Wednesday, April 22, 2015
B1
Experiencing
Blossom Time
Fair weather
shines on
valley events:
more this
weekend
WEEK 3
BLOSSOM TIME
HIGHLIGHTS
■ April 25 – Spring Cleanup
Day, on the waterfront; details
on page A1.
■ April 25 — Hood River
Valley FFA 7th Annual Steak
Feed and Silent Auction, 6 p.m.
at the HRVHS cafeteria. Tickets
$10; proceeds go back to the
HRV FFA chapter to fund future
student events and activities.
To purchase call 541-386-4500
ext.
4562
or
nita.bozarth@hoodriver.k12-
or.us.
■ April 25 — Procession of
the Species, 11 a.m. at Water-
front Park. Earth Day celebra-
tion to share what we love
about Earth through art, music,
dance and story, and how we
are working to protect it. Food.
■ April 25-26 — Foothills
Alpaca Abstract Fiber Trunk
Story and photos
by TRISHA WALKER
News staff writer
While most agreed that Saturday was
the busier day, the weekend’s warm,
sunny weather brought scores of visi-
tors to the valley for the second weekend
of Blossom Time.
At the Blossom Craft Show, held at the
Hood River County Fairgrounds, a wide
variety of vendors packed the grounds,
many of which were local. Hood River
Special Olympics, Duckwall Fruit’s
Relay for Life Team, the Trout Lake
Quilters, and the Odell Lioness Club —
among others — sold everything from
baked goods to raffle tickets in support
of their causes. The Blossom Quilt Show
took donations for Hood River Adopt A
Dog, which will also receive money
raised from the annual Harvest Quilt
raffle, in lieu of an admission charge.
Groups spent the morning or all day
cleaning up Hood River Waterfront Park
and sites along Indian Creek, as part of
Earth Week observances (see page A1
for details on this weekend’s Earth Day
events).
Thomas and Connie Betts of Foothills
Yarn & Fiber reported a very busy day
on Saturday, with a steady, if not quite
as heavy, stream of traffic coming up to
their Sylvester Drive farm on Sunday.
Thomas said that because of the early
blossom bloom this year, visitors have
been coming for a couple of weeks al-
ready, lured by the weather and scenery.
Between the alpacas, spinning and weav-
ing demonstrations, and extensive yarn
and alpaca product selections, Thomas
said the farm aims to “give people an ex-
perience. We’re not your standard yarn
store.” (Their open house continues this
weekend; Foothills is located near Odell,
via Central Vale Road.)
Farther up the valley, Parkdale
Grange members reported a very good
turnout for their annual Blossom Din-
ner. Three tour busses, plus a motorcycle
group of over 65 members, made reser-
vations for the dinner on Saturday. Sun-
day is traditionally the day for locals,
said Jean Hardman, one of the members
on site doing “a bit of everything” to see
the dinner go off smoothly.
Closer to Hood River, Patrik and Tess
Barr, owners and operators of Hood
Crest Winery, greeted visitors to their
sunny porch for wine tastings. Patrik re-
ported that “Saturday was madness,”
with every table full by 12:30. Many visi-
tors were there for Columbia Gorge
Wine Passport Month (more details at
gorgewine.com). Patrik estimated that
they lost 20 to 30 of their plants in the
November freeze, but said they wouldn’t
know the full extent of the damage until
September or October, closer to harvest.
Businesses including Apple Valley
Store did a brisk business as travelers
stopped for barbecue as well as baked
goods for the annual dessert party at the
Tucker Road landmark, and the women
of Our Redeemer Lutheran and Pine
Grove-Odell Methodist churches hosted
their annual bazaars, with a cornucopia
of artwork, crafts, baked goods and
other handmade items.
TOP LEFT, Kathie Alley and Fair Manager Clara Rice sample Packer
Orchard and Bakery cookies at the Blossom Craft Fair and Quilt
Show. Above, Chocolate the alpaca greets the camera at Foothills
Yarn & Fiber near Odell where, in the center of the page, Thomas
Betts demonstrates weaving a lap blanket. Below, Patrik and Tess
Barr welcome visitors to Hood Crest Winery on Orchard Road; April
is Oregon Wine Passport Month – see sidebar below for details.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
Show, 11a.m. to 4 p.m., near
Odell (details above).
■ April 25-26 — Barrel &
Reserve Tasting Weekend Co-
lumbia Gorge Wineries in Ore-
gon and Washington.
Small bites, special cheeses
or pop-up food carts will be
available along with take-
home recipes, pairing lessons
and new releases at 24 partici-
pating wineries. $25 fee; valid
month of April. More info at 1-
866-413-9463 and columbi-
agorgewine.com /passport-
month.
■ Through April – Luminous
Yellow: A Color Show, Colum-
bia Center for the Arts, in which
Gorge artists explore our most
vibrant color, in painting, jewel-
ry, photography, glass, digital
art, and more.
Photo by Kirby Neumann-Rea
DEBBIE CHENOWITH checks out greeting cards after purchasing a set of fruit-themed APPLE VALLEY STORE visitors sample the fruit jams and spreads
on sale.
dishcloths at the Our Redeemer Lutheran bazaar.
ATHLETE MARIAH LANGER of Hood River spends time at the
TEAM DUCKWALL members selling treats and water to raise funds for Relay For Life Hood River Special Olympics booth at Blossom Craft Fair at Hood
include Gloria Campbell, left, Thalia Lara, Lupe Trejo and Topi Cervantes.
River County Fairgrounds.