Rd., Mondovi • $7 • 210-0233 Spooky Hollow Haunted Barn is a family ran haunted house 5 miles east of Mondovi or 4 mile west of Eleva. There is a corn maze along with the haunted barn.

Haunted Barn Oct. 23-24, 6-10pm; Oct. 25, 6-11pm •

Rockin’ T-R Ranch, 8020 Curvue Rd. (County C), Eau Claire • $7, or $5 with a canned food item • 864-2569 Come get scared for a good cause. Sponsored by Pleasant Hill Go Getters 4-H Club and Eau Claire County 4-H Older Youth Council. Portion of proceeds will benefit Feed My People Food Pantry.

The Twisted Trail of Terror Fridays & Saturdays Oct.

24-Nov. 1, 6-9pm • Hipps Pub, s7650 State Hwy 37, Eau Claire • $5 • all ages • 834-7822 The Twisted Trail of Terror is back at Hipps Pub and all ages are welcome to come out and get scared. This is an interactive trail that weaves through the outdoors. There are crazed butchers, beasts, wicked scare crows, witches and much more.

The Horrifying Scares change each night.

Govin’s Corn Maze Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays un-

til Nov. 2 • East of Menomonie off I-94 at exit 45, then south. East a stop sign by Kwik Trip. Watch for signs. • (715) 231-2377 • www.govinsfarm.com Two acre corn maze, flashlight maze at dusk, pig races, hay jump, corn and pumpkin cannon, pumpkin patch, farm animals, hay rides, corn box, jumping pillow, mini golf, concessions and more.

FESTIVALS and PARTIES

Monster Bash Oct. 24, 4:30-6:30pm • Eau Claire YMCA, 8460 • formed spooky

700 Graham Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 836eauclaireymca.org Join us as the Y is transinto a Halloween jamboree, complete with tunnel, carnival games, a costume contest, DJ

music, and more. This year’s event is sponsored by Kwik Trip and will feature fun new additions such as a bouncy house, healthy snacks, clowns, live animals, and more.

for children and adults who want to come dressed in a Halloween costume (costume optional), and check out the more than 20 plus decorated vehicles while trick or treating and enjoying free treats.

Big Band Monster Bash Oct. 24, 7pm • Eau Claire Masonic Building, 616 Graham AvE, Eau Claire • $7, $5 youth & student • 839-8877 • ecct.org Featuring many jazz bands from area high schools and UWEC for a great Halloween-themed night of dancing.

Downtown Eau Claire Trick or Treating Oct. 31, 3-5pm

Hound Dog and Pretty Kitty: Rawkabilly Ball Oct. 24, 7-10pm • The Raw Deal, 603 S. Broadway, Menomonie • $2 suggested donation • Calling all hound dogs and pretty kitties. Join us for our very first Rawkabilly Ball.

Time to break out the red lipstick, saddle shoes, and white T-shirts to benefits the Dunn County Humane Society. Take a trip back in time with the art of Laura Lee and the music of the era.

Downtown Trick or Treat Oct. 31, 3-5pm • Downtown

Singles Connection Halloween Dance Oct. 25, 7pm-

midnight • Brickhouse Pub & Grub (formerly Bonnie’s Labor Temple), 2233 Birch St., Eau Claire • $5 Singles Connection members, $10 nonmembers • 577-7788 Hors d’oeuvres furnished. Dance lessons 7-8pm, dance is 8pm-midnight with live music by 40 Fingers. Come dressed in a Halloween costume - there will be a costume contest with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Eagles Club Halloween Party Nov. 1 (See contact info

for hours) • Eagle’s Club, 2588 Hallie Rd., Chippewa Falls • 723-0172 Don’t put away those costumes just yet. Featuring a costume contest, free snacks, and drink specials.

Hallelujah Party Oct. 31, 7-9pm • Christian Family

Center, 8600 Burnell Drive, Eau Claire • FREE • facebook.com A fun night for kids and adults with music, games, food, a costume contest and bonfire. Come out after trick-or-treating and celebrate the harvest season with us.

• Businesses in downtown Eau Claire • 839-4914 • downtowneauclaire.org Need somewhere to go to get candy? Then come Downtown as local businesses open their doors for trick-or-treaters.

Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 723-6661 • chippewafallsmainst.org Bring the kiddos downtown in their costumes for the annual Downtown Trick or Treat.

Stop by downtown businesses for tons of candy, treats, and fun.

Downtown Trick-or-Treating Oct. 31, 3-5pm • Downtown Menomonie, Main Street, Menomonie • FREE • 235-2666 • mainstreetmenomonie.org Children are invited to enjoy trick-or-treating at participating downtown businesses on Halloween. Dress up, bring your parents and parade up and down Main Street. Map on website shows participating businesses online.

Trick or Treating in Eau Claire Oct. 31, 5-8:30pm • Eau

Claire • The city of Eau Claire’s official trick-or-treating hours is 5-7:30pm.

Trick-or-Treating at the Oakwood Mall Oct. 31, 5-7pm

• Oakwood Mall, 4800 Golf Rd., Eau Claire • 836-0101 •OakwoodMall.com Ghosts, fairy princesses and all scary and magical creatures in between can join the fun.

Trunk or Treat at River Valley Church Oct. 31, 5-7pm • River Valley Church, 341 W. Prairie View Rd., Chippewa Falls • A free event for the whole family. Bring your kiddos trick-or-treating here for a safe and fun time.

Howloween Party EmBark Oct. 27, 6:30-8pm • 2109 Fairfax St., Eau Claire • (715) 864-3263 • www.embark. com Wretched retrievers, terrifying terriers, horrifying hounds and slimy spaniels all gatehr for the dog party of the year. Featuring a costume contest, “paw reader” fortune teller, professional photography, treats, and much more.

TRICK OR TREATING

10th Annual Trunk N’ Treat Oct. 27, 5:30-7:30pm •

Eau Claire Ford Lincoln, 2909 Lorch Ave. (Located at Exit 68 off of I-94, Hwy. 93 exit near Action City) • FREE • 852-1000 • eauclaireford.com Free family event

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There will be coffee and cookies for the parents.

St. Mark Trunk or Treat Oct. 31, 6-8pm • St. Mark Lu-

theran Church, 3307 State Street, Eau Claire • FREE • 834-2595 Ar you looking for a family safe and fun environment to do your trick or treating? St. Mark Lutheran Church and School (Corner of State and Hamilton) is hosting a Trunk or Treat on October 31st. Cars will be decorated in the parking lot and will hand out candy to trick or treaters.

KOOKY KIDS EVENTS

Playin’ with Pumpkins Oct. 18 & 25, 10am-4pm • Down To Earth Garden Center, 22223 Hwy O, Cadott • FREE • All ages • 833-1234 • dwntoearth.com Bring the kids for free miniature pumpkin painting and free pumpkin cookies with hot apple cider in the café. We will have pumpkins in a variety of shapes and sizes, straw bales, mums, gourds and cornstalks for all your fall decorating.

Larger pumpkins available to be purchased and painted too.

Family Storytime plus Pumpkin Painting Oct. 18, 10:15am • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St, Eau Claire • 839-1648 • ecpubliclibrary. info A family storytime followed by pumpkin painting. Pumpkins and paint provided. While supplies last.

Take your pumpkins home or enter them in the library’s pumpkin decoration contest.

Halloween Make & Eat Oct. 18, 2-3:30pm • Menomonie Public Library, 600 Wolske Bay Rd, Menomonie • FREE • grades 6-12 • 232-2164 • menomonielibrary.org Make your own Halloween goodies.

RCU Spook Night Halloween Oct. 24, 5-9pm • Eau Claire Indoor Sports Center, 3456 Craig Road, Eau

Claire • $5 admission, children 2 and under are FREE • 552-1200 • ecsportscenter.com Bring the family into the Sports Center for a kid friendly Halloween “Spook Night” sponsored by RCU. There will be plenty of excitement for everyone with DJ entertainment, huge inflatables, face painting, games and prizes. Don’t forget your costume.

Monster Ball Oct. 24, 6-9pm • Chippewa Falls Public Library, 105 W Central St., Chippewa Falls • ages 11-17 • 723-1146 • chippewafallslibrary.org You’re invited to a Monster Ball at the Library! (Theme is Haunted Movie Theater). Come as your favorite horror movie character and join us for: making movie trailers, music, food and more. Registration is required by Friday Oct. 17th.

Email srada@mycfpl.org to register.

Free Halloween-Themed Comic Book Day + Spooky Stories Oct. 25, 10:30am-2pm • Chippewa Falls Pub-

lic Library, 105 W Central St., Chippewa Falls • FREE • kids in grades 2+ • 723-1146 • chippewafallslibrary. org The library is giving away free Halloween-themed comic books to children. First come, first served.After you pick-up your comic book drop in the meeting room from 1:15-2pm to hear some spooky stories. Storyteller Tracy Chipman will be on hand to tell stories to families with children ages 6+.

A Murder Mystery, Annual Harvest of Harmony Cabaret Teen Halloween Monster Ball Oct. 25, 6-9pm •

Chippewa Falls Public Library, 105 W Central St., Chippewa Falls • FREE • ages 11-17 • 723-1146 • chippewafallslibrary.org Come as your favorite horror movie character and join us for music, and we’ll make some movie trailers. More festivities TBA. Register by Oct. 17.

Halloween Week at Action City Oct. 27, 6-9pm; Oct.

28, 8am-9pm; Oct. 29, 8am-9pm; Oct. 30, 4am-9pm • Action City, 2402 Lorch Ave., Eau Claire • 852-6000 • metropolisresort.com Celebrate Halloween all week at the Metropolis Resort with specials and free activities.

Wear your costume on 10/28 and receive one free pass through our new laser maze attraction. Enter our costume contest and receive $5 off Wristband Wednesday on 10/29. Visit our website for more details.

Preschool Halloween Party Oct. 29, 11:15am-noon

• Chippewa Falls Public Library, 105 W Central St., Chippewa Falls • ages 3-6 • 723-1146 • chippewafallslibrary.org Listen to stories, eat some treats, and do some crafts. Call to register.

Halloween Storytimes Oct. 30, 10:15am; Oct. 31,

10:15am • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St, Eau Claire • 839-1648 • ecpubliclibrary. info Join us for fun stories, songs, dancing, activities, costume parade, and other Halloween fun. Oct. 30 event for ages 0-2, Oct. 31 event for ages 2+.

NIGHTLIFE EVENTS

Eau Claire Zombie Crawl Oct. 18, 4pm-2am •

Downtown Eau Claire • Wristbands: $3/one or $5/two, or get a FREE wristband with the purchase of a $15 t-shirt • 828-3639 • facebook.com Participating bars include The Mousetrap, Clancys, The Firehouse, The Plus, Playmakers, Wigwam, and Scooters. Pre-crawl hangout at Wilson Park 4-6pm with DIY zombification including makeup, dirt and blood. Wristbands available at participating locations. Free wristband with shirt purchase (designed by Mark Lone).

It’s The Giant Pumpkin! Oct. 18, 5-7pm • The Raw

Deal, 603 S. Broadway, Menomonie • FREE • Get into the spirit of the season and learn a little bit about this month’s most famous gourd. Enjoy a short film and get answers to your questions about the art of cultivating prize-winning pumpkins from local aficionados. Carve time out of your zombie crawl to stop in and join us.

Outside Zombie Crawl Party w/Love Taxi Oct. 18,

6pm-midnight • The Fire House, 202 Gibson St., Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 514-0406 • eauclairefirehouse. com Outside parking lot party with live music, Beer Wagon, and food. Zombie Crawl drink specials for all zombies.

Love Taxi Oct. 18, 6-8pm • The Fire House, 202 Gibson

St., Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 514-0406 • eauclairefirehouse.com Taking place during the EC Zombie Crawl, love Taxi will keep your booty shakin’ as they cover jazz and funk artists from Curtis Mayfield to Amy Winehouse.

Deadbeats: Eau Claire Zombie Crawl Electronic Dance Music Show Oct. 18, 9pm • House of Rock, 422

Water St., Eau Claire • $5 • 21+ • 838-0158 • houseof-rock.com Taking place during the Zombie Crawl, so we’re turning it up loud. Featuring the best Electronic Dance Music Producers and DJs from Minneapolis and Eau Claire. Dig yourself out of the grave and get down to the House of Rock. Performers include CFANS, Wis-

sota, The Automates, Jinko, Matured Existence, plus special guests. Doors at 8pm.

prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd. Music and Karaoke by Gary & Lisa.

Good Guys Wear Wolf (CD Release Show) + Puncher + No Funeral + American Zero Oct. 18, 10pm • The

Halloween Bash w/ Irie Sol Oct. 31, 8pm-2am • Red

Mousetrap, 311 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 832-8418 GGWW is a hard rock band from Chetek celebrating a CD release show tonight. Puncher is an Eau Claire hardcore and metal band feat. members of Adelyn Rose and the Frenettes. Minneapolis metal band No Funeral and La Crosse hardcore/punk/metal band American Zero also perform.

Witches BREW U: A Special Edition Oct. 20, 6-8pm •

Raw Deal, 603 S. Broadway St., Menomonie • FREE • 21+ • 231-3255 • rawdeal-wi.com Join us for a seasonal edition of BREW U. It wouldn’t be right to let a Halloween slip by without carving pumpkins! Bring in your carved and/or decorated pumpkins and win prizes. It’s a friendly contest with an even friendlier tap line up: Southern Tier Pumpkin and Warlock will be ready for toasting.

Witches Night Out Oct. 23, 3-8pm • Downtown

Menomonie, Main Street, Menomonie • FREE • 2352666 • mainstreetmenomonie.org Ladies - join us in Downtown Menomonie for Shopping ~ Socializing ~ Snacking on Thursday, October 23rd from 3-8pm. Register at all participating stores for a chance to win over $1,000 in prizes. Bring your sisters, moms, daughters, girlfriends, neighbors, co-workers ... don’t be shy.

Them Coulee Boys Oct. 31, 7pm • Acoustic Cafe,

Menomonie, 102 Main St., Menomonie • FREE • 2351115 • themcouleeboys.com Them Coulee Boys are a folk/bluegrass band from the northwoods of Western Wisconsin. Drawing their sound from The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and whatever other records they find in their garage, TCB has a unique sound. On stage, they are raw and energetic.

The Night Hawks Oct. 31, 8pm-midnight • Eau Claire

Moose Lodge, 3606 Curvue Rd, Eau Claire • FREE • 833-1879 Come on out and celebrate Halloween with “The Night Hawks”. This is going to be a scary event.

Dress up and join in the fun. Steve, Jackson, Tom and Tim will laying it down right up to midnight ... lets hope for a full moon.

Hobbsy’s Halloween Bash Oct. 31, 8pm-2am •

Hobbsy’s, 3620 Locust Ln, Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 832-2219 Halloween Party with a costume contest, cash

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Zone Sports Bar, 2071 S Prairie View Rd, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 21+ • 726-3030 Costume Contest with cash prizes and live music by Irie Sol.

Vaudeville Oct. 31, 9pm • Every Buddy’s Bar, 19 W.

Central St., Chippewa Falls • FREE • 21+ • 861-3838 • everybuddyscf.com High energy alt rock band from Minneapolis.

JFT Party Band + Costume Contest Oct. 31, 9pm-1am • My Place, 408 Galloway St., Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 835-5483 Live rock, pop, country, blues and party music. Costume judging at 11pm.

Halloween with the Contingency Band Oct. 31, 9pm1am • Bill’s First and Goal, 29 E. Park Ave., Chippewa Falls • FREE • 21+ • 723-7822 The Contingency Band on Halloween. Look forward to the adult Costumes, candy, and drinks.

Sunset Strip + Halloween Costume Contest Oct. 31, 9:31pm • The Snout Saloon, 13 W Central St, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 21+ • 723-4848 Celebrate exposed midriffs with us. Like a chimichanga for your ears, with extra 80’s metal. Contest begins at midnight.

The Bug Oct. 31, 10pm • The Mousetrap, 311 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 832-8418 The Bug is a blend of head-nodding, feel good funk with adventurous, high energy improvisation. With influences ranging from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, Rick James, The Allman Brothers, Daft Punk and Herbie Hancock, there’s nothing they can’t play.

Halloween Costume Contest Hosted by Breakneck The Mage Oct. 31, 10pm-1am • Eau Claire Firehouse,

202 Gibson Street, Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • 514-0406 • eauclairebar.com Halloween Costume Contest hosted

by Breakneck The Mage with live Hip Hop Performers. 1st=$50, 2nd=$25, Best Couple=$50. Happy Hour 4-7pm Music starts at 10pm.

Picard + Strange Daze + Mill City Devils + Stare Across Oct. 31, 10pm • House of Rock, 422 Water St.,

Eau Claire • $5 • 21+ • 838-0158 • house-of-rock.com Local hard rockers Picard team up with Minneapolis rockers Strange Daze and Mill City Devils, and Eau Claire’s Stare Across.

Nail Drivers Nov. 1, 9pm • The Sandbar Bar and Grill,

114 N. Main St, Elmwood • FREE • 21+ • 639-3051 It’s Halloween at the Sandbar! Come out and party with the Nail Drivers. Show off your best costume and shake it all night long! Nail Drivers play a great mix of classic rock, ‘70’s, ‘80’s and country.

STAGE EVENTS

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical Oct. 16-18, 7:30pm; Oct.

19, 1:30pm • State Theatre, 316 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire • $20 adult, $16 seniors, $12 students, $8 youth • 839-8877 • ecct.org Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story, this evocative Broadway musical tells the tale of the brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart.

When Jekyll unwittingly unleashes his own dark side, he wreaks havoc in the streets of London as the savage, maniacal Edward Hyde.

Arthur’s Halloween Oct. 24, 7:30pm; Oct. 25, 11am

& 1:30pm; Oct. 26, 1:30pm; Oct. 31, 7:30pm; Nov. 1, 11am & 1:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave., Eau Claire • Reserved seating tickets are $8 for youth/ students and $12 for seniors/adults • 839-8877 • ecct. org Arthur thinks everything about Halloween is scary – D.W.’s costume, even his morning snack! – but he’s most afraid of the big spooky house on the corner where no one wants to go trick-or-treating. Arthur’s fears are eventually soothed once he realizes things aren’t always the way you imagine.

A Murder Mystery, Annual Harvest of Harmony Cabaret Oct. 25, 2pm & 5:15pm • Colfax High School

Gymnasium, 601 University Ave., Colfax • Matinee with dessert and refreshments at 2pm: $8 adults, $3 kids.

Dinner Show at 5:15pm: $10 adults, $5 kids • 962-3155 • colfax.k12.wi.us Presented by Red Cedar Sounds Chorus. Guest quartet is Star Burst, silver medalists at the 2014 Northern Lights Region Six Quartet Competition.

Tickets at the door.

Madam Mirabella’s Improv-Comedy-Murder-Mystery

Oct. 31, 7:30-9:30pm • The Heyde Center for the Arts, 3 South High St., Chippewa Falls • adults $15, seniors $14, youth $7 • 726-9000 • cvca.net Who is the restless soul who wanders the halls unseen moaning ghostly songs? With your help, silly psychic Madam Mirabella will answer these questions and more in a family-friend-

ly, frighteningly funny and interactive night you’ll never forget. Be ready to laugh, but beware ... you just may be tickled ... to death.

A one mile timed fun run around the museums and ball fields will commence after the ¼ mile. Children of all ages are encouraged to participate.

FILM SCREENINGS

WORDS EVENTS

Family Movie Night Double Feature: E.T. + Earth to Echo Oct. 16, 6:30pm • Business Education Center,

Author Chad Lewis Oct. 18, 10:30am-noon • Menomonie Public Library, 600 Wolske Bay Rd, Menomonie • 2322164 • menomonielibrary.org Chad will discuss his spooky books that feature Midwest locations. His books will be available for purchase and signing.

Spooky Saturday Screenings: ParaNorman Oct. 18,

Dispatches From the Drownings: A Reading by B.J. Hollars Oct. 29, 7-8:30pm • L.E. Phillips Memorial

Student Commons, Chippewa Valle Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • 800-547CVTC or 833-6200.

3pm • The Volume One Gallery, Located inside the Local Store at the Volume One World Headquarters, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire • FREE • all ages • 552-0457 • VolumeOne.org.

Spooky Saturday Screenings: Monster House Oct. 25,

3pm • The Volume One Gallery, Located inside the Local Store at the Volume One World Headquarters, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire • FREE • all ages • 552-0457 • VolumeOne.org.

The 48 Hour Video Project Heroes and Villains Show-

ing Oct. 30, 6pm • Woodland Theatre, Third level of the Davies Center, UW-Eau Claire • FREE • 836-3727.

Maleficent Oct. 31, 7pm; Nov. 1, 2pm and 7pm; Nov. 2, 2pm • Woodland Theatre, Third level of the Davies Center, UW-Eau Claire • FREE for students; $4 community member card • Rated PG • 836-3727.

RUNS and Walks

Haunted Hustle 5K Walk/Run Oct. 25, 8:30am-noon • Owen Park, Eau Claire • $25 for Adults and $12 for Kid’s 12 and under • 552-4300 • active.com Featuring a 5K walk/run, a half mile Spooky Sprint for the kids, costume contests and entertainment for the whole family. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit Bolton Refuge House. The Haunted Hustle is guaranteed to be a great time for all. Visit http://ghc.ec/Facebook for more information.

BOOgie Run Oct. 25, 10:30am • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr., Eau Claire • $10 with t-shirt, FREE no t-shirt • indianheadtc.org Line up at 10:30am near the Paul Bunyan Museum and run the ¼ mile out and back course.

Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St, Eau Claire • FREE • all ages • 839-1648 • ecpubliclibrary.info Join author B.J. Hollars as he reads from his newly-released homage to the cult classic--Dispatches from the Drownings, a collection of mostly true historical drowning reports from the Chippewa Valley.

Ann Noser Book Signing: How to Date Dead Guys Oct.

30, 6:30pm • The Volume One Gallery, Located inside the Local Store at the Volume One World Headquarters, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire • FREE • all ages • 5520457 • VolumeOne.org How to Date Dead Guys is the debut fantasy novel from author Ann Noser, and the first in the Under the Blood Moon series, set on the UWEC campus.

HISTORY EVENTS

Chippewa Haunted History Tour Oct. 18, 25, and 31, 9pm • Haunted Chippewa History Tour, Downtown Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Falls • $10 • 94-GHOST • chippewavpi.com Join us on a one mile walk through historic downtown and learn the history of our favorite haunts.

Tales of Ghosts, Mysterious Creatures & UFOs with Chad Lewis Oct. 26, 2pm • The Volume One Gallery,

Located inside the Local Store at the Volume One World Headquarters, 205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire • FREE • 552-0457 • VolumeOne.org This presentation takes the audience on a journey through the most unusual paranormal cases the Chippewa Valley has to offer.

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