Holidays Sisters in
This is the season when we remind ourselves of all we have to be thankful for: the natural beauty that surrounds us; the bonds of a strong community; friends and family who bring us joy. We are also fortunate to live in a community of creative makers, who provide food, gifts, and experiences that offer real meaning and lasting value. Meet them here…
Fun Has Ju Begun!
Sisters bustling with HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES
— By Bill Bartlett, Correspondent —
Where Santa Shops!
Looking at the list of what’s happening in Sisters Country for the holidays is a task in and of itself. For a town this size, it’s somewhat amazing that so much is taking place in such a short period of time.
It actually had already begun on November 12 with wreath making at Pine Meadow Ranch and continues right through New Year’s Eve. Over 60 known – and more likely to be announced or pop up, as merchants and organizations get into the thick of Christmas.
It’s a Sisters Countrywide effort that includes Black Butte Ranch, Hoodoo, Camp Sherman, the Metolius Preserve and Lower Bridge.
Holiday Palooza at Fir Street Park Saturday. Black Butte Ranch lights their tree and carols Friday the same day as their Turkey Trot 5K run. Luckey’s Woodsman will have their fourth annual tree lighting November 30.
And if you want to cut your own tree all for a good cause, Kalamataca Ranch will hold their annual tree hunt Saturday and Sunday. Or, head to the Metolius Preserve.
There’ll be lots of singing, including a John Denver Tribute Christmas Concert at Faith, Hope & Charity, who will host two more concerts in December. Plus, a Winter Choir Concert at Sisters Community Church.
Santa is all over the place from Frankie’s (formerly The Depot), Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, Spoons, Sisters Bakery, and The Fort Wakefield House. He’ll be on hand for breakfast at Black Butte Ranch too.
Christmas markets? The Camp Sherman Holiday Bazaar. The Barn in Sisters. First Friday, a promotion by SBA (Sisters Business Association). The Holiday Marketplace at the Faith, Hope & Chairty vineyard. Kids Holiday Craft Market at the Hub. So many choices.
Trees? Of course. The biggie is the
Dancing too. The Belfry is holding their New Year’s Eve Dance Party. Black Butte and Hoodoo will be lit up December 31 to usher in the new year.
That’s not all. How do we know? We got first look at http://sistershome townholidays.com a collaborative effort of Explore Sisters, C4C (Citizens for Community) and the Sisters Business Association. This and The Nugget are your go-to places for all that the holidays have to offer in Sisters Country with details on exact dates and times.
Pottery by Mitch
For four decades, Mitch and Michelle Deaderick have been making Christmas shopping for unique gifts easy — and fun.
The renowned potters and sculptors will open their shop at 17192 Jordan Rd. on December 6-7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for their annual home show. The event has become an annual pilgrimage for people Christmas shopping for meaningful gifts that support the local arts community. Folks in Sisters will enjoy their beautiful pottery, delicious treats — and lots of holiday cheer. As Michelle says, “it’s better than going to the mall to shop.”
These Sisters makers create gifts that have real meaning — gifts that stand the test of time. Their work has been treasured for generations now. Many a person in Sisters has a favorite coffee mug that they’ve enjoyed every day for decades, one that comes off the wheel right here in our hometown.
The Deadericks will open their kiln during the show so that people can see how the
“It’s
is made.
Michelle says.
The Germanic roots OF CHRISTMAS
— By Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief —
From Christmas trees to Christmas markets, many of the most-beloved Christmas traditions have origins in Germany.
There are thousands of traditional Christmas markets in Germany. The tradition of the Christkindlesmärkt dates back to medieval times, and some historians consider the tradition so important that it should be placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Adam Recksiek, owner of Beacham’s Clock Co. in Sisters, is of German descent, and is well versed in the history of the traditions he values. Among those traditions is an ethic of small-shop hand production of Christmas ornaments and decorations.
“Everything is pretty much handcrafted and hand-carved in Germany, and they do it pretty much like they did 200–300 years ago,” he told The Nugget.
Recksiek grew up surrounded by interesting, personally crafted German holiday decorations, and he and his staff have recreated that feeling in their Sisters shop.
“The Nutcracker is a big thing in Germany,” he noted.
The figurines were manufactured in winter, with origins in the Erzgebirge, or Ore Mountains, a mining region in southeast Germany along what is now the Czech border.
“They couldn’t mine when it got cold,” Recksiek explained, so craftsmen would spend idle hours carving Nutcrackers.
“The tradition of the Nutcracker is that they would ward off evil spirits in your home,” Recksiek said.
Traditional German-made Nutcrackers stand watch at Beacham’s Clock Co. in Sisters.
favorite Nutcracker comes to life on Christmas Eve. Hoffmann’s tale was adapted by Alexandre Dumas of “The Three Musketeers” fame, and was in turn adapted into the beloved “The Nutcracker” ballet.
Another of Recksiek favorite traditions is the Christmas pyramid, which also has roots in the Ore Mountains region.
Everything is pretty much handcrafted and handcarved in Germany, and they do it pretty much like they did 200–300 years ago.
— Adam Recksiek, Beacham’s Clock Co.
The Nutcracker was not originally specific to Christmas, but over the past two centuries has become more and more associated with the season.
The carved pyramids often feature a Nativity scene, and turn on an axle under the power of heated air generated by candles. They can be treated like an advent device, with more candles lit as Christmas approaches.
“The closer you get to Christmas, the more candles you light, and the faster the pyramid goes,” Recksiek said.
In 1816, Prussian author E.T.A. Hoffmann published a children’s fairy tale titled “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King,” in which a young girl’s
Whether your roots are German or not, chances are your family enjoys some German holiday traditions — and everyone can appreciate the slow-speed, handcrafted ethic of a German Christmas.
SISTERS DANCE ACADEMY WINTER RECITAL Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 at 11:00am, 1:30pm, 6:30pm Sisters High School | Tickets $15 at DanceInSisters.com
CHRISTMAS — magic or meaning?
— By Wendy Bachmeier, Columnist —
The Grinch of Christmas, just like the Spirit of Christmas, is a real thing, I truly believe. The Grinch of Christmas turns the most hopeful, excited child in each of us into the green, cynical, hard-to-please, adolescent critic we all become. And, sadly, I think it’s a developmental milestone. Suddenly, we turn 12 and the once joyous thought of opening sparkling Christmas surprises becomes dull, and Christmas loses its luster, unless, of course, we discover our “long-awaited, overly expensive, beyond our wildest dreams” gift under the tree. Then, it’s not so bad.
But, we struggle, like Billy riding the Polar Express, to believe and remain a child, or to face the hard reality that gifts of socks and sweaters may be in our Christmas future. Not until we turn the page and step into parenthood does the holiday become magical again. Magical, in that we become the magicians, held responsible for the precious Christmas memories of our children, family, and friends. It’s a special gift to bestow joy and wonder in a child’s eyes, to see the Spirit of Christmas come alive in the next generation. Maybe that’s why we work so hard and spend so much. It costs a lot to be magical.
Maybe that’s why I prefer to celebrate the Meaning of Christmas,
instead. Without a deeper purpose, Christmas becomes a selfish, materialistic, magical attempt to see who can out-give, out-decorate, and outdo ourselves into exhaustion. Tired of trying to keep the magic exciting, we may give up on Christmas altogether. We simplify, forget the traditions meant to keep the meaning alive, and find other ways to make ourselves happy. We forget the holly, symbolizing Christ’s crown of thorns; we forget the twinkle lights that remind us that Jesus is the light of the world; we forget the candy canes, the cane of the good shepherd.
We forget that Christmas wasn’t originally intended to be about magic and gifts for ourselves at all. Instead, ChristMass was intended to be a Christian worship service honoring the birth of Emmanuel, the God-Man, Jesus. It was He who brought God and man together, and brought Jew and Gentile into peace under one King. He was to be the Prince of Peace between deity and humanity and between all peoples of the earth so we could live together in harmony and brotherly kindness because we are all one family. But, it only works if you truly believe.
And, for me and Cindy Lou Who, I don’t know a better way to do it.
Beacham’s Clock Co.
To walk into Beacham’s Clock Co. at this time of year is to set out on the trail of the German origins of many of our beloved Christmas traditions. Beacham’s Clock Co. owner Adam Recksiek is of German descent, and Beacham’s Clock Co. celebrates his roots and the deep tradition of hand-crafted, hand-carved Christmas art.
Here you will find a wide array of hand-crafted German ornaments and figurines to decorate your home or to give as gifts. The work is in a tradition of hand-carving that has not changed much in 200–300 years.
Marking the advent is a significant element of a Germanic Christmas.
“We have the big advent calendars that are reusable,” Recksiek says. “You decide what you put in them and who you give it to.”
Candle pyramids are also a tradition. The hot air from the candles spins the pyramid.
“The closer you get to Christmas, the more candles you light and the faster the pyramid goes,” Recksiek says. And, always, there is the indescribable charm of being surrounded by beautiful, chiming clocks.
A Christmas memory
In 1987, my dad was being transferred from Charleston Navy Base to Miramar in San Diego. Just before Christmas my dad packed up our family — my mom, my sister, and me — into our 1986 Z-28 Camaro, and we headed west.
On December 24, just outside of El Paso, a snowstorm was moving in and would ultimately follow us to Tucson the next day. We ended up stopping for the night at a motel. As we got ready for bed,
— By Kimberly Young, Columnist —
I remember the unease settling deep in my 8-year-old stomach. How was Santa going to find me? We weren’t in our old house anymore. I hadn’t told Santa we’d be stuck in El Paso. There was no tree, no milk and cookies, no chimney — none of that familiar magic. What if he couldn’t find me this year? I drifted off to sleep half hopeful, half heartbroken.
When morning came, I didn’t run to a tree like most kids my age were doing — instead, I sat up quickly in my motel bed, scanning the room for any trace that Santa had been there. Nothing looked different. The door was locked, the window shut. But then I saw it! At the end of my bed, sat a little brown Pound Puppy with black spots staring right at me. My sister had one, too. Somehow, someway, Santa had found me — in a plain little motel room in El Paso, Texas.
Luckey’s Woodsman
Luckey’s Woodsman is as well-known in Sisters for its community spirit as for its fantastic food. The Christmas season brings both together.
“We want to be part of peoples’ holidays,” says Jackson Higdon.
That means hosting their fourth-annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Sunday, November 30, at 5:30 p.m.
“We’re just going to have some hometown family fun,” Jackson says.
It also means signing up now for Luckey’s Woodsman’s Roast Beast Kit — which makes holiday meal prep easy and the holiday meal delicious and festive.
Luckey’s Woodsman is beloved for its food and fun — but also for a big heart. Anyone in need is welcome to come in and pick up a pint of frozen soup (they’ll heat it up for you if needed). Community members are welcome to donate to the program.
Luckey’s Woodsman recently opened their food truck at Lazy Z Ranch Wines, to spread the festive spirit.
“We want everybody to have a great holiday,” Jackson says. “That’s our big mission. Everybody deserves that.”
“That’s our big mission. Everybody deserves that.”
Sisters Movie House & Café
The holiday season is a great time to take a break from the hubbub and settle in with some popcorn (and even an adult beverage) along with a new movie. Sisters Movie House & Café has a strong lineup for the holiday season, including “Wicked: For Good,” the much-anticipated “Avatar: Fire & Ash,” and a special 25th Anniversary repertory run of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” Grinch will run for just one week beginning December 12.
For many folks, taking in a movie on Christmas Day is a long-standing tradition. “Song Sung Blue” premieres on Christmas Day, featuring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in a tale of a pair of down-on-their-luck musicians who form a Neil Diamond tribute band. The movie is hailed as an uplifting and inspiring holiday movie about following a dream.
“Sentimental Value” opens December 5.
“That one’s being touted on a lot of Best Picture lists for the year,” Sisters Movie House & Café owner Drew Kaza notes.
“It’s pretty loaded,” Kaza said, excited about the season. “Hopefully, there’s something for everybody.”
Sisters Movie House & Café is also a great place to stop in to eat or enjoy a beverage — with or without a movie. Their offerings are extensive, including healthy and ethical choices. See the menu at www.sistersmoviehouse.com/menu.
of Lazy Jackson
A Family Nativity Production
— By Wendy Bachmeier, Columnist —
When my kids were little, I wanted to find a way to make Christmas more meaningful. Mostly, I didn’t want to lie to them about Santa Claus like my folks did, and have them mistrust my word forever after.
So, I convinced my family to act out the Nativity story instead. We dressed the kids up in bathrobes, fairy wings, and cotton stuffing, transforming them into Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, and animals in the stable. The youngest grandchild had the privilege of being Baby Jesus in the manger. Each year, Grandpa would read the story out of the Bible and the children would enter the living room as their part of the story was read. They would circle around and dutifully bow before the manger and the squirming baby. Then, the best part was when the uncles, dressed as the wise men from afar in horrible wigs and costumes, would burst through the front door bearing gifts for Baby Jesus, and all the children, too. Pandemonium would erupt as presents were ripped open and Grandma was thanked (we all knew who was really responsible for the gifts).
This became a favorite tradition for years, and the kids would remember Christmases by who was Baby Jesus that year. There was even a year when a dinosaur was in the stable, as she didn’t want to be a sheep.
But my favorite Christmas of all was when we put on the Family Nativity Production! That year, instead of leaving the acting to the kids, everyone took
a part. We divided the family members up into groups: the nativity family, the animals, the angels, the shepherds, and the wise men, of course. Then, each group went off to plan how they would present their part. When everyone was ready, the production began. Everything proceeded as normal, with Grandpa reading the Nativity story and young Mary and Joseph riding a donkey child to put Baby Jesus (Baby Bess) in the manger. Suddenly, the animals in the stable became a Muppet rock band, with Animal, the drummer, taking the lead, curly red wig and all. When they finished their rendition of “The Friendly Beasts,” the angels dressed in white sheets and holding candles floated in through the kitchen singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”
Together we all sang Christmas carols and shook the rafters with harmonies and operatic parts. Then, the shepherds, dressed in basketball jerseys and led by my brother who was a basketball coach, did their shepherd team cheer. I think they even did cartwheels and someone was thrown up into the air and almost hit the ceiling. Finally, the wise men uncles dressed in bathrobes and wigs, came with gifts for the kids and brought the house down! Memories of this Christmas make me laugh to this day and are only rivaled by memories of my folks pretending to be pig farmers and singing “Oklahoma” at another Christmas Family Production.
But that’s a story for another day.
Three Sisters Lions Club
Hunting for wonderful, locally crafted gifts at the Three Sisters Lions Club’s Annual Holiday Faire has long been one of Sisters’ favorite local traditions.
In this, their 14th year, the Lions Club Faire will be held at a brand-new location at 282 S. Cedar St. (behind High Camp) November 28 through December 20.
In this intimate and welcoming space, the Lions will host a wonderful blend of the tried-and-true and the fresh-and-new. Savvy shoppers in Sisters know that the Holiday Faire offers a wonderful opportunity to buy locally crafted decorations for the holidays, and handmade gifts that will mean a lot to those on your list.
You’ll find ornaments, home crafts, scratch art, cutting boards, dog toys, jams and jellies, hand-poured candles, handmade soaps, and much, much more. And shopping at the Faire does a lot for the local community. Proceeds support Lions Club initiatives for sight and hearing, pediatric cancer, and trade school scholarships for graduating seniors.
You’ll find ornaments, home crafts, scratch art, cutting
Holidays Events
Thursday • November 27
Community anksgiving Dinner
Friday • December 5
at Sisters Community Church, 1300 McKenzie Hwy., 12:30-4 p.m. Free anksgiving meal with all the xin’s! Everyone is welcome. Information: 541-390-4597
BBR anksgiving dinner at Black Butte Ranch Main Lodge, 12-4 p.m. Information: https://www. blackbutteranch.com/events/thanksgiving-dinner-2025/
Friday • November 28
Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run
Black Butte Ranch Lakeside Activity Center, 11 a.m. Information: https://www.blackbutteranch.com/ events/turkey-trot-fun-run-2/
BBR Holiday tree lighting + caroling
Black Butte Ranch Main Lodge 5:30-6 p.m. Free hot cocoa, cider, and live music. Information: https://www. blackbutteranch.com/events/christmas-tree-lighting/
Saturday • November 29
Kids holiday cra market
Presented by Commonplace Homeschool Coop at e Hub, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Information: www.commonplacesisters.com
Holiday Palooza & Parade Christmas parade on Main Avenue at 3:30 p.m. followed by the tree lighting ceremony at Fir Street Park. Photos with Santa in e Hub. Sponsored by SPRD. Information: www.sistersrecreation.com
Holiday Marketplace at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: https://www. faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-details/annualholiday-marketplace-at-the-vineyard-4
Sunday • November 30
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Luckey’s Woodsman, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Pictures with Santa or Hodag and the Gang. Free hot cocoa for the kids. Tree permits available. Bring an ornament to hang on the tree or wear and an ugly sweater for 10% discount.
Holiday Makers Market at e Barn in Sisters, 171 E. Main Ave., featuring an amazing selection of local artists. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Holiday Marketplace at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Information: https://www. faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-details/annualholiday-marketplace-at-the-vineyard-4
Thursday • December 4
Hoodoo Wintervention
ree Creeks Brew Pub 6-8 p.m. Presented by Hoodoo Ski Area. Win li tickets, gear, skis, boards & more. Free for all ages.
First Friday + busking Downtown 4-7 p.m. presented by businesses of Sisters Business Association.
Holidays at e Hub 4-7 p.m. hosted by Citizens4Community and Commonplace Homeschool Coop. Information: https:// citizens4community.com/events/holidays-hub
Camp Sherman Holiday Bazaar at Camp Sherman Community Hall, 13025 Metolius River, Camp Sherman. 5-8 p.m. Presented by Camp Sherman Community Association.
Saturday • December 6
Visit with Santa at Spoons, 473 E. Hood Ave., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Information: 541-719-0572
Santa’s Open House at e Fort Wake eld House, 12-3 p.m. hosted by Advantage Mortgage. Pictures with Santa, co ee, hot cocoa and treats!
Santa Claus is Visiting Sisters Bakery, 251 E. Cascade Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon. Photos and ornament making. Information: www.facebook.com/sistersbakeryoregon Camp Sherman Holiday Bazaar at Camp Sherman Community Hall, 13025 Metolius River, Camp Sherman. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Presented by Camp Sherman Community Association. Ugly Sweater Run Downtown Sisters, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sunday • December 7
Breakfast with Santa at FivePine. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Community seating, bu et breakfast, all proceeds go to FAN.
Registration required: https:// vepine-lodge-andconference-center.square.site
Holiday Makers Market at e Barn in Sisters, 171 E. Main Ave., featuring an amazing selection of local artists. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Friday •December 12
Winter choir concert #1 at Sisters Community Church, 7 p.m.
Presented by High Desert Chorale & Bell Choir
Casey Parnell & Co Christmas Dance Party at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, 5-8 p.m. Tickets: https://www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/eventdetails/live-at-the-vineyard-casey-parnell-co-christmasdance-party
Presented by Run Sisters Run. Check in at 9, kids run at 9:50, main run 10-11:30 a.m. followed by awards and ugly sweater competition at e Barn 11:30-11:50. Information: www.runsistersrun.com
“Let’s Sing! Holiday Edition” (part 1) at e Barn in Sisters 12-1 p.m. Presented by Citizens4Community, immediately a er the Ugly Sweater Run. Information: https://citizens4community.com/ events/lets-sing-dec-25-1
John Denver Tribute Christmas Concert at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, 5-8 p.m. Tickets: https://www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/ event-details/live-at-the-vineyard-john-hoover-themighty-quinns-14
Metolius Preserve Tree Hunt
Saturday • December 13
Winter Dance Recital: Silver Screen& Snowy Scenes presented by Sisters Dance Academy at Sisters High School auditorium, 1700 W. McKinney Butte Rd., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Tickets & information: www.danceinsisters.com
St. Lucy Day holiday celebration at Fika Sisters Co eehouse, 6:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Christmas reading from Melody Carlson, gingerbread decorating, music, a St. Lucia children’s cra , and more. Santa Claus is Visiting Sisters Bakery, 251 E. Cascade Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon. Photos and ornament making. Information: www.facebook.com/sistersbakeryoregon
Sunday • December 14
Winter choir concert #2 at Sisters Community Church, 2:30 p.m. Presented by High Desert Chorale & Bell Choir Ladies Ornament Exchange at Friends & Vine, 2-4 p.m. Bring an ornament to exchange. Wine for sale.
Motel Kalifornia Christmas Concert at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, 5-8 p.m. Tickets: https://www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/eventdetails/live-at-the-vineyard-motel-kalifornia-christmasconcert
Join the Land Trust for family-friendly event! Cut your own free-range holiday tree, enjoy hot drinks, wreath making, and merriment! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Information: www.deschuteslandtrust.org/ hikes-events/hikes/tree-hunt-2024
Breakfast with Santa at Black Butte Ranch Lodge. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Bu et-style meal, photos with Santa, cookie decorating. Information: www.blackbutteranch.com/events/breakfast-with-santa-2/
