Stitched stories at the Heritage Center

Quilts will once again fill the stately ballroom of Hooker Hall as the Snake River Heritage Center hosts a two day quilt show on Friday and Saturday, April 10-11. Admission is just $2, offering visitors an enjoyable and affordable way to explore both newly crafted quilts and pieces with deep historical roots.

 Quilters from across the region are invited to enter their creations at snakeriverheritagecenter.org. Displays will be set up in the third floor ballroom on Thursday, April 9, between noon and 5 p.m.

 The event also features a special presentation by Weiser historian Sarah Borda, who will share “Quilting on the Oregon Trail,” a fictional narrative inspired by real Cambridge area pioneer families. Her program blends imagination with local history, offering a glimpse into how quilting traditions traveled west with early settlers.

 In the museum’s Tea Room on the first floor, visitors will find a display of heritage quilts passed down through generations, along with early portable sewing machines dating to the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of the most personal pieces on display is a table topper created in the 1930s by the mother of SRHC curator and quilt show organizer Dottie Emert.

 “She and a group of ladies would get together, and they would cut out these circles, and then they would sew around the circle and pinch it and cinch it and flatten it out and hook them together,” Emert said. “And when we moved to Weiser, she found it and it was too small, so she started making this little border and added to it.”

 Emert said the piece may not have been something her family expected to keep, but its home in the museum allows it to be appreciated for the craftsmanship and history it represents.

 It has been well over a decade – perhaps even two – since the museum last hosted a quilt show in Hooker Hall. The 2026 edition marks the kickoff of a full slate of family friendly events planned by the SRHC board for the coming year.

 Next on the calendar is the museum’s second May Day celebration, set for Saturday, May 9. The lawn party will feature a picnic setting, May Pole, entertainment, and old time lawn games and competitions. Tickets will soon be available at the SRHC website for $10 each.

 Additional events will be announced throughout the year as dates are finalized.