News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Events are as notable a part of the Sisters landscape as the Cascade mountains or tall pine trees.
From cowboys to quilts, from music to mountain bikes, from antiques to geological wonders, it seems that there's always something on offer in town, designed to enhance the cultural life of the community - and to attract tourists and their dollars.
Vendors selling arts and crafts, food, clothing and other goods are sometimes part of broader events; sometimes the vendors are the event.
Recent flaps over permits for events have revealed some confusion over who exactly is doing what where in Sisters - and what the role of the City of Sisters is in regulating such activities.
A multitude of "transient merchants" set up tents and booths on private downtown property during the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (see related story, page 23). Usually, those vendors pay a fee to the business and/or property owner where they set up, providing a nice bit of revenue for the business. Vendors, including food sellers, are also a part of the Sisters Folk Festival. They set up in Village Green Park and on private property at Sisters Art Works.
For events like the Sisters Harvest Faire in October, or the Antiques in the Park event held last weekend at Creekside Park, the main attraction is the vendors and their wares.
Some events are staged by nonprofit cultural and arts organizations; some are sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce; others are promoted by professional event organizers and promoters. In recent years, several individuals have launched athletic events, including the Sisters Stampede mountain bike race and the Peterson Ridge Rumble distance run.
Contrary to the assumption of some recent commentators, the City of Sisters does not promote events. The City does, however, regulate events through special-event permits, transient-merchant licenses, and temporary-use permits. Policies on those permits and licenses are coming under review.
None of those policies regulate what types of (legal) products can and cannot be sold by a vendor. For instance, the City can have nothing to say about a vendor that sells animal pelts at a show.
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce (which is not connected to the City government) sponsors five events: Ride for Two Rivers; the Glory Daze Car Show; the Sisters Fresh Hops Festival; the Sisters Harvest Faire; and the Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade.
"Each of these events targets a slightly different demographic," said Chamber Executive Director Erin Borla.
While the events are geared toward attracting people to town, she noted that the Christmas events are conceived as a kind of present to the community.
"Those are activities that benefit our community because they are fun pieces of rural Americana," she said.
Years ago, the Chamber sponsored 13 events. Borla said the organization has pared those down as more and more people have started staging events of their own.
"You look at our calendar now, there's an event going on every weekend," she said.
Borla said that part of the Chamber's efforts go toward extending the season into the fall. That's why they sponsor a fall fresh hops festival, which is the only one of its kind in Central Oregon.
"We could do a beer fest in July, because it's hot and people like to drink beer in July," Borla said. "But is that the best thing for the community?"
Contrary to the assertions of some citizens, nobody has "taken over" staging events in town. There remains a multitude of players.
One of those is Central Oregon Shows, promoted by Richard Esterman.
Esterman is currently promoting seven events in Sisters - among them arts and antique shows in Creekside Park and the recent Sisters Artists Marketplace on a vacant lot on the corner of Oak Street and Cascade Avenue. That event has been controversial, with some complaining that a "tent city" detracts from the ambience of downtown Sisters and that the vendors take business from established merchants. Some merchants have criticized Esterman for riding the coat tails of successful events like the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.
"I don't think I take business away," Esterman told The Nugget.
In fact, he asserts, his events, which he advertises in print, on radio, and TV, bring traffic to town or lure people to stop.
"I do look at the big picture when I promote," he said.
For her part, Borla notes that the Chamber tries to ensure that the 180 Harvest Faire vendors have goods that complement those available in Sisters shows rather than competing directly. She notes that some galleries have picked up artists they discovered at the Harvest Faire.
Events are a business for Esterman - his money comes after expenses. He says he offers opportunities for fundraising to some charities and also some direct support.
He acknowledged that there have been complaints about the quality of goods available at his events, but he thinks that criticism is misplaced.
"Sometimes, yeah, I do get crap at a show," he said. "And I don't bring it back. I'm not perfect. I allow five commercial booths (with goods not crafted by hand) at my shows."
Last year Esterman launched a "Wild West Show" one weekend away from the Chamber's traditional Western & Native American Arts Festival. The Chamber ended up canceling their event, which has ruffled some feathers in town.
"I would say that was an unfortunate situation," Borla said.
The proximity of similar events wasn't the only reason the Chamber cancelled the event, but it did play into the decision.
"There were multiple factors," Borla said. "That was one of them."
She said it is better when multiple events aren't so similar that they conflict. She noted that the Glory Daze Car Show and the Antiques in the Park events last weekend were concurrent and "they complement each other."
Working together is a commonly expressed theme, though friction continues. Sometimes it seems that many people with similar goals get their traces crossed in Sisters.
"We get in each other's way a lot," Borla noted.
Esterman says he's more than willing to work with others, regardless of what they think of him and his events.
"People don't have to like me," the promoter said. "But we can all work together for a common goal; that's what it's all about. I don't care if you don't like me. I love this town. I think it's a great town. We just need to get together. Once we've got tourists here, let's keep 'em here."
Borla says that local folks need to recognize that Sisters is in a rare and beneficial position, with people from all around the world putting a visit here on their "bucket list."
"It's so fun to hear people say, 'I've saved up for 10 years to come to Sisters, Oregon,'" she said. "It's a pretty cool thing. Not everybody can say that - and I think special events do that."
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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