Harvest Faire draws crowd on Main

Celebrating a new location on Main Avenue, the Sisters Harvest Faire hosted by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 40th year on Saturday under sunny skies.

Thousands of folks from all over the Pacific Northwest came to browse through an abundant harvest of handmade items, from handcrafted masks to whimsical birdhouses. And with over 175 juried artisan vendors, there was something for everyone's taste.

"We are very happy with the new location on Main Avenue," said Jeri Buckmann, Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce event coordinator. "Fir Street Park is now a part of it all, and with the stage, the picnic area and the splash park it's a much better setup. Families can picnic and be a little more comfortable. And the band gets an entire stage for performances. Of course, the parking is better all the way around."

First-time vendor Michelle Griffin showcased her handmade whimsical art and garden finds at her booth, "One Little Blackbird."

"I did woodworking out of my garage for 10 years. I started with planter boxes then moved onto birdhouses. Two years ago I took a welding class and things took off from there," Griffin explained. "I craft whimsical birdhouses and they are made out of recycled elements. I use rusty hardware for the perches, and even the paint is recycled. I am always learning more skills to incorporate new things."

With a unique fashion approach in mind, new vendor Laura Lee Laroux from Eugene showcased her "modern-prairie" style clothing, "RevivALL Clothing." She won Best Clothing Designer in Eugene three years in a row.

"I have been designing clothes for 13 years," Laroux told The Nugget. "Everything is re-used from old or scrap fabrics and my dresses are made from men's button-down shirts. I also craft belt bags using upholstery leather. After having a store for five years in Eugene, I decided to focus solely on my clothing line. I am going to be touring the Southwest with my new mobile boutique, and am calling it The RevivALL Road Show and it will start in Bend."

Live music from the stage at Fir Street Park on Saturday was provided by The Anvil Blasters.

Veteran Brett Miller had his "Warfighter Outfitters" fishing boat on display at the Harvest Faire for a very special reason (see related story, page 1).

Warfighter Outfitters is a nonprofit guide and outfitter service in Sisters for disabled veterans, founded by Miller.

"This is my first year here promoting Warfighter Outfitters, and I'm taking donations," Miller said. "We provide no-charge fishing and hunting trips for wounded vets all over the Pacific Northwest. We now have an all-veteran board of directors."

A few members of the local Sisters authors group were promoting their books at the "Sisters Authors" booth.

Sisters author Edie Jones, who displayed her book "Raising Kids With Love, Honor and Respect: Recipes for Success," was on hand to explain how the group got started about six months ago.

"Diane Goble founded our author group," Jones explained. "As a freelance writer and author herself, Diane had mentioned in The Nugget that she would like to start a writers group in Sisters, and a few of us responded. Our first meeting started with three authors at my house, and now we have 25 members and meet once a month to give each other support."

Judy Trego, executive director for the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, is also a member and has authored "Gain the World and Keep Your Soul: A Guide on Values-Based Philanthropy."

Stone Vases & Functional Pottery by Dee and Barbara Adams from Pacific City is one vendor that folks can always count on seeing every year at the Harvest Faire.

"We've been at the Harvest Faire for 35 years," said Dee Adams. "In fact we used to live in Sisters from 1997 to 2004. We use to do 44 shows a year, but last year we decided to retire and have only done 11 shows; that's our idea of retirement."