15 Reasons Why It’s Easy to Believe in the Magic of Christmas in Lake Oswego, Oregon

Posted on December 1, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Christmas activities 2All that’s missing in Lake Oswego is snow to make it feel like the holidays (and who knows, that could come! It has in the past). Take advantage of some of these events to get you in the spirit.

Inspecting Carol. Catch the last week of this spoof on a theatre company’s production of A Christmas Carol gone wrong. Sunday, December 1 and 8 at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, December 4-7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available online and at box office: $32/adult; $30/senior 65 and over; $20/student 25 and under. 368 S. State St., 503.635.3901.

Fill a Stocking, Fill a Heart. Help families in Clackamas County in need by picking up an empty stocking at City Hall and return by December 9 filled with basic household items and special gifts. City Hall is also collecting gently used coats, blankets, new toys and food throughout the month. Lake Oswego City Hall. 380 A Avenue. 503.635.0257.

Lakewood in Lights. This annual event features food catered by Babica Hen Cafe, complimentary wine, entertainment, live and silent auctions and festive trees to benefit the rising star program at Lakewood Theatre Company. Other highlights include a raffle drawing for a Scottsdale, Arizona getaway for two. Monday, December 2, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street. Tickets are $50/person ($35 tax deductible) and can be purchased at the box office, online or by calling 503.635.3901.

Gingerbread House Workshop. Bake and decorate a gingerbread house at Luscher Farm and take some dough home to enjoy later. For ages 6-13. Saturday, December 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. $40/Resident; $60/Non-resident. Register through Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department, class #4327200.

Holiday Market and Mistletoe Merriment. The aisles will be decked with unique gifts, the music will be merry, and Santa will be on hand for wish listing and photo ops. Friday, December 6, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Special kid activities on Saturday include writing letters to Santa with complimentary childcare available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Special Dad activities include Tesla test drives (and if you want to sit on Santa’s lap afterwards and ask for one, I won’t stop you!) West End Building, 4101 Kruse Way. 503.675.3985.

Reindeer Magic Returns! You know what they say…seeing is believing. Bring the kids to see Santa and his reindeer and round out the outing with holiday music, make-n-take activities for the kids, cookies, and hot cocoa and cider. Friday, December 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dennis’ 7 Dees. 1090 McVey. 503.636.4660.

Make a Holiday Wreath or Swag. Deck your halls with greenery. Class is offered at Luscher Farm but you need to register for class #4325713 through the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Department. Saturday, December 7 at 10:00 a.m. for ages 16+. Fee: $30/resident; $45/non-resident. 125 Rosemont Rd.

Horse Drawn Carriage Rides. Bundle up and enjoy the holiday lights as you ride your sleigh through the First Addition neighborhood. Rides start and finish at the Lake Oswego Adult Community Center so you can wait comfortably inside for your turn to climb aboard. Saturday, December 7 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fee: $3/Ages 18 and over; $2/Ages 17 and under. 505 G Avenue.

Holiday Magic Theatre: “The Peppermint Bear Show ‘Seasoned Greetings.’” Enjoy a special holiday continental breakfast ½ hour before the curtain goes up for this interactive production featuring area high school student performers. Geared for ages 3-12. Saturdays, December 7, 14, and 21 at 9 and 11 a.m. in the Lakewood Center Community Meeting Room at the Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street. Advance reservations are required by purchasing tickets either online, at the box office or by calling: 503.635.3901.

Bells n’ Brass Concert. Revel in the sounds of Christmas in this concert featuring the Covenant Bell Choir and brass players from the Oregon Symphony. Sunday, December 8 at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Lake Grove Presbyterian Church Sanctuary. 4040 Sunset Drive. 503.636.5656.

Holiday Open House. The Lake Oswego Public Library invites you to celebrate the sounds of the season with Three Pound Note (traditional English folk music at 1:00 p.m.) and Talia and Renee Dugan at 3:00 playing holiday tunes on the clarinet and keyboard. Refreshments served. Wednesday, December 11 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 706 Fourth Street.

Journey to Bethlehem. Step into the Nativity story as you walk through this live production. Registration required for 40-minute walk-through slots. Friday, December 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 14, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Lake Bible Church, 4565 Carman Drive. Free. 503.699.9840.

Lakewood Theatre Company Presents Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Make this part of your holiday tradition as this holiday classic returns again this year beginning Friday, December 13 through December 29. Evening and afternoon performances available. Check the website for the schedule. Tickets are available online and at the box office: $36 Adult; $34 Senior, and $20 for Students 25 and under. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street. 503. 635.3901.

Christmas Ships Parade. Catch a glimpse of up to 60 boats decked out in holiday lights as they make their way from the River Place Marina in Portland to George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego. Boats due to pass by Foothills Park around 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 14. Warm up by the fire in the park shelter while you wait. 199 Foothills Drive. 503.675.2545.

High School Holiday Choir Concerts. There’s no quicker way to go from “Bah humbug” to “Merry” than by listening to holiday carols…and seeing them sung by local teens makes you feel that much jollier. Catch our local high school choirs performing in their auditoriums this week. Lake Oswego High School on Monday, December 16 at 7:00 p.m. 2501 Country Club Rd., 503.534.2313. Lakeridge High School on Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m. 1235 Overlook Drive. 503.534.2319.

Photo credit: nuttakit at freedigitalphotos.net

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Your Christmas Carol Playlist for Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

Posted on November 24, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

holiday tree lighting editedLake Oswego must be doing something right.

This Friday, November 29, marks the 49th Annual Tree Lighting beginning at 5:00 p.m. at the corner of 5th Street and A Avenue in front of the Bigelow Plaza Holiday Tree. Festivities continue as a parade winds its way down A Avenue to Millennium Plaza Park at the corner of First and Evergreen for the lighting of the Millennium Tree.

While live carolers will be in full force from Lake Oswego High School’s Windjammers to Lakeridge’s Company, you might want to “warm up” for this event with a playlist of your own.

Here’s what I’d recommend.

“O Christmas Trees(s ).” The giant Sequoia in the Safeway parking lot is a beacon during the holidays, heralding the season to anyone heading up or down A Avenue. Since the tree was deemed too high for stringing traditional bulbs several years ago, glistening snowflakes now do the job . With the addition of Millennium Plaza Park as the city’s social hub, it made sense to initiate some of the festivities there so an additional tree lighting was added to the traditional one and now Lake Oswegans get to witness two trees going up in lights the Friday after Thanksgiving.

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Parental warning attached: you may have to do some explaining to your young children why Santa Claus arrives in Lake Oswego on a fire engine instead of a sleigh, but he will be there, ready to listen to your little one’s wish list and spread his holiday cheer.

“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” In case the Christmas tree lights and jolly fat man in a red suit weren’t enough of a clue that in 24 hours the season has changed, the candy canes, Santa hats and holiday sweaters will remove any doubt. Revel in the season, browse the downtown shops decked out in their holiday best, grab a hot chocolate, and give thanks you live in a town that knows how to celebrate.

“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The sights of Christmas are one thing. The sounds are another and they will be plentiful at this event, including the Millennium Concert Band, Lake Oswego High School’s Windjammers and Lakeridge High’s Company performers.

Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Offered Through First Addition This Saturday

Grab the family and head over to the Adult Community Center which will serve as the boarding place for horse drawn carriage rides through the First Addition neighborhood this Saturday, November 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Cost is $3 for adults 18 and over; $2 for youth. 505 G Avenue.

If a new home is on your holiday wish list, please give me a call. I’d love to show you around (I can even give you the holiday lights tour through the best neighborhoods!)

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Reunion Market Another Thing to Be Thankful for in Lake Oswego

Posted on November 17, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Reunion market reduced jpgOne of the hardest things to say goodbye to at the end of summer here in Lake Oswego is the Farmer’s Market.

Saturday mornings spent catching up with friends, sampling fresh produce and listening to live music are replaced with soccer games, college football and an extra hot extra wet cappuccino at our favorite coffee spot.

To ease our separation blues, the city has organized an annual Reunion Market just in time for Thanksgiving meal preparation with this year’s event scheduled for this Saturday, November 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Millennium Plaza Park, First and Evergreen.

Pick up some fresh fall harvest bounty along with gifts for the foodies on your list and then line up for a horse drawn wagon ride through downtown Lake Oswego (from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) Cost is $3 for adults 18 and over and $2 for youth.

Here are some of the vendors you can visit:

●Kelly’s Jelly. Local girl does good. Lake Oswegan Kelly Calabria offers pepper jellies and seasonal fruit preserves that hold many claims to fame including the fact they are featured every Thursday in the Habanero Pepper Jelly Donut at Voodoo Donuts.

●DeNoble Farms. Whatever side dishes you’re planning for Thanksgiving, DeNoble has you covered. They’ll be bringing:  brussels sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, carrots, beets, kale, celery, fennel, celeriac, broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, cabbage, parsley, chives.

●Green Card Salsa. Chef Trenton Saenz promises to provide you with a “ticket across the border” one flavor at a time with his lineup of salsas ranging from mild to “muy caliente.” Forbidden Cinn (with apple and cinnamon flavor) is a seasonal fall offering.

●Kiyokawa Family Orchards. Randy Kiyokawa plans to bring at least 20 varieties of apples and pears for those pies, cobblers, salads and snacks.

Don’t miss a week of another reason to love Lake Oswego. Click the “Sign me up” button in the top right hand column and become a subscriber!

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10 Surprising Facts About Abraham Lincoln Just in Time for the A. Lincoln Performance at Lakewood Theatre Company

Posted on November 10, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

A Lincoln 2Heralded Lincoln portrayer, Steve Holgate is bringing his two-act play, A. Lincoln to a sold-out crowd at the Lakewood Theatre Company at 368 S. State St. next Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. on the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. (Another performance has been scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2014).

Holgate will breathe life into our nation’s most popular president through the retelling of his letters, speeches, newspaper stories and in conversations with imagined characters.

Since this month’s performance sold out, I’d advise you buy your tickets now for the February show.

Whether you attend or not, here’s a chance for you to hone up on your Lincoln trivia in honor of the Gettysburg Address.

  1. While Lincoln tops out on most “greatest president of all time” surveys, he came in second to Ronald Reagan in a 2011 Gallup poll. 
  2. Some newspapers criticized his Gettysburg Address. This came from The Chicago Times: “The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances.”
  3. John Wilkes Boothe managed to hide out for 12 days after assassinating Lincoln before he was found.
  4. Despite his often dour appearance, Lincoln was known for having a sense of humor.
  5. According to biographer, Fred Kaplan, “Lincoln is distinguished from every other president, with the exception of Jefferson, in that we can be certain that he wrote every word to which his name is attached.”
  6. Lincoln was not the featured speaker at the dedication of the Gettysburg national cemetery the day of the address. Boston Orator Edward Everett was, and he delivered a two hour speech recounting the war that by all accounts kept the audience enthralled.
  7. Lincoln followed with his two minute, 272 worded remarks which included, “ the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” Everett had the grace to tell Lincoln, “Sir, you said more in two minutes than I did in two hours.”
  8. Lincoln hid his mail, bankbook and important papers in his stovepipe hat.
  9. One of Lincoln’s fondest food memories was the gingerbread men his mom used to bake.
  10. Lincoln’s image isn’t only enshrined at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He is also honored at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. To date, they’ve only been able to find one recorded defeat in the 12 years he competed.

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Why Stephen Sondheim Thinks You Should Take Your Seat at Local High School Musicals

Posted on November 3, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Theater seatsBoth Lake Oswego High School and Lakeridge High School Drama Departments are performing musicals this month in their high school auditoriums. Students have been rehearsing for weeks to be ready when the curtain goes up starting with How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Lakeridge this Thursday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. but according to Sondheim, all their work will be for naught, unless you show up.

“Musicals are plays,” he said, “but the last collaborator is your audience, so you’ve got to wait ‘til the last collaborator comes in before you can complete the collaboration.”

 So do your part and take your seat. Lakeridge performs November 7, 9, 14, 15, and 16 at 7:30 p.m. and November 9 at 2:00 p.m. at 1235 Overlook Drive. Lake Oswego’s production, Honk! will be offered November 14,16, 21, and 23 at 7:00 p.m. and November 16 and 23 at 2:00 p.m. at 2501 Country Club Rd.

Besides Sondheim’s advice, here are a few more reasons to check them out.

1.      You’ll make a lot of kids happy. These productions are a major team effort with close to 100 students involved in the cast, tech crew and orchestra.

2.      You’ll be entertained. New Lakeridge drama teacher, Andy Ballnik says How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying “is underestimated for its entertainment and creative value.” This version has been tweaked to update the 1960s view of women in the workplace so women are not seen as merely objects in a man’s world. Ballnik wanted to make fun of the male dominated perspective in the show, a point that songs like “A Secretary is Not a Toy” get across. Plus, Ballnik explains, “The final number (‘Brotherhood of Man’) is one of the best final numbers of any show that I know of.”

Lake Oswego Drama Teacher Bob McGranaham calls Honk! a great family show that is clever, well written and fun. You’ll find the storyline familiar as it is based on The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen. Graham says audience members should be on the lookout for memorable numbers such as “Wild Goose Chase,” “Warts and All,” “Every Tear a Mother Cries,” and “Different.”

3.      The price is right. The average price for a ticket on Broadway this past summer was $106.34. Chances are you can bring your whole family to these local productions for that. General admission for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is $15; $12 for students and seniors; $10 for Lakeridge students. General admission for Honk! is $12; $8 for students and seniors; $5 for children 5 and under.  

Westside Christian students are also appearing on stage in A Midsummer Night’s Dream on November 8 and 9 at 7:00 p.m. and November 3 and 10 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $8.50 for adults; $6.50 for seniors and $4.50 for students. 4565 Carman Drive. 503.697.4711.

Don’t Miss Lamb’s Nature’s Choice Market’s Holiday Show This Wednesday

Over 50 vendors will be on hand sampling food, candy and wine for your holiday festivities at this annual meet-and-greet Lake Oswego event. Read what I had to say last year about it. Although the market’s name has changed, this tradition continues. 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 1376 McVey Avenue, 503.636.2213.

Photo credit: Freedigitalphotos.net taken by Apple’s Eyes Studio.

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Downtown Lake Oswego Uncorks Wine Walk This Saturday

Posted on October 27, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Wine WalkDowntown Lake Oswego is releasing a new event to kickoff the holiday shopping season this Saturday, November 2, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

During its inaugural Wine Walk, twenty-six shops are open for more than your business– each will be offering samples of two premium wines along with bites to eat from local food establishments. A $25 ticket entitles you to tasting in eight locations of your choice.

Wines have been selected by oenophile-in-residence, Susan Olson with World Class Wines, and feature offerings both from the Pacific Northwest as well as around the world.  

Italian wines, for example, can be sampled at Nicoletta’s Table, Soletta’s Shoe Boutique, Tucci’s, and The Oilerie. Oregon tastes can be found at Lucky Me Boutique, World Class Wines and Bernard C. Chocolates. Other offerings include samples from Spain, Argentina, Oregon,Washington, France, California, as well as Sake and Champagne.

Attendees should start their walk at either the Lakewood Theatre at 368 S. State Street or Step It Up Ballroom Dance Studio at 449 Third Street to receive their souvenir Wine Walk Lake Oswego wine glass, along with a map featuring the event locations and wine details.  All wines tasted that day will be available for order and purchase at World Class Wines.

Tickets are available through local businesses like World Class Wines, Accessories from the Heart, Step It Up Studios and the Lake Oswego Chamber of Commerce as well as online. For more information call the Chamber: 503.636.3634.

Check Out These Neighborhoods for Trick or Treating in Lake Oswego

halloween photoBefore Saturday’s Wine Walk, kiddies will be walking the streets for candy on Halloween, this Thursday. Check out one of my earlier posts for hints on good neighborhoods to hit. If you have any to recommend, leave your suggestions here. I’d love to add them to the list.

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You’re Encouraged to “Lighten Up” at This Year’s Lake Oswego Storytelling Festival

Posted on October 20, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

storytelling_logoIn view of this year’s Storytelling Festival’s theme, “Lighten Up,” I’d like to paraphrase Barbara Walters: “A good laugh makes any interview, any conversation, or any story, so much better.”

Festival organizers have enlisted the talents of nationally acclaimed storyteller Kim Weitkamp to encourage and equip this year’s participants to add humor to their stories. Besides a hands-on workshop on Saturday, October 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the library, she’ll also perform at three other festival events to show the rest of us how it’s done.

This is the Storytelling Festival’s third year running and its timing near Halloween means that scary stories are featured at two of the events, with Weitkamp offering some of her original tales from two of her albums.

Here’s a full lineup of events.

Scary Story Swap with Will Hornyak. Scare or be scared. Bring a 3-5 minute spooky story to share or just come to have your spine tingled. Sign-ups for swappers begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 25, from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Waluga Masonic Lodge, #181, 417 2nd Street.

Serve Chilled with Kim Weitkamp. Drawing from her albums entitled, Head Bone Rattles and Dead Bird Singing (not yet released), you can be sure you’re not in store for “happily ever after endings.” But if you’re like many who like to be scared, tune in. Friday, October 25 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Waluga Masonic Lodge, #181, 417 2nd Street.

Children’s Matinee with Charlie Williams, the Noiseguy. Let this kids’ comedian put his vocal sound impressions to work to entertain your little ones. From planes and trains to dinosaurs and beatboxing, he’ll have their laugh-out-loud attention. Saturday, October 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

Community Exhibits. See who has a story to tell: Friends of Lake Oswego Library, Lake Oswego Preservation Society, Lake Oswego Public Library, Oral History Project, Oswego Heritage Council, Oswego Pioneer Cemetery, Portland Storytellers Guild. Visit their tables and be entered into a prize drawing. Saturday, October 26, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

Why and How to Add Humor to Your Stories. Lighten up your stories and warm up to your audience with tips from Kim Weitkamp. Space is limited so pre-register by calling 503.675.2540 or email: loref@ci.oswego.or.us. Saturday, October 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

Storytelling Concert with Kim Weitkamp. Watch and learn from one of the best as Weitkamp shares her humorous look at life, tall tales and original stories. Saturday, October 26 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Lakewood Center for the Arts, downstairs, 368 S. State Street.

Family Matinee with Kim Weitkamp, Will Hornyak and Anne-Louise Sterry. Bring the whole family for this entertaining performance. Sunday, October 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

Check out previous blog coverage on the Lake Oswego Storytelling Festival for more reasons to attend.

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Three Reasons to FYOB in Lake Oswego: Fill Your Own Bottle at Local Growler Stations

Posted on October 13, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Lamb's Nature's Choice Market now offers a Growler Station for beer and cider to go.

Lamb’s Nature’s Choice Market in Lake Oswego now offers a Growler Station for beer and cider to go.

It’s no surprise we speak beer here in Oregon. The state has 187 brewing facilities in 63 cities and 85,000 visitors showed up for this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival.

Considering that Lake Oswego is only eight miles from what Oregon Brewers Guild claims is home to more breweries than any other city in the world, it makes sense that local retailers and pubs are looking for ways to satisfy our thirst.

Enter growler stations. Designed to let you bring home the fresh, straight-out-of-the tap taste of local microbrews, stations are popping up around Lake Oswego. You either purchase a growler (in most cases a 64 oz. glass jug) or bring your own, and then pick the brew of your choice to fill your bottle directly from the tap. The cap goes on and you go home with libation for that night’s festivities.

“It’s nice for folks who want to stay in but enjoy a microbrew that’s right out of the tap and usually at a good price,” explains Mark Maher with Maher’s Irish Brew Pub.

In many cases, a growler is the only way to enjoy some microbrews outside of ordering a pint at your local bar. Feckin beers, for example, featured at Maher’s, are not available in bottles so a growler is the only way to enjoy them at home.

The thing to watch out for with growlers is oxidation which can spoil your beer. Maher’s has just installed a new fill method that fills the bottles from the bottom, minimizing the oxygen that can cause things to foam up. Stickmen’s Brewery & Skewery employs the same method. “The key to filling a growler,” Maher explains, “is to fill it all the way to the top and cap it while it’s still bubbling out of the bottle because the more oxygen you have on top of the beverage the more oxygen will seep into the beer.”

The shelf life of a growler depends on the storage conditions and the style of beer. A full growler can stay carbonated for a long time if kept cold and unopened, but Tim Schoenheit with Stickmen’s recommends taking style into consideration too as hop character can fade over time.

To play it safe, Maher suggests drinking the contents of your growler the same day that you bring it home. Sounds like a recommendation most beer lovers can live with!

Here are three places in town where you can fill ‘er up:

Maher’s Irish Brew Pub. 352 B Avenue. 503.880.5608. Features about 15 beers on tap including four to five from Feckin Brewery, some Irish imports and Oregon microbrewers like Good Life and Boneyard out of Bend and Coalition from Southeast Portland. Fill up a 64 oz. growler with Feckin beer for $10; micros for $15 and imports for $17.

Stickmen’s Brewery & Skewery.  40 N. State St. 503.322.4449. It’s called a brewery for a reason–they have a brew system setup here that can crank out 220 gallons of suds in a wide variety of styles to quench your thirst for something new. Try the Beer Flight–five 4 oz. tasters for $9 or order The Rainbow and sample everything! Then fill up your growler with your favorite. Price range for 64 ounces is $13 to $24 with most at $14 to $15. Stickmen’s sells logo growlers or will fill your own, including the smaller 32 ounce sizes at half price.

Lamb’s Nature’s Choice Market. 1377 McVey Avenue. 503.636.2213. As part of their recent makeover to go with their new name, Lamb’s has added a growler station that offers 32 oz. growlettes as well as the traditional 64 oz. size. The growlettes are proving more popular at the moment as shoppers find them the perfect size for trying two different varieties, or including one of Lamb’s ciders in their bottles-to-go. Selections rotate on a regular basis so there is always something new to check out. Prices vary from $5 to $10.99 to fill a growlette and $10 to $21 for 64 ounces. You can bring your own bottles or purchase a growlette for $3; growler for $4.

Has anyone tried beer-to-go? If so, share your experience here.

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This Halloween Be an Original: Shop at Lakewood Theatre Company’s Costume Sale

Posted on October 6, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

Finds from the Lakewood Center Costume Sale were popular choices when our son and his friends would raid our costume closet for school spirit events.

Finds from the Lakewood Center Costume Sale were popular choices when our son and his friends would raid our costume closet for school spirit events.

If you’re going for an original look this Halloween, check out the  the Lakewood Theatre Company Costume Sale this weekend in the Lakewood Center’s Community Meeting Room located downstairs at 358 S. State Street. Hours are Friday and Saturday, October 11 through 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, October 13 from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.

You won’t find the generic polyester witch or ghost garb lurking on the hangers at this event. Instead, you’ll find inspiration to assemble your own unique look (see photo above and check out my son, Brady’s drum major hat getup).

This event was circled in red on our family calendar back in the day when costumes were needed not just for Halloween but for spirit school days, class projects and my wife’s Art Literacy presentations.

We had a closet designated just for dress-up and it was the first place our kids and their friends would rummage through when the need to assume an alter ego arose.

Besides costume hunting, here are a few other activities to consider to get you in the howling mood.

Fright Town Haunted House Friday Night Field Trip sponsored by McKenzie Teen Lounge for ages 11-17 on October 25. Leaves from the West End Building at 5:00 p.m. Returns at 9:00 p.m. $34 Residents/$51 Non-residents. Register for #4285551

Scary Story Swap with Will Hornyak, part of the Lake Oswego Storytelling Festival. Friday, October 25, from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Waluga Masonic Lodge, #181, 417 2nd Street.

Serve Chilled with Kim Weitkamp, another Lake Oswego Storytelling Festival offering features spine tingling tales by nationally acclaimed storyteller, Kim Weitkamp.  Friday, October 25 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Waluga Masonic Lodge, #181, 417 2nd Street.

No Carve Pumpkin Decorating for ages 7+ offered at Luscher Farm on Saturday, October 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. $10 Resident/$15 Non-resident. Register through Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation for #4229330

Halloween Night at Lakeridge High School featuring games and activities for young children. Tuesday, October 29 from 5:00 p.m .to 8:00 p.m. 1235 Overlook Drive. 503.534.2319.

Luscher Farm Scarecrows. Take a tour of the more than 90 scarecrows and cast your vote for your favorite. 125 Rosemont Rd.

Trick or Treat at the Lake Oswego Public Library. Librarians will be handing out candy to trick-or-treaters so bring your little ones in and don one of those Lakewood Theatre costumes and get some sweets for yourself too! 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 706 Fourth Street.

Don’t Miss 40th Annual Lake Oswego Ski and Snowboard Swap

Get outfitted for the slopes at this popular event featuring ski and snowboard equipment, gear, and apparel on Saturday, October 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Drop off used gear for consignment sales (30% goes to benefit Lakeridge and Lake Oswego High School ski teams) on Friday, October 11 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Lake Oswego High School, 2501 Country Club Road, East Gym. 503.534.2313.

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Why Luscher Farm Would Have Dorothy Saying, “Toto, I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore.”

Posted on September 29, 2013 by lovelakeoswego

rsz_img_1550If Dorothy were to check out the scarecrows at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego, Oregon, I’m sure she’d look around and say, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

Instead of the straw-stuffed bird-scarer who followed her through Oz, she’d find everything from a glamorous blonde bombshell to an Oregon Duck and Oregon Beaver fan.

This is garden art that the whole family can enjoy. So get yourselves out to the farm at 125 Rosemont Rd. and cast your votes for your favorite while you still can (scarecrows are up only through October). Ballots are in the old metal toolshed next to the barn.

Help your kids to find Sneaky Pete who is hiding behind one of the other scarecrows. They’ll earn an “I Found Sneaky Pete” sticker for their efforts.

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