Sidney’s 31st annual Sunrise Festival of the Arts will be Saturday, June 18, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. in downtown Sidney. Art and crafts lovers from miles around are welcome to attend.
This year’s featured artists are a husband and wife team, Alton and Ruthann Hillesland, as Hillesland Barn Quilts and More. Ruthann will be selling her barn quilts and Alton will be selling some of his woodwork. Ruthann has been making her barn quilts for three years and Alton has been wood carving for about 40. Both are self-taught. Ruthann had pursued a minor in art and a major in music but was unable to do anything with it. They had been friends for years but got married in 2018. After she married Alton, he found out about barn quilts and wanted to see if she would enjoy making them. She loves it. Alton cuts out the barn quilt squares and constructs the frames while Ruthann designs and paints her quilts by hand, none of it is computer-generated. It takes her three to four days of hours of work to make a barn quilt. When she made four-footers it took her at least a week. They have stopped making the four-footers because of a back injury Alton sustained back in January but they still make one- and two-foot barn quilts. If anyone wants a barn quilt but misses them at the Festival they can still contact Alton and Ruthann to purchase or have one made they can be contacted by email at [email protected].
The festival is free to attend. This year it will again be on the 100 blocks of E. Main St., SE 2nd Ave., and SE 2nd St. Those streets will be closed to motor vehicles during the event.
Miss Montana Volunteer, Miss Teen Montana Volunteer, and Miss Preteen Montana Volunteer winners, Alissa Bohle, Brielle Gorder, and Emma McPherson will be attending the event this year. They will have a booth where they will be doing face painting, glitter tatoos, handing out signatures and “You’ve Been Spotted” cards, as well as taking pictures.
“Power” will be playing for the street dance from 7 p.m.-midnight. The dance is for adults 21 years and older.
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