Country fair served up lots of fun

Sisters served up sunny skies and warm temperatures as folks rolled in early for the 21st annual Country Fair and Art Show hosted by The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration on Saturday.

It seems every year the first thing folks think of when arriving at the fair is tasting a delicious piece of Annie's marionberry cobbler at the Sweet Tooth Booth, while volunteer Ann Reed, who makes the mouth-watering cobbler, dishes out the delightful dessert.

The face-painting station was very popular, and it's not just for kids. Volunteers Delany Auten and Kiera Gregg from Bend were busy painting rainbows, bees and other creative critters on folks faces. Past art director for the fair, Margery Guthrie, sat very still while Auten painted a whimsical bumble bee on her cheek.

At 11:30 a.m. a group of square dancers from the Central Oregon Round-up added to the festivities at the fair while spectators clapped along.

Every August more than a hundred square dancers from all over the Pacific Northwest head into Sisters for the Central Oregon Round-up festival. Regional caller Kippin Parret from Bend enjoys being a caller for the round-up during the weekend festival. And this year Parret asked for volunteers from the crowd to come up and join the fun.

"The first year here at the Country Fair we did a flash mob dance, and everyone liked the dancing so much that they invite us back every year as volunteer entertainment," Parret said.

Ten-year-old Lily Smith from Grants Pass has been square dancing since she was five. Lily's grandmother, Lorri Macintosh, is the recording secretary for the Oregon Federation of Square and Round Dance

Clubs.

"This is a lot of fun, and I am enjoying square dancing here in Sisters," Smith said.

Parret is trying to get more youth involved, so he's blending in contemporary music.

"If square dancing is to survive, some of us old callers are going to have to change it up and use some more modern music," Parret said. "We need some new music to get younger kids involved and keep them entertained. The kids like some of the old melodies, too, but we are now bringing in more contemporary music that's out on the radio."

Young Charlotte Donaldson from Berkeley, California, enjoyed herself as she hula hooped her way around the country fair with her face painted like a tiger cub.

"We've been coming here for years, and we love Sisters Country Fair," said her mother, Sarah Donaldson. "Charlotte even won the 11â¯a.m. cake walk."

Donaldson won a chocolate cake from Sisters Bakery and shared it with the firefighters and some of the volunteers at the fair.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD had one fire engine, an ambulance, and a brush truck on display for folks to see, and they got a chance to climb on board.

Firefighter Damon Frutos was on hand to educate children and adults about fire safety.

"We are educating people about what is on our trucks to protect them," Frutos said.

At noon firefighter Hayden Jones demonstrated how fast firefighters can change into their protective gear.

Over at The Country Store you could find the best goodies from homemade walnut fudge to Nana's Coffee Cake, a packet of ingredients from a secret recipe that volunteer and church member Adrienne Brown puts together every year.

Brown grew up enjoying her grandmother's (Nana's) delicious homemade coffee cake.

"After my grandmother died she took the recipe with her. And it took me three years to resurrect the recipe by experimenting," Brown said. "But I came up with it again and I sell Nana's coffee cake here at the church and the Sisters fire station."

Lots of hungry folks waited in line for the smoked St. Louis spareribs or a variety of hotdogs that Café Transfig offered.

Little folks were able to express their creative side at Craft Corner and the Kid Zone area, where anything was possible with chalk drawing, a bubble machine, a bouncy castle and other games with prizes.