((L) Renowned quilt artist Janet MacConnell, designer of the 2022 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show poster, created this colorful quilt for nonprofit organization Seed to Table and its founder, Audrey Tehan (right). It and other quilts will be on display at Sisters Farmers Market this Sunday. (R) Musician and songwriter Gabrial Sweyn takes the stage at Sisters Farmers Market this Sunday, July 10, at Fir Street Park | Photos provided)
Along with a beautiful assortment of local produce, locally ranched meats and eggs and handcrafted goods, Sisters Farmers Market will feature several special quilts this Sunday, July 10, and a raffle. Musician Gabrial Sweyne will bring country, blues and folk influenced music to the Songbird Stage.
Visitors enjoy Central Oregon’s favorite small-town farmers market for its charming vibe, excellent location and wide assortment of vendors. Artisanal goods such as small-batch breads baked in a wood-fired oven, handmade horchata ice pops and soaps made from locally raised goats’ milk are among the items on offer.
Farm and orchard crops can be unpredictable, but in recent weeks, shoppers discovered fresh peaches and berries, sweet carrots with a beautiful crunchy bite grown about a mile away, along with salad greens, garlic scapes and early squashes.
This week, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) will loan a quilt from their collection to display at the market on Sunday at Fir Street Park from 11am to 2pm, during regular market hours.
“We are big fans of the quilt show here at Sisters Farmers Market,” explained manager Michelle Jiunta. “In addition to the beautiful quilt donated by Katy Yoder for our raffle, Seed To Table will be displaying their beautiful farm quilt by Janet MacConnell.”
MacConnell, the quilt artist who designed this year’s SOQS poster, was inspired by the nonprofit organization Seed to Table’s work in the community. She uses her quilts “to try and tell a story.” Many of her designs feature the mountains and trees of Sisters Country.
The bright quilt depicts the landscape and, as MacConnell put it, “the iconic Seed to Table sign,” and local children planting and harvesting on the Seed to Table farm, getting a hands-on education.
Seed to Table is a local nonprofit organization that increases health and wellness by providing equitable access to locally grown, farm-fresh produce and farm-based education. Sisters Farmers Market is one of its programs. To learn more, see seedtotableoregon.org.
The quilt to be raffled at Sisters Farmers Market is from the estate of Boyd Wickman, a U.S. Forest Service entomologist. The colorful quilt depicts “30 jars with all kinds of creatures in them, from salamanders to butterflies, dragonflies, bees and beetles,” according to Katy Yoder. Visitors may buy raffle tickets at the market’s Info Booth beginning this Sunday.
Gabrial Sweyn has toured from Portland to the American South to South Africa with previous bands. Originally from Missoula, Montana, he now lives in Sisters. The Central Oregon landscape influences his songwriting these days.
Sweyn described the feeling of “just driving and looking over the meadows and the mountains and trees, you get that nostalgic feeling of open spaces. The topography plays off how I write and how my music plays.”
Sisters Farmers Market is located at Fir Street Park, a half block north of Cascade Avenue/Highway 20 in historic downtown Sisters, close to shops, restaurants, food carts and sightseeing. For history buffs, the Sisters Museum is now open at the park’s southeast corner during market hours.
Every Sunday from the beginning of June through the first week of October, Sisters Farmers Market takes place from 11am to 2pm SNAP/EBT is accepted. For more information, see sistersfarmersmarket.com. Sign up for the email newsletter to keep up with vendors, products, music and potential weather or smoke closures later in the season.