Let me paint you a picture…read more.. In my bucolic little 'burb, there is an annual arts festival in one of my favorite parks. To folks in Portland, yes, there are two Willamette Parks. This one is located at the confluence of the Willamette and Tualatin Rivers in my lovely West Linn. The fields are green and lush and there are rows of white roses in bloom along the border. Children are splashing in the fountain and people are laughing and eating festival food. I am so impressed by the organization of this annual event. The layout of the vendor stalls, plus music and a food court are all excellent. While the number of diversity of the art booths are outstanding this year, the food court is pretty minimal. So you may want to bring your own picnic or stop for lunch in the Old Willamette District. However, I am always a sucker for the burgers served by the West Linn Lions Club. Now, a couple notes. While the artists and their offerings are diverse (watercolors, baskets, glass, pottery, textiles, jewelry, photography, furniture, garden statues), it is not alternative. An art festival in the Alberta or Hawthorne neighborhoods of Portland would look quite different. This festival is comprised primarily of local artists and although there are some from Portland, you are more likely to see the artistic endeavors of folks from Lake Oswego, Oregon City and Canby. There isn't a lot of angst going on in this part of our metro area. The other thing is that it was already packed and parking almost gone when the festival opened at 10:00a. So you can either park in the Old Willamette neighborhood and walk or take one of the free shuttles from West Linn High School (http://www.westlinnartsfestival.com/parking.html). It is kind of a pain, I know. Willamette Park is down a steep hill from Old Willamette, so if you park and walk, be prepared for a steep climb upon your return. If you ever had the desire to visit West Linn, this is a great time and event. Everything is looking very good in my 'hood.

2.5 stars. Brought the family out here as first timers to see the pumpkin patch and do some fun…read morekid-friendly activities listed on the website. Unfortunately the carnival rides are only turned on and operational on weekends and we went on a Tuesday so our kid was disappointed. We liked the big fun slide, jump pad, sandpit and playground. On the other hand, admission was expensive, refreshments were at additional costs, limited in selection and there was no food or beer. There were donuts but that's it. Dusty parking lot and barrel wagon rides. Everything was kind of meh, and to top everything off, our toddler picked up germs and caught a cold from playing here.

Family owned farm with huge fields of Christmas trees; sunflowers late summer; pumpkins in the…read morefall. The weekend after Thanksgiving they host a Holiday Market with about a dozen vendors selling their handmade crafts and treats. It's a fun way to kick off the holidays. Inside their barn, they have their own year round market where they sell honey, jams, baked goods, and pies and fruit in the freezer. Fun to visit throughout the seasons!

A nice selection of craft breweries for the first ever Oregon Trails Brew Fest. We bought the…read morememorabilia cup and ticket package. $20 bucks for the cup and 15 tickets. They also had shirts available for $15. I was pleasantly pleased with the number of breweries and beer selection that was available. Each pour was cold and refreshing, colder than some pubs I've been in. There were two food trucks next to the stands that offered yúr typical American fair with a twist.

What a beautiful place to stroll and enjoy. The sheer number and variety of flowers is amazing. The…read moreblooms were prolific and well tended. We looked at the amazing community gardens too. The fact that this is all volunteer grown is quite impressive. Worth a visit.

I had never heard of this garden. A friend knew I love visiting gardens and flower festivals, he…read moreput it on my radar. I decided the next time I did a delivery in Lake Oswego, I would make sure to pay a visit. So glad I did! Clematis are a fairly new to me flower variety. I mean I've seen them, but haven't paid close attention. I've visited friend's gardens that contain clematis, and noticed how beautiful the blooms are. So perfect they almost seem fake! The clematis garden has different varieties. All of them so beautiful! There are plants for sale, I'm planning on moving soon, didn't buy any now. I really want to get some to plant in my next space!

One of the best art festivals in the area. We attend every year at least once during the 3-day…read morefestival and always have a great time. To get the less positive elements out of the way, I will say that parking is a challenge. You will be met with no parking signs and street closures in the neighborhoods surrounding the two venues (Lakewood Center for the Arts and George Rogers Park). The festival compensates for this by offering free shuttles from various locations around town. The other thing to be aware of is that while the festival is "free" to attend, the volunteers are relatively aggressive about you making the "voluntary" donation. I spend most of my time in George Rogers Park wandering through the aisles viewing the myriad forms of art. Painters, photographers, jewelry makers, sculptors, woodworkers, knitters, designers, landscapers, cookware, etc. It is a very large and diverse collection of artisans from around the state and beyond. Each tent has the artist's name and location, and the items tend to be of very high quality. Prices reflect that quality and the venue in Lake Oswego. My mother and I each have a similar mantra, "Don't look at the jewelry." It is too beautiful and at some point we just have to stop buying. My other weakness is glass, and I was drooling over several pieces this year but managed to remain a looky-loo only. There is a large stage in the park and about ten food vendors, a beer & wine garden, and covered seating areas. Nice since every year the weather seems to be either extremely hot or raining. Even though it is an art festival, there are some limited activities for children. In the Lakewood building they also included galleries of artwork from high school and K-8 artists. However, no pets are permitted. There is also a large Pavilion tent in the parking lot behind Lakewood with more artwork, music, and hands on activities. This year was particularly interesting because of a rather large exhibit of 3D printing displays and sculptures as well as a virtual reality demo. Nice to see the festival embracing the confluence of art and technology. In one of the rooms, you could also take a 3D "selfie" which produces a model of you (think of a cake topper) for a fee. Looking forward to seeing what will be introduced next year.

I have commissioned two pieces (one piece of furniture, one painting) from artists I met at the…read morefestival. Kellee is super talented http://4muddypawsart.com/Site/Portland_Pet_Artist_Kellee_Beaudry.html The parking is a pain, but that's why they offer shuttles. I suspect the no parking signs are so that emergency vehicles can get in during an emergency since the roads in first edition are narrow. There are a lot of food options that are priced like you would expect. There is a large beer garden.

Imagine a super cozy alpine ski lodge, wood panels festooned with eclectic memorabilia, with a…read morehefty menu full of wine, cocktails, snacks, desserts, and generously-portioned entrees - throw in live musical entertainment that varies from sultry cocktail lounge to funky soul - I don't know, it's hard to pin down exactly what all of this adds up to, but you really owe it to yourself to check out Arrivederci. The space is pretty big, so it's usually easy enough to get seated, although there are live music nights where the place is JUMPING and you might need to settle for grabbing a spot at the bar. Service is generally pretty quick and attentive. I'm thinking - date night? taking your grandkids (or your grandparents) out for a nice meal? Showing off a local gem to the uninitiated? I think those are all good excuses to go.

The food is mouth watering! Authentic Italian cuisine. Excellent service. Live music was wonderful!…read moreTerrific wine selection too.

Cute place for activities and buying local good. They have pumpkin patch during fall and Christmas…read moretree + decor during winter. Their tree is pretty and the service is excellent. They also have photo booth, Christmas character, decor, and free hot chocolate

This is such a worthwhile stop! Great place, great gift shop, super kind people that actually…read moreappreciate your business!