Events keep Sisters busy during holiday

Shoppers inspect the wares at the Sisters Summer Faire. photo by Jim Cornelius Sisters was bustling with activity during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

The newly-minted Sisters Summer Faire drew large crowds both Saturday and Sunday, promoting Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce event organizers to rate the first-time two-day event a success.

The craft fair replaced the traditional one-day Village Green Saturday Market that had become a Sisters tradition during the summer months.

According to Jeri Buckmann, events coordinator for the chamber, converting over to a two-day, holiday weekend event seemed to benefit both vendors and shoppers.

Vendors, many of whom travel long distances, got more sale time for their set-up and take-down time and, Buckmann said, the quality of vendors willing to come was higher as a result. That was good news for shoppers.

Trade was brisk at the more than 120 booths and the food vendors at the park had clientele lined up for ice cream, lemonade and other summertime treats.

Doug and Katie Cavanaugh and Joe Leonardi played music for the crowd on Sunday, performing at the Village Green gazebo.

Tom Boring, a part-time Sisters resident, drew considerable interest with his unique sculptures made from recycled junk -- discarded silverware, tools and other metal pieces welded into fish and other aquatic creatures.

Rockhounds searched for treasure at the gem show. photo by Jim Cornelius

Boring displayed a big sculpted frog and several crabs with pincers made from old pliers.

"People in Sisters like what I call the steel head," Boring quipped.

The retired executive sort of stumbled into his whimsical art form. He saw some conceptual sculpture made from welded metal junk and decided to try to do something similar, only focusing on wildlife.

"I never had an art background at all," he said. "I knew how to weld a little bit."

Now he's a full-fledged artist, creating something truly unique in every piece. Each piece takes about a day to complete, welding together all the various bits of metal.

"If you're inspired and you sit down, it just flows," he said.

Meanwhile, the Sisters Gem Show drew rockhounds and jewelry lovers to Sisters Elementary School.

The event produced a bit of drama when a sudden swirling wind struck a row of vendors' booths.

Sisters businessman David Cretsinger was a witness to the incident.

"We were down at the end of the aisle; we heard a commotion and I looked and saw this green canopy tent, I'd say 100 feet up in the air," Cretsinger said.

"It looked like a mini- tornado."

The wind ripped up a couple of tents and knocked over vendors' tables, scattering gemstones everywhere.

Cretsinger said vendors were helpful to their neighbors, helping them gather their scattered merchandise.

Some people were hit with flying debris, but there were no injuries.

The vendors were back up and operating within a few minutes.