Winter Wonderland at Barclay Square

The Snow Gods of Hoodoo brought the chill of a north wind down the mountain to Sisters on Monday, December 21, to celebrate the crowning of the Snow Queen and the beginning of the Winter Wonderland festivities.

Members of Hoodoo's Ski Patrol carried the opening ceremonies torch from Hoodoo Mountain Resort.

"I've been known as a Snow Guy, a Snow King, and now a Snow God in the presence of a Snow Queen," said Tom Egan, director of the Ski Patrol Team for 18 years.

The Festival of Light celebrates days growing longer.

The afternoon's entertainment began with flautist Ron Laws, accompanied by drummers, playing Native American music to honor the holiday in a traditional way.

Indigenous peoples honor the winter solstice as a time to release old habits and honor what they are grateful for.

Event sponsors, the Sisters Village Association, gave oranges to the crowd so they could symbolically peel away bad things they want to leave behind.

Artist Jennifer Lake, owner of Jennifer Lake Gallery, and the evening's host, read Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening." Santa surprised everyone, including Lake, with his arrival during her reading of the poem.

Sisters Chorale Group invited everyone to join in singing "Jingle Bells," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Deck the Halls."

Lake then introduced Barbara Turner.

"Barbara Turner was selected by a committee of the Sisters Village Association to carry the scepter during the Winter Wonderland, honored for her many contributions to the community through the years," Lake said. "Excellence in leadership is what Barbara Turner represents."

"There have been many special days in my life," Turner said, "but this has been the most unique."

On January 10 at 1 p.m. the Sisters Village Association will hold a "big" event at the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce grounds. They are trying to beat the national record for the largest snowball.

Turner will carry her scepter until the equinox on March 20, 2010.