The sanctuary of Reinbeck United Church of Christ was filled with quilts on Saturday, Sept. 20, as part of the 14th annual Reinbeck Art Festival. More than 50 quilts and quilting projects were on display. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

REINBECK – The 14th annual Reinbeck Art Festival and Car Show occupied several downtown blocks last Saturday, Sept. 20, welcoming artists and art enthusiasts alike to the downtown area.

As in years past, the United Church of Christ – located just up the street from the intersection of Main and Broad – hosted a quilt show inside the church’s stunning sanctuary.

Some 52 quilts and quilting projects were on display at the church, laid out with care across the pews thanks to the efforts of a small cohort of local quilters led by UCC members Dianne Barker and Mary Lou Moser.

“You do such a beautiful job. It’s gorgeous in here,” one quilt show attendee commented to Barker as she stood between the pews Saturday afternoon helping visitors locate different projects which were numbered and part of a detailed guide.

One of the oldest quilts on display in the sanctuary was a yellow and white ‘six sisters’ quilt owned by Lisa Roeding of Reinbeck. According to the show’s program, the quilt was originally created by Anna Young and May Henderson between 1927 and 1928.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“The quilt reflects exceptional sewing skills of both Anna and May, who were known to be accomplished seamstresses,” the program states. The quilting was likely all done by hand.

Two quilts on display courtesy of Carol and Mike Petersen were made by Mike’s aunt Frieda Bern who passed away in 1991 at the age of 86. One of the quilts featured dozens of delicate, handstitched moths while the other was a wedding ring design.

Piecing together the show each year is a lesson itself in design, Barker said, due to the quilting projects all being different sizes and even different shapes.

“It’s a puzzle, putting it together,” she said with a laugh. “That’s why [the program numbers] are not in order – and it’s something people have asked us about.”

The quilt ladies assemble the show the Friday morning prior to the festival. Any spaces leftover they fill with quilts of their own.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

If you missed the festival this year, it will be back again next year for its milestone 15th iteration on the third Saturday in September so be sure to mark your calendar.

This weekend, downtown Reinbeck will again be hopping as The Dig Inn hosts Becktoberfest 2025. New this year, the Reinbeck Development Committee has added ‘Beck Bash,’ a weeklong small business promotion that culminates on Saturday, Oct. 4, with Movies on Main – a free outdoor movie set up in the closed-off downtown. The family-friendly movie is sponsored by the Reinbeck Lions Club, PCI, and the Reinbeck Public Library. Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chair or blanket for seating.

For more information on all the Reinbeck community happenings, sign up for the new ‘Reinbeck Report’ weekly email sponsored by the Development Committee: https://tinyurl.com/29trnk3c.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

PHOTO COURTESY OF REINBECK ART FESTIVAL/FACEBOOK

PHOTO COURTESY OF REINBECK ART FESTIVAL/FACEBOOK

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER