Lights and song fill the air at FivePine

Executive chef David Berger oversaw last Friday night's tree lighting and festive evening at FivePine Lodge and Conference Center. The event was sited in the open area behind the lodge. As the tree was illuminated, the spectacle of dueling chainsaws creating ice sculptures completed the winter wonderland scene.

"This is the first time we have done this, and we are trying to establish some traditions and heritage here in Sisters. We started planning about six weeks ago, and since this was the first time, we had to just figure it out as we went along. We also wanted to have the feeling of an open house so that perhaps people who had never been here might stop by," said Chef Berger.

Caroling filled the air. The Sisters High School student jazz choir provided the seasonal sounds that drifted throughout the lodge. The vocalists sang traditional carols in anticipation of the tree lighting

"We have a lot of demand for our group during this part of the year, and there are a lot of gigs around town. This is just a few kids that could make it tonight," said choir director Tara MacSween.

Throughout the evening a large crowd gathered around the warming fire that kept hands toasty and cheeks rosy during the wait for the lighting of the tree.

A few dogs braved the cold with their masters and added that family ambiance to the running children who were often replete with runny noses. As is often the case with seasonal events in Sisters, the feeling emerged that this gathering was a family reunion rather than a community event.

Chef Berger provided the Christmas goodies that would have brought a smile to Santa's face. Warm spiced cider and hot cocoa helped to keep the chill away, while the cookies resulted in a steady flow of kids returning back again and again to collect the sweets and revel in the fun event. Some grip failures resulted in surprise treats for the family dogs in attendance.

An ice sculpture of the legendary Native American Thunderbird was created by Jan Hansson, while Skip Armstrong crafted another of his eagles. The chainsaws flinging shaved ice like heavy snowflakes into the air created a covering of white that helped to make up for the lack of snow and added to the ambiance of the evening.

Local singer/songwriter Anastacia was on hand admiring the ice carvings and enjoying the evening but was not lending her voice to the sounds of caroling.

"This is a wonderful evening for the tree lighting. It is fun to just be here and watch everything happening," she said.

At the appointed moment the tree lit as if by magic, and Chef Berger breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everything came together, and now I can relax a little. The crowd is great, and it ended up being a perfect evening, although I wish there would have been some more snow on the ground to add to the atmosphere," he said.