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Wednesday, December 1, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HOLIDAYS: Folks turned
out in high numbers
for weekend events
Continued from page 1
At 5:59 p.m. the count-
down started: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and
with a flip of the switch the
65-plus-foot landmark tree
illuminated its roughly 2,500
lights to the sheer delight of
all.
<All= was an inter-gen-
erational mix of infants to
octogenarians. Typical of the
attendees was the Dawson
family. Noni and Pops, resi-
dents, who were accompa-
nied by three adult children
and seven grandkids, ages
between one and 9, all living
on the east coast, and two
Jack Russell terriers.
Daughter-in-law Maddie
from Boston was espe-
cially touched by her first
small town encounter with a
tradition she wished she had
experienced growing up.
<It makes me want to
move here. We are already
planning to come back in the
summer for the rodeo,= she
said gleefully, adding: <Our
kids are even more excited
about tomorrow9s parade.=
Ben and Alisha Moorland
who moved to Sisters in June
were not aware of the week-
end9s festivities even after
years of vacationing here.
<We just learned about
this two hours ago,= the cou-
ple said.
<I can9t imagine ever not
being here for it,= said Alisha
with Ben adding, <This is
one of so many reasons we
left Seattle. This is organic,
not what you see in simi-
lar events in the 8city9 (air
quotes) where it all seems a
bit staged, almost superficial
by comparison.=
Saturday at 2 p.m. was
the annual parade on Hood
PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
Victorian carolers led the community in song at the annual Christmas
Tree Lighting event sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce
and the City of Sisters.
Avenue followed by cookies
and cocoa with Santa spon-
sored by Hayden Homes at
McKenzie Meadows Park, a
Hayden residential develop-
ment. The parade is just what
you would expect in Sisters
4 as many dogs and horses
marching as vehicles of all
manner of vintage or utility.
The parade began at Pine
Street and ended at Larch
Street, led by the color
guard, an assortment of vet-
erans from all branches of
service. Bringing up the rear
was Santa in a horse drawn
carriage. Both sides of Hood
were lined with broadly
beaming faces under a bro-
ken sky. The temperature
was 56, a far cry from some
years when a number of folk
recalled parades with snow.
The premier seats were in
front of Sisters Coffee Co.
and at Eurosports, both of
whose outdoor tables were
full. The seats of choice how-
ever were the at least 100
vehicles with raised cargo
doors or lowered tailgates
crammed with onlookers,
many festooned with holiday
attire. The Nugget counted
no fewer than 80 dogs
among the spectators. In all
it appeared that a minimum
of 1,000 viewed the event.
Kids scrambled to get
candy tossed by drivers and
tenders of parade entrants
of which there were 20 reg-
istered. Some, however,
like the fire department had
multiple vehicles and when
combined with marching
dogs and horses, the parade
increased in scale and
variety.
As the crowd dissipated,
many headed to shops and
Portraits OF SISTERS
PHOTO AND STORY BY
Cody Rheault
THIS MONTH’S “PORTRAITS OF SISTERS” PRESENTED BY:
382 E Hood Ave | Suite A East | Sisters OR 97759
541.419.5577 Licensed In The State of Oregon
PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
The lighting of Sisters 65-foot community Christmas tree marked the
official launch of the holiday season in Sisters.
watering holes much to the
delight of shops and purvey-
ors. A good number remained
at their spot on Hood Avenue,
reminiscing with friends and
families, greeting strangers
and generally inaugurating
the Christmas season.
The scene at McKenzie
Meadows Park located near
the high school was a scene
straight out of Americana.
Children from the shy to the
giddy lined nearly 100 deep
to visit with Santa (aka Terry
Rahmsdorff from Bend).
Antonio Ramirez, age 6,
schooled his brother Luis,
4, and sister, Alejandra, 2,
in the best way to get on
Santa9s good side. They
were with mom and dad,
Juana and Carlos who live in
Springfield.
<We love coming to
Sisters,= Juana told us.
<We spent the whole day
here,= added Carlos who
continued: <We came hoping
to play in the snow but it was
still OK. We didn9t know
about the parade or Santa,
so that was a really nice sur-
prise. It will be hard to get
the children to leave.=
And so it was that
Christmas got rolling in
Sisters Country.
“When I walk into an open space I envi-
sion how it will be used,” says Jennifer
Beech. The 30-year Sisters resident has
worked a variety of jobs in town but always
had a passion for interior decorating.
Moving from Port Orford in 1990, the wife
and mother of one loves Sisters for its small
community feel and vibe. In May of 2021 she
followed her passion and opened Home
Styled, a local store with the mission of dec-
oratively complementing your home using
natural materials like wood, stoneware,
handmade candles, and monochromatic
elements. She imagines the stories a space
will tell and utilizes her vision to comple-
ment the possibilities. “Some of life’s most
important events happen in your home,”
she says. “I love styling them and leaving
them better than I found it.” For Jennifer,
the future is now. In five years she hopes to
be here doing what she loves and helping
your home tell more stories. Home Styled
can be found at 251 Sun Ranch Dr. in Sisters.