Fun Things to Do In Lake Oswego and Nearby in August 2026
- Derrith Schmidt
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
August in Lake Oswego is awesome because the weather is lovely and there are so many FUN things to do in and near LO! Some of our favorites:
Free outdoor summer concerts in LO and West Linn
Saturday Farmer's Market in LO
Fun Events: Car & Boat Show; Canby Rodeo; Air Show in McMinnville
Visiting beautiful gardens to see all the flowers
Going out to eat at great restaurants we can walk to!
Going to the pool, lake, river
Going for a hike
Riding our bikes
Taking the trolley to the tram
Golf at LORAC
Hosting friends and neighborhood gatherings
The August Free Outdoor Concert Lineup
Wednesday, August 5 at Westlake Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Wild Boys, Duran Duran Tribute band
Or, drive to Tigard on Wednesday, August 5th for a great dance band
5:00 PM - 8:30 PM at Cook Family Park at 17005 SW 92nd Avenue in Tigard
Band: Hit Machine
Thursday, August 6th West Linn free outdoor concert
At Tanner Creek Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Wild Boys, Duran Duran Tribute
Sunday, August 9 at Millenium Plaza from 6:30pm - 8pm
River City Riot, a New Orleans-Inspired Brass Band
Wednesday, August 12 at Westlake Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Shoot to Thrill, AC/DC Tribute Band
Thursday, August 13 at West Linn
At Tanner Creek Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Band: Slicker, Country
Wednesday, August 19 at Westlake Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Taken by the Sky, a Fleetwood Mac Tribute band
Thursday, August 20 in West Linn
At Tanner Creek Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
5 Guys Named Moe, Horn-driven rock, soul, Motown, and dance hits
Saturday, August 22 at Foothills Park from 7pm to 8:30pm
Portland Festival Symphony!
Sunday, August 23 at Millenium Plaza from 6:30pm - 8pm
Arietta Ward, Funk & Soul singer
Wednesday, August 26 at Westlake Park from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Radical Revolution, a 6-piece 80’s tribute band packing
Thursday, August 27 at LORAC from 4pm - 8pm (live music from 5-7)
Food cart(s) and live music. Beer & wine available to purchase. No outside alcohol.
For the LO concerts, be sure to thank Lance Hofstad, the Concert Coordinator and the staff at Parks & Rec who host (and clean up after) these concerts. And the LO Police who keep us all safe. For all the information directly from the City's website, go to: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/concerts
Saturday Farmers' Market in LO
The Lake Oswego Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday morning (8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.) through the summer at Millennium Plaza Park. It’s consistently one of the top-rated markets in Oregon, with local produce, flowers, baked goods, live music, and food vendors. We always see friends. Great place for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Live music as well from 10:30am to 1:00pm.
Third Thursdays in Downtown LO - August 20th
Sponsored by the LO Chamber of Commerce who orchestrates the downtown Lake Oswego restaurants, shops and art studios with special "open house" like events at select businesses from 4-6 PM. We've enjoyed visiting the art galleries:
Lawrence Galley on Hwy 43: https://www.lawrencegallery.com/
Ingrid Domh's Art Studio: 460 2nd St Ste 459A, Lake Oswego: https://ingrid-dohm.pixels.com/
Learn more about this event from the Chamber at:
Fun Events
Oregon Air Show August 14-16 in McMinnville
Shakespeare in the Park: Macbeth
Catch a live performance by the Oregon Portland Shakespeare Festival on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at 7:00 PM. Free. At lower GRP.
Canby Rodeo
August 18-22; part of Clackamas County Fair
Collectors Car & Boat Show in LO
Sunday, August 30, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at George Rogers Park.
Celebrating over 25 years, this signature event displays vintage cars, motorcycles, and classic boats alongside the water. Free to spectators.
Visit Beautiful Gardens
Elk Rock Garden
Hidden gem! Used to be called Bishop's Close. This is a historic 13-acre hillside estate garden in Dunthorpe overlooking the Willamette River with views of Mt Hood.
No dogs. Not open on the weekends. Free.
Open 8am to 5pm Monday - Friday at 11800 S. Military Lane in Portland
The Rogerson Clematis Garden at Luscher Farm The collection includes more than 960 varieties and is the largest accredited public clematis collection in North America.
Swan Island Dahlias (Canby)
2026 Festival runs from August 1 – September 30
Wednesday–Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Free admission and free parking
Often they have food trucks on the weekends
TIP: take your bikes out there and ride around the flower fields on Monday or Tuesday when the Festival is closed and the crowds are gone but the fields are all easy to see on your bike from the road.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm (Woodburn) Now Has Summer Flowers
The famous tulips are a spring event (March–April), so there aren’t tulips blooming in August. But the farm transforms their fields to showcase acres of sunflowers and other hot-loving flowers: Zinnias, Cosmos, Bachelor buttons.
The Summer Flowers event runs July 24 – August 23, 2026.
They charge for admission which includes parking.
Open Thursday - Sunday 9am - 5pm
I have heard the Rose Garden is still lovely in August but I've never been at that time of year. Love it in June!
Go Out to Eat!
Our favorite restaurants in the summer in LO that we can walk to:
KIN Izakaya and Sake bar
Great New Japanese Restaurant!
Nicoletta's Table
Great food, service plus a lovely patio and live music many evenings in the summer: https://www.oldtownlakeoswego.org/post/nicoletta-s-table-is-a-favorite-restaurant-in-lake-oswego
Lake Theater and Cafe
Lake Theater has great salads and pizza with a deck overlooking the lake. Locally owned.
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Mann's on the Lake
Great for Sunday brunch!
Lovely outdoor deck on the lake
LO Coffee Shop & Wine Bar in Downtown LO
Ovation Coffee
Nectar Frozen Yogurt
Pool, Lake or River
Water Fitness at LORAC
Go Paddleboarding at Roher Park (it's next to Foothills Park along the Willamette)
Plenty of parking nearby the ramp to the river
Where the locals go to paddleboard
Lake Oswego Swim Park
We can walk there - it's on the other side of Hwy 43 at 250 Ridgeway Road
Open daily from July 1 through August 31, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (weather and lifeguard staffing permitting).
Free for Lake Oswego residents with proof of residency; guests allowed if accompanied by a resident.
Certified lifeguards, inner tubes, water toys, lounge chairs, picnic tables, and limited life jackets. And a chain link fence around the park so the view isn't so wonderful.
Floating on the Willamette River
From our Old Town neighborhood we can walk down to George Rogers with an inner tube and get away from the crowds on the "beach" and out into the river. Michael takes a paperback book and enjoys hanging away from the crowds in the river.
Beware that GRP and "the beach" are crazy busy in the summer. Most neighbors only venture down early mornings or evenings after the crowds have left. https://www.oldtownlakeoswego.org/post/visiting-george-rogers-park-in-summer-here-s-what-to-know
Get Out On Your Bike!
We prefer mostly flat, scenic rides. Here are some near LO
George Rogers Park to Old River Road
The Old River Road pathway is about 3.5 miles round trip and mostly level. You can ride out to Cedar Oaks Elementary School in West Linn and turn around.
Cook Park & Tualatin River Trail
Start at Cook Park in Tigard and follow the Tualatin River Greenway. Virtually flat, paved, river views, lots of shade, 2-10+ miles depending on the route.
Willamette Park in Portland
A lovely city park of about 26 acres in south Portland, located at Southwest Macadam Avenue and Nebraska Street along the Willamette River. You can ride all the way into Portland. 6500 S Macadam Ave, Portland, OR 97219. Need to pay for parking.
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Now you need to pay to park there. Many paved trail options from about 1-4 miles.
Mostly shaded which is nice on hot August days. It's paved but it's not flat. The 3-mile paved bicycle path parallels Terwilliger Boulevard on the east edge of the park, from Boones Ferry Road to State Street (Oregon Highway 43) in Lake Oswego. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area bikeway system 40-mile loop.
Go for a Hike!
Cooks Butte Trail
Leaving from Stephen's Meadow. You can park at Rassekh Park at 18011 SW Stafford Road. It's the new park where the skate park is. Cooks Butte Loop is a moderate hike mostly through the trees up to a meadow that covers 1.2 mi, with an elevation gain of 265 ft. https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/cooks-butte-park
Tryon Creek State Natural Area is great for hiking in the shade
Trillium Trail → Cedar Trail loop (easy/moderate, not a big commitment). Tryon Creek has about 8 miles of trails through a forested ravine system. Shaded, so nice in the summer. They now charge for parking at Tryon Creek.
Mary S. Young State Park in West Linn
Walk from Hazelia Field up the Hill to Oswego Hills Winery
Nice paved path that is a long the road. You'll need to run across Rosemont Road to reach Oswego Hills Winery. They are open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 5pm. 450 Rosemont Rd, West Linn
Or drive farther from LO for wonderful hikes in the Gorge, at Trillium Lake, and up at Mt. Hood. Or go to the coast and hike along the cliffs and beaches there!
Play Tennis, Bocce, Corn Hole
Two recently repaved/repaired courts we can walk to at GRP!
Bocce court at Foothills Park. Bring your own bocce balls.
Corn Hole with a view of the river at GRP. Bring your own bags.
Golf at LORAC
My husband plays golf at The Lake Oswego Recreation and Aquatic Center (that also has an 9 hole golf course, driving range and putting green). It's inexpensive, especially if you're 60+ or a kid. Perhaps that's why it's filled with "the young and the old."
17525 Stafford Rd in Lake Oswego. To make a tee time, call: (503) 675-2549 or go online: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/LORAC/golf
Go See a Live Play or Musical at Lakewood Center
Playing in August, a Musical: Hands on a Hard Body
July 10 - August 16, 2026
"Inspired by the 1997 documentary, ten working-class contestants in Longview, Texas, compete in an endurance contest at a Nissan dealership to win a new pickup truck by keeping at least one hand on the vehicle for as long as possible! With a blend of rock, folk, and country-infused songs, the musical humorously and poignantly examines themes of ambition, resilience, and the American Dream!"
Location: The Lakewood Center for the Arts / 368 S. State St. Lake Oswego
Ticket Prices: Adults = $55.00 / Youth Under 25 = $30.00
Online ticket purchases include a $3.00 service fee.
Take the Trolley to the Tram
The Willamette Trolley leaves from Lake Oswego off Hwy 43 before A Street. Trolleys run only on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Labor Day. The train is modern and made to look antique. The route is beautiful along the Willamette River and ends near the Portland South Waterfront where the Tesla building is. Book tickets online (they go fast). Ticket prices for 1 way: $11 for adults 13+; $10 for seniors 65+; $5 for kids 2-12.
Get tickets and learn more: https://wst.oregontrolley.com/
When you arrive in Portland, you can walk along the waterfront where there are restaurants and shops. The Ariel tram up to OHSU is open weekends and on Saturday (not on Sunday). It has beautiful views of the river and mountains and Portland. Tickets are round trip for $9 for people 7+ (6 and under ride free with a paying adult). It is rather odd to be on the Tram with tourists, medical staff and patients and to arrive at the hospital. But the view is spectacular. https://www.gobytram.com/
Browse the Local Shops in LO
Lots of boutiques, bookstores, galleries, coffee shops, and outdoor patios that are especially enjoyable on warm August days.
We love our Old Town neighbors and neighborhood and our wonderful small town Lake Oswego where we often play the game, "Who will see more people we know?" Today at the Farmers Market I spotted 3 people I knew and Michael spotted our neighbor Jeannie and her daughter Betsi first.
We love LO, especially in the summer!
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