Eau Claire Jazz Festival

The festival is produced by Eau Claire Jazz, Inc. in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, whose jazz program has long been one of the strongest in the region. That partnership shapes the event: master classes and student sessions run alongside the public concerts, and the organization states its purpose as inspiring, educating and entertaining while building investment in jazz education.

In practice the festival works as a two-day concentration of concerts and teaching in downtown Eau Claire and on the university campus, with visiting professional musicians acting as both performers and clinicians. Reaching a 60th edition in 2027 makes it one of the oldest jazz festivals in the Midwest, older than every festival on this list except Notre Dame's collegiate festival.