Array of antiques decorates park

A wide variety of vintage trinkets and collectable treasures were on display for the third annual Antiques in the Park on Saturday and Sunday at Sisters Creekside Park.

Richard Esterman, event organizer, was all smiles as he explained what is different about this year's show.

"This year the show is held in honor of all our veterans," he said. "We have more booths and a military presence."

The National Guard had a booth with brochures for the public. But the real eye-catcher was the two armored Humvees on display in the parking lot behind the booth.

Folks gathered around the vehicles to check out the camouflage colors and sit in the driver's seat. The National Guard also displayed two M2 Browning .50-caliber machine guns on the park lawn.

"We're here being a community presence," said Sergeant Fred Trunik.

The band Three Quarter Short played as folks strolled slowly among the 50-plus vendors as the heat rose.

This was the first time here for vendors Russ and Liz Dodge from Coos Bay.

"My wife makes crafts from antique quilts," said Russ. "I make an array of items like hot pads and mitts from old cutter quilts. Cutter quilts are ones that have seen their day and are beyond repair. But in smaller pieces they become usable again when crafted and sewn into something of value. We also have an old spinning wheel from 1886, old vintage suitcases and other antiques."

Folks found eye-catching valuables from a 1920s wash basin to vintage buttons for sale.

Vendor Jerry Cowen from Eugene has been collecting buttons for 25 years.

"I buy buttons from estate sales and flea markets," he said. "Then I arrange the buttons on a plastic canvas according to their type. I have wooden, metal, mother-of-pearl and glass buttons that date back to the past. It's my hobby. I even string buttons that you could wear as a necklace or bracelet. This morning I had a customer buy 84 buttons before the show started. It's been great here in Sisters."

Vendors Brian and Kirsten Black from Bend were keeping cool in the shade with their booth close to the creek.

"We have a little bit of this and a little bit of that," said Black. "These are collectables that we have saved over the years. But it's really a family venture because these are also things my mother and grandmother collected from antique tea cups to old split-bamboo fly rods that date back to the 1930s and '40s."