20
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
FESTIVAL: Event has
grown in scope over
20 year history
Continued from page 1
Eric Bibb; songwriter Tift
Merritt; and last year ’s
crowd favorite Darlingside.
Additionally, festival organiz-
ers are proud to bring Session
Americana; Christone
“Kingfish” Ingram, Laura
Cortese and the Dance Cards;
Ryan Montbleau, Mandolin
Orange; Shinyribs; Gretchen
Peters; Zydeco master Andre
Thierry; hit songwriter
Beth Nielsen Chapman;
Canadian roots band New
Country Rehab; Liz Longley;
Australian-songwriter Jordie
Lane; Jonathan Byrd and the
Pickup Cowboys; Possessed
by Paul James, Patchy
Sanders; Lance Canales and
the Flood, and many more.
The festival has grown
tremendously from its origins
back in 1995 as a one-day
event at the end of September.
“The first festival was
held at what was then Sisters
Middle/High School on the
last Saturday of September,”
recalled festival co-founder
Jim Cornelius. “It’s amazing
that the whole thing came
off. We were going to have
it in an open field at Pine
Meadow Ranch and moved
it indoors at the last minute.
All the performers were from
Oregon. We had music, folk
dancing, storytelling. It was
small-time but people really
enjoyed it. The next year, we
upped the ante and booked
Guy Clark and Ian Tyson and
we were off and running.”
There were bumps in the
road, but the festival con-
tinued to grow and thrive as
key members of the com-
munity stepped up to lend
their support. A key moment
came when Dick Sandvik
and Kathy Deggendorfer
contracted with Brad Tisdel
to create a music education
outreach program for the
schools called The Americana
Project.
“That really tied the fes-
tival and the community
together, and it contines to
be a model that other com-
munities want to adopt,” said
Cornelius.
Sandvik reflected on the
development of the festival
that, during its early years, he
and wife Diane Campbell ran
out of their business, Paulina
Springs Book Co.
“I’m amazed and incred-
ibly satisfied that what …
started as a pretty rough,
unsophisticated one-day
show has blossomed into
such a very special commu-
nity offering, one that has
survived and thrived over two
decades,” he said. “The festi-
val has evolved in wonderful
ways. Too many people to
name have been instrumental
in the festival’s success, but
all in all it’s a community-
wide effort that has made
the event become what it is
today.
“I’m especially proud that
we created and have fostered
The Americana Project — its
music, art, instrument-craft-
ing and other offerings have
proved invaluable and inspi-
rational to so many young
folks in Sisters.”
The festival will give
something back to the com-
munity that has supported
it for 20 years with several
free shows and workshops.
Free venues include the
Americana Stage at Fir Street
Park, with performances
starting at noon on Saturday
and Sunday by Americana
Project students and alumni,
as well as festival artists both
days.
The Sisters Coffee Co.
venue will run Saturday and
Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
with workshops from some
of the biggest acts at the fes-
tival. Workshops are infor-
mal performances with Q&A
between songs.
On Friday and Saturday
nights starting at 9:30 p.m. at
the Sisters Area Chamber of
Commerce, Pickin’ Central
is open to anyone looking for
a place to jam. Last — and
anything but least — the free
Sunday-morning Community
Celebration is always a beau-
tiful music and community
experience at the Village
Green, with inspiring per-
formances by festival artists,
and hosted by artist and song-
writer Beth Wood.
The festival is celebrat-
ing its 20th anniversary with
an installation featuring a
brief history and compel-
ling images from the past 20
years of festival performers.
Twenty banners will grace
the inside of the Sisters Art
Works tent, and will be com-
plemented by an interactive
display at the Village Green
for patrons to share their
favorite memories of the past
20 years.
Brand-new Sisters Folk
Festival merchandise is now
available, both commemora-
tive and souvenir items. A
selection of merchandise is
currently available at Paulina
Springs Books in Sisters. The
full array of festival gear will
be on sale at Village Green
and Sisters Art Works during
the festival.
The 2105 Sisters Folk
Festival schedule can be
viewed and printed at www.
sistersfolkfestival.org.
Sunday-only tickets are
still available for $65 adults
and $40 for youth (18 and
younger). For more informa-
tion visit sistersfolkfestival.
org/tickets/.
CASTLE: Accused of
taking money from
investors, friends
Continued from page 1
first-degree aggravated theft.
The criminal indictment of
Castle was the result of a
joint investigation between
agents and investigators
from the FBI, U.S. Bureau of
Land Management, and the
division.
The Deschutes County
District Attorney’s Office
told The Nugget that Castle
failed to appear for a court
date in November 2014 and
there is an outstanding war-
rant for her arrest.
“This is another reminder
on how important it is to
check out the proposed
investment and the person
promoting it,” said David
Tatman, division admin-
istrator. “We urge anyone
considering an investment
to contact us to verify the
information.”
Anyone who has invested
money with Castle or has
more information about
Castle is encouraged to file a
complaint with the division.
To file a complaint, or to find
information about licensing,
registration, and enforcement
history for individuals and
companies, visit dfcs.oregon.
gov or call 866-814-9710.
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