Art festival will take flight in Sisters

The KiteStrings art festival will blend music, fine arts and party entertainment on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12.

The Sisters Folk Festival Americana Fundraiser 2003 starts off with music, dance and a chili feed at Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill & Saloon on Friday, April 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Local Americana band Big Eddy will perform while participants chow down on Bronco Billy's chili. Flamenco dancers and Americana Project students are scheduled to add some youthful levity performing on the covered deck. Tickets are $10/adult, $5/kids 12 and under.

On Saturday, April 12, the scenic pasture at Frank and Kathy Deggendorfer's Squaw Creek Ranch will be marked off for a Community Kite Fly.

This means lots of people flying kites together -- professionals, families, big kids, little kids, everyone. Participants will enjoy music, the American Kite Association's huge high-flying kites, kite games and other kinds of fun.

The event is sanctioned by the American Kite Association.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a kickoff by a group of power hang gliders landing in the field.

Everything starts after that; kite exhibitions, kite building workshops, demonstrations, lots of food, room to picnic.

Kite-themed art from jewelry to paintings to ironwork will be hung on-site in the Grand Sisters Performance Tent during the day. Work by Kate Aspen, Dennis McGregor, Paul Alan Bennett, Tom Browning, Randy Redfield, Dan Rickards and many more will be represented.

In the evening, commencing at 6 p.m. a celebration will include appetizers, an array of beverages and music by the Blue D'Arts.

Participants will have the opportunity to bid on and purchase the Kite Art pieces at the Kite Art Auction.

Tickets for the Kite Party and Auction ($25/person) are still available from Paulina Springs Book Co., High Desert Gallery, Sisters Bakery and Sisters Athletic Club. For more information visit www.sistersarts.org. For directions to Squaw Creek Ranch or additional information call 541-549-4979 or email [email protected]