Fair serves up old-fashioned fun

Every summer Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration hosts its traditional small-town country fair, a crowd favorite, and last weekend marked its 22nd year. Folks rolled in from all around the region for some good old-fashioned fun.

The smoky air didn't deter folks from lining up at the Sweet Tooth Booth waiting for a piece of Ann Reed's delicious marionberry cobbler.

Volunteers Ann Reed and Vickie Babbitt served up the cobbler early Saturday morning.

"We already emptied two pans out of the 15 made," Babbitt exclaimed.

It was over 22 years ago that the mouthwatering recipe for the marionberry cobbler was perfected by the late Edie Larsen.

"We used to sell it at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show before the Country Fair," Reed said. "And we'd be sold out in 30 minutes!"

Excited kids gathered around the petting zoo, where a menagerie of animals was just waiting for some attention.

A very friendly salmontine boa and a hognose snake attracted a crowd. Volunteer Christine Cole, who's been bringing critters for seven years, brought three snakes that love to slither up and curl around on anyone. And her salmon-colored boa was curled right around Joel Hanson, who had never handled a snake before.

"This snake feels really neat, I never knew what it would feel like to hold one," Hanson said.

"Besides snakes I have two velveteen bunnies, friendly chickens, two sheep and four rats," Cole told The Nugget.

One of the sheep, Bliss, won "Supreme Champion Ewe" at the Deschutes County Fair this year.

Sisters resident Kristen Hilgart brought her two mini-horses, Trigger and Red.

"The church has asked me to bring my horses so many times, and this year worked out," Hilgart said.

Sisters resident Beverly Halcon, a volunteer for Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD, helped Hilgart with her horses.

The event wouldn't be the same without Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD and all their bright-red fire trucks that engage kids of all ages.

"We are educating people about what is on our trucks to protect them," said Captain Jeff Liming from the district. "But we have a smaller crew than usual this year because the other firefighters are out checking on fires in the area. We have a wildland fire crew out investigating a fire right up the road from here. And we have a number of firefighters out on different fires in the area."

Two new fire students were helping the captain out educating the public. Lauren Bodemon and Nicholas Otasu are on their way to become paramedics and they both have all their fire certifications.

The face painting station is always very popular with kids and adults. Sisters resident and volunteer Alessandra Wentworth was busy painting everything from rainbows to ladybugs with the help of friend Brynn Beaver.

The Country Store is a big temptation at the fair. It was bustling with folks who bought fresh vegetables, homemade preserves and relishes, home-baked goodies and hand-knitted hats.

Sisters resident and Episcopal church member A'Journe Spyker brought a 140-year-old cider press that he acquired three years ago in Southwest Washington.

"This is the first year we've done this for the fair, and it's not even apple season, but nice to taste some early," Spyker said. "We've been bringing the press over to Circle of Friends and making apple cider for a couple of years now."

Young Eduardo was grinding the apples while Jim Prichard, a mentor from the nonprofit organization, sliced the apples and dropped them in the press.

There was no charge for the cider. Donations were accepted.

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.

The silent auction from Friday evening continued with something for everyone. Items included art, jewelry, crystal, gift baskets and gift certificates.

Proceeds from the event go to the church's outreach program. Over the years, the event has raised thousands of dollars for organizations that support people in the Sisters community.