👋 Dinner Club Is Here — Plus Your Weekend Best Bets

Good Morning, South Metro. Well, we asked you about the idea of getting together in real life for dinner, and you said “yes,” in a big way. So, without any further ado, we’re announcing our first event: South Metro Dinner Club!

Here’s how it works:

You take a quick personality quiz, and we’ll match you with five other people from around the South Metro who we think you’ll enjoy meeting.

Then, you simply show up for dinner at a local restaurant near you.

No awkward planning. No group text with 37 messages trying to decide where to eat. 😄 We’ll take care of the details — you just come ready for a good meal, some good conversation, and hopefully a few new friends.

Our first South Metro Dinner Club is coming up soon, and reservations are now open.

Want a seat at the table? Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

We’ve talked a lot about wanting South Metro Weekly to be more than just another email in your inbox. This feels like a pretty fun way to make that happen.

Ok… On to the weekend!

-Scott & Family

🐟 West Linn girl writes a letter — and Goldfish listens.

Courtesy: @brooklynngrace25

When West Linn’s Brooklynn Meeker was diagnosed with celiac disease, one of the little things she had to give up was Goldfish crackers. So, at age 10, she did what any determined kid might do: she wrote Pepperidge Farm and asked them to make a gluten-free version.

Then came a pretty great surprise.

Two years later, the company tracked Brooklynn down, told her they had kept her letter and sent her an early sample of the new gluten-free Goldfish, which are expected to hit stores this fall.

It’s a sweet reminder that speaking up can matter — even when you’re 10 years old and just really miss your favorite snack.

A big thanks to KPTV for sharing Brooklynn’s story. You can also check out the video version of the story on their website.

🎈 - family-friendly event
💲 - ticket or purchase required
🎵 - includes live music
😋 - there will be food

🎈🎵😋 Party in the Park
Town Center Park, Wilsonville | Thursday, 5:30 PM | Free
Wilsonville is throwing a community party at Town Center Park with food trucks, games, face painting, live music from Brandon Jones and the always-popular duck race. It’s a laid-back way to spend a summer evening with neighbors — grab dinner, enjoy the music and stick around for the fun.

🎵😋🎈💲 Clackamas County Fair & Canby Rodeo
Clackamas County Fairgrounds, Canby | Friday & Saturday | Fair Admission Required
The rodeo may be sold out Friday and Saturday night, but there’s still plenty of fair fun left before the gates close on another year. Spend the day checking out carnival rides, animals, exhibits, fair food and live entertainment — then soak up that unmistakable end-of-summer county fair atmosphere. If you didn’t snag rodeo tickets, don’t worry: there’s still a whole lot happening outside the arena.

🎈 Wilsonville Skate Jam — Take Two!
Memorial Park Skatepark, Wilsonville | Saturday, 1–4 PM | Free
June’s Skate Jam got washed out, so Wilsonville is giving it another go this weekend. Skaters of all skill levels can hit the park, join in the fun and enjoy giveaways, raffles and other activities. If the weather cooperates this time, it should be a great afternoon at Memorial Park.

The Society Book Fair
West Linn | Saturday, 3–7 PM | Free Admission
Think of it as a book fair for grown-ups. Browse books from local authors, check out curated vendors, grab a coffee and spend a little time actually talking about what you’re reading. If your ideal Saturday includes books, conversation and a relaxed afternoon out, this one is worth a look.

🎈😋🎵 Portland Festival Symphony Under the Stars
Foothills Park, Lake Oswego | Saturday, 7 PM | Free
Pack a blanket, bring a picnic and settle in for an evening of live symphonic music under the summer sky. Portland Festival Symphony brings a professional orchestra to Foothills Park for a free outdoor concert, making this an easy pick for a relaxed Saturday night by the lake.

🎈💲 Lee Farms Sunflower Festival — Final Weekend
Lee Farms, Tualatin | Friday–Sunday, 9 AM–5 PM | Admission Required
It’s the final weekend to wander through acres of sunflowers at Lee Farms. Along with the blooms, you’ll find farm animals, family activities, food and drinks — and general admission includes a sunflower to take home. A pretty great excuse to soak up one more summer weekend.

🛒 Despite some social media buzz, Trader Joe’s has not made a move towards Wilsonville. The city tells South Metro Weekly there’s currently no application or formal proposal from the grocery chain. Wilsonville certainly has no shortage of residents who would welcome one — and several existing spaces could seemingly fit the bill — but for now, the hoped-for Trader Joe’s remains just that: a hope.

🎃 Ever wanted to paddle a giant pumpkin? Tualatin is looking for this year’s Pumpkin Paddlers. The city is accepting entries for the 2026 Pumpkin Paddling Quest, giving would-be racers a chance to be chosen to climb inside one of the giant gourds at the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta. Entries are due Aug. 28, so if racing across the Lake of the Commons in a pumpkin has somehow been sitting on your bucket list, this is your moment. The Regatta itself draws tens of thousands of spectators each year for its famously wacky pumpkin races and fall festivities. More info here.

🏐 It’s a new era for Lake Oswego volleyball, with new head coaches taking over at both of the district’s high schools. Lakeridge has hired former West Linn and University of Washington standout Audra Wilmes to lead the Pacers, while Lake Oswego turns to Nicole “Coach Doe” Tagiilevao Gebauer for her first high school head-coaching job. Both are taking over programs coming off state-playoff appearances, and both are emphasizing player development, team culture and making sure athletes still enjoy the game. Bump, set, spike, y’all.

🏡 Wilsonville residents are giving their city some pretty strong marks. In the latest National Community Survey, Wilsonville scored above the national benchmark in 20 areas and landed in the top 10% nationally in another 12. The standouts were safety, with about 9 in 10 residents rating it good or excellent, and overall quality of life, which earned an 86% positive rating. One area did slip, though: confidence in local government, particularly around trust and transparency. Overall, though, residents still seem pretty happy with life in Wilsonville.

🌿 The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is getting a little bigger. Renewable energy company BrightNight plans to donate about 11 acres near Sherwood to the refuge as part of its nearby Nottingham energy-storage project. The land is expected to add protected wetland habitat and help connect conservation areas around the refuge, while BrightNight says it will also remove invasive vegetation and help restore native plants. The property transfer still has some administrative and real-estate steps to go before it’s complete.

🚌 Turns out, South Metro riders were ready for another way across town. SMART’s new weekday route between Wilsonville and Clackamas Town Center is averaging about 41 riders a day — comfortably ahead of the roughly 25 riders planners expected when service launched in May. The route also stops in Tualatin and West Linn, giving commuters and car-free travelers another option for getting around without heading all the way into Portland first.

🚌 More bus changes are coming to Wilsonville next week — this time from SMART. Starting Monday, Aug. 24, Route 6 will extend to Plambeck Gardens before heading back into town, helping fill a gap created by TriMet’s service changes in that area. SMART is also combining Route 7 with the Villebois Shopper Shuttle into one updated Route 7, with a stop at the Wilsonville Transit Center along the way. The goal: make it a little easier to get around Wilsonville for shopping, dining and everyday errands without needing the car.

Results from Monday’s poll are pretty clear. We all want to swim and soak!

🎈 - family-friendly event
💲 - ticket or purchase required
🎵 - includes live music
😋 - there will be food

🎈 Zootopia 2 in the Park
Stella Olsen Park, Sherwood | Friday, Around Dusk | Free
Sherwood is wrapping up its Movies in the Park season with Zootopia 2. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, grab a spot on the grass and settle in for one more outdoor movie night before summer starts slipping away.

🎈🎵 Dance Hall Days at Tualatin Commons
Lake of the Commons, Tualatin | Friday, 6:30–8:30 PM | Free
Kick off the weekend lakeside with Dance Hall Days, bringing a mix of pop and classic rock to the Commons. It’s free, all ages and exactly the kind of easy summer evening where you can show up with a chair, find a patch of grass and let someone else provide the soundtrack.

💲🎵 Dance Nation at The Headliners Club
The Headliners Club, Lake Oswego | Friday, 8 PM | Tickets Required | 21+
If your Friday night needs considerably more dancing, this should do it. Dance Nation brings the party to The Headliners Club for a full night of familiar hits, big energy and an excuse to stay out a little later than usual.

🎈🎵 Fighting Foos at the Clackamas County Fair
Clackamas County Fairgrounds, Canby | Friday, 9 PM | Included With Fair Admission
The rodeo may be sold out, but the fairgrounds won’t exactly be going quiet. Fighting Foos takes the stage Friday night with a full dose of Foo Fighters favorites — a pretty solid way to finish a day of rides, fair food and everything else happening in Canby.

🎈 Sherwood Pop-Up Makerspace Launch
Sherwood | Saturday, 11 AM–1 PM | Free
Got a kid who likes making things — or maybe you’re the one who can’t resist pushing buttons on a new gadget? Sherwood is launching its Pop-Up Makerspace with hands-on opportunities to try 3D pens, a Cricut, button making, a kids sewing machine and more. Consider this two hours where “don’t touch that” is replaced by “go ahead and try it.”

🎈💲🎵 Joel Astley — All-Ages Matinee
The Headliners Club, Lake Oswego | Saturday, 4 PM | $10 Advance / $15 Day Of Show
Here’s one for the blues fans — without the late-night start. Award-winning Northwest singer and harmonica player Joel Astley brings his band to Lake Oswego for an all-ages afternoon show, giving families and early birds a chance to catch some seriously good blues before dinner.

🎈🎵 Arietta Ward — Sunday Concert Series
Millennium Plaza Park, Lake Oswego | Sunday, 6:30–8 PM | Free
Close out the weekend with one of Portland’s standout voices. Arietta Ward — known as “Mz. Etta” — brings a blend of soul, funk, jazz, blues and R&B to Millennium Plaza Park for the final Sunday Concert Series performance of the summer. Bring some snacks, find a spot near the lake and let Sunday evening take its time.

LIVE MUSIC LOWDOWN
🌳 - outdoor concert
💲 - ticket or purchase required

After a long dry stretch, there’s finally a little rain in the forecast. Friday stays cloudy and mild, with showers possible late Friday night into Saturday morning. Any rain should be brief, though — Saturday turns partly sunny with a high near 77, and Sunday gradually clears out with temperatures around 79. By Monday, sunshine is back with a high in the mid-80s.

THANKS!

A final thought...

Kim Smith: “I love meeting new people; I think everyone has a story to tell. We should all listen sometimes.”

That’s a pretty good reminder for the weekend. There are interesting people all around us — neighbors, business owners, parents, newcomers, longtime locals — and sometimes all it takes is sitting down long enough to actually hear their story.

Maybe that’s part of what community is supposed to be: not just living near each other, but getting to know each other.

And yes, that’s a little bit of the idea behind our new South Metro Dinner Club, too. Six people, one table, and a chance to meet someone you probably wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Thanks for reading. See you Monday morning!

👋 Dinner Club Is Here — Plus Your Weekend Best Bets

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