Sisters enjoys a chilly Harvest Faire

The early morning rain misted down Hood Avenue as folks flocked to the 38th annual Sisters Harvest Faire with umbrellas in hand on Saturday.

Cold, wet weather couldn't keep local folks and visitors away as they searched for that one unique gift while strolling through an eclectic array of hand-crafted items. This year featured 168 artisans and craftsmen from all over the Pacific Northwest. Many first-time vendors lined the streets with their original handmade goods.

First-timer Meredith Kuhl, from Salem, kept warm under her canopy with a portable heater.

"I make shoe inserts from the fiber that I obtain from my 37 alpaca," she said. "I call the warm inserts Snuggly Toes. I knit it, felt it three times and cut it out to fit the inside of shoes. They are cozy, warm, perfect for this kind of weather."

Near noon the sun peaked out and the rain stopped. Little folks lined up at the Kid Zone presented by Sisters Park & Recreation District to have their faces painted, decorate big cookies, or enjoy other hands-on fun activities geared for kids.

Live music provided by The Anvil Blasters kept the crowds going as they browsed festive seasonal crafts and sampled mouth-watering tidbits from the food court.

Another newcomer to the faire, Christine Hoffman, came all the way from Bradenton, Florida, with her hand-painted rugs on canvas.

"I use to live in Oregon and really enjoy the community here in Sisters. So this is a fun event for me," she said.

"I have always been intrigued with the floor-cloths in antebellum homes that I have visited. Original floor cloths were made from old ship sails in the early 1700s," Hoffman explained. "I wanted to make mine durable. First I prep the canvas with gesso. I hand-draw my designs, then paint the canvas rug with three or more coats of wall paint. For the finish I use up to 10 coats of varnish. You can damp- or steam-mop them and they will last for years."

Pooches walked on leashes wearing fall coats to keep warm alongside their owners. But you knew the difference in dogs when BrightSide Animal Center volunteer Christi Moore meandered by with the animal center's dog and his "adopt me" coat on.

"There are two more volunteers walking around with really sweet dogs from the shelter that are looking for their forever homes," Moore said. "It's a great crowd despite the rain."

Autumn décor added to the ambience of the season with handcrafted pumpkins made from glass and homemade placemats accented with fall leaves.

The scent of caramel apples and comfort food lingered in the air as the day wore on.

The sweet taste of raw honey drew folks over to Lewis River Valley Honey from Woodland, Washington. Larry Brown and his wife Mary gave out samples of blackberry honey along with many other flavors to please the palate.

"We have been beekeepers for three years and work with Jenny Tsugawa and Terry Day, who is the head beekeeper," Larry said. "There are many flavor varieties of honey; it all depends where you set up your hives. If you're next to blackberry bushes, that's what the honey will be flavored with. It's amazing, and I enjoy working with raw honey."

Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce visitor center manager and membership coordinator, Jeri Buckmann, looked happy as she commented on another great turnout.

"Considering the weather it was an awesome day. I've talked to a lot of the vendors and they're happy and having a good time."

"We love the Harvest Faire and the people it brings to town and the energy around it during the shoulder season," said Chamber Executive Director Erin Borla. "We're looking forward to hosting this event for many years to come."