It’s June and summertime has arrived to the beautiful city hugging Oswego Lake. It’s time to get out and celebrate and there are plenty of activities on tap this month. Renaissance Homes enjoys building homes in the vibrant city filled with culture. Our headquarters is also located here.
Here are some inexpensive ideas to keep you busy this June in beautiful Lake Oswego:
1. Attend Festival of the Arts: The city’s signature festival put on by the Lakewood Center for the Arts, brings approximately 30,000 visitors to George Rogers Park and the Lakewood Center each June. Stop by June 21, 22 or 23, 2013, and enjoy art classes, thousands of pieces of art on display, educational exhibits from international artisans, live music and more than 80 art vendors sharing their talents.
2. Shop the Farmers’ Market: On Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. visit Millennium Plaza Park at 200 First Street and pick up fresh produce, meats, nuts, cheeses, sweet treats, artisan breads, jams and jellies – you name it. The European style market showcases more than 80 vendors each week through mid-October.
3. Walk the Gallery Without Walls: Enjoy the city’s outdoor art museum by touring its Gallery Without Walls exhibition. The more than 60 unique sculptures installed around Lake Oswego celebrate creativity and innovation. The rotating sculptures are on-loan from artists of national and international acclaim for a two-year period and are for sale. Download your free brochure here from the Arts Council of Lake Oswego and start walking: www.lofa.org/brochures/ACLO-GWW13.pdf.
4. Hit the green: The Lake Oswego Public Golf Course and practice range at 17525 SW Stafford Road is fun for the whole family. And its 18th green was just enlarged and refinished – now measuring 130 yards – for a stronger finish. And after your round, dine at the clubhouses’s new Casa del Pollo Restaurant and enjoy Costa Rican dishes.
5. Make a splash: The Lake Grove Swim Park located at 3800 Lakeview Blvd. is operated by the Lake Oswego School District and features wading pools and access to Oswego Lake with lifeguards on duty. Check the boundary map to make sure your home is within the club’s boundaries to ensure admission through the school district’s website. The park also features recreational opportunities for ping pong, volleyball, tetherball and basketball and is open from noon to 8 p.m. daily beginning June 15.
6. Take it to the trails: Lake Oswego features more than two dozen parks so whether you feel like letting your pooch run wild at the Lake Oswego Dog Park at Hazelia Field or reading a magazine on a picnic blanket at Fields Bridge Park overlooking the Willamette River, there is a park in your neighborhood and a bench with your name on it. Visit www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec.parksites to find out more.
7. Hangout in the Village: Lake View Village in the heart of downtown Lake Oswego and next to Millennium Plaza Park features fine dining establishments such as Blast Burger, Five Spice Seafood + Wine Bar, Zeppo Italian Restaurant, Saint Honore Bakery and Manzana Rotisserie Grill and popular shopping destinations such as Chico’s, Pendleton, Sur La Table, Grapevie, Patrick James and more. With covered parking, views of Mt. Hood and Oswego Lake and next to where the weekly farmers’ market is held, grab a cup at Peet’s Coffee & Tea and begin shopping.
8. Grab a patio seat: With nicer weather upon us, take your dining outdoors and visit the city’s many restaurants with patio dining throughout town such as Gubanc’s Pub & Restaurant, Terrace Kitchen, Jefe, La Provence, Riccardo’s Ristorante and many more.
9. Decorate your patio: Attend the June 8 class from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Luscher Farm and learn how to transform your home’s entryway or patio into a showpiece. Experts will share tips and plants from Kordell’s Nursery. The class ($15 to $10, depending on if you are in the district) is available through the city’s park and recreation department. Visit http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/luscher for more information.
10. Learn a new recipe: Join at class at Lake Oswego’s In Good Taste Cooking School at 6302 SW Meadows Road and lean how to excel in the kitchen. June offers plenty of classes such as a bake shop boot camp, sessions focusing on grilling and sautéing, cooking with edible flowers and more. Check it out at www.ingoodtastestore.com.
And if you lived at Renaissance Woods off Childs Road, you wouldn’t be far from all the action. Jack Hall (503-545-3982) with Renaissance Homes would love to show you around the neighborhood so you can stay involved in the busy community. Happy June from Renaissance Homes.