Name: Chippewa Valley Book Festival: Redefining the Underdog
Start: 2026-10-24
End: 2026-10-24

Located in western Wisconsin, Eau Claire offers sports planners a destination that's easy to reach, easy to navigate, and ready to host. Just 90 minutes from the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and within driving distance of Chicago, Eau Claire is well positioned to welcome teams, athletes, and fans from across the Midwest.

A versatile mix of indoor and outdoor venues supports events across a wide range of sports and competition levels, with tournament-ready fields, courts, ice facilities, pools, trails, and large-scale indoor spaces. Hotels, restaurants, venues, and visitor amenities are conveniently located throughout the community, making it easy for teams to get where they need to be throughout the event.

Visit Eau Claire's sports team works alongside event organizers to help bring the details together, connecting planners with venues, accommodations, local resources, and destination support.

And there's plenty waiting beyond the competition. Eau Claire's walkable downtown, local restaurants and breweries, miles of trails, public art, live music, family attractions, and the Chippewa River give athletes and their families more to experience between games and after the final whistle.

Eau Claire has the facilities to host the event and the destination experience to make the trip worth it.**** Bring the competition, bring the crowd, and come as you are — Eau Claire is ready to host.

Visit Eau Claire

In the span of a few months, the football team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside went from perennial underdog to contenders for the Southern California league championships. Thomas Fuller followed the team during this transformation and was captivated by the way that players and coaches used their deafness as an advantage on the gridiron. The success of the team not only raised questions about the meaning of disability, but put a spotlight on a great American underdog story.

Chippewa Valley Book Festival: Redefining the Underdog

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