Lake Oswego's annual Cultural Xchange festival returns to Millennium Plaza Park on Sept. 27 with live music, international food vendors and a new sculpture joining the city's permanent art collection.
The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 200 1st St. Lake Oswego City Councilor Massene Mboup, who also serves as the council's liaison to the public art committee, is scheduled to open the festival.
The headlining act comes from Seoul. Sangjaru, a Korean folk fusion trio, blends traditional instruments like the janggu (hourglass drum) and ajaeng (bowed zither) with funk, rock and improvisation.
The band won the Sori Frontier competition at South Korea's Jeonju International Sori Festival in 2019.
Parks and Recreation staffer Lance Hofstad, who booked the band through SORI Artists, told the Lake Oswego Review he was drawn to their sound. "I like the improvisational spirit of it. … They play traditional instruments but at the same time they expand on that and add their own modern touch," Hofstad said.
The lineup also includes Latin group A Cara O Cruz Band, Colombian and Peruvian-influenced Grupo Masato, ambient group WRK! and Portland-based White Lotus Dragon & Lion Dance.
Food vendors will serve Guatemalan and Mexican dishes alongside Rosa's Churros and Biscuits & Gravy. Nonprofits highlighting world history and cultures will staff booths throughout the day.
The Arts Council of Lake Oswego (ACLO) will run its Gallery Without Walls celebration alongside the festival. Guided docent tours of the city's outdoor sculpture collection begin at noon, according to the arts council. The council will also present the 2026 People's Choice Award to sculptor Ben Dye for "Pup," a metal work depicting a dog. The piece will join more than 80 permanent and rotating sculptures in the Gallery Without Walls program, which the city describes as its nationally known public art collection.
Admission is free.
Recreation supervisor Emily Liu told the Review the festival carries a family-friendly energy, calling it a welcoming place where people can try new foods, experience new music and hear neighbors share their stories.
More details are available on the city's festival page.
Upcoming community events:
- Sept. 27, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. — Cultural Xchange festival, Millennium Plaza Park, 200 1st St., Lake Oswego. Free admission.
- Oct. 2 — Clackamas Community College manufacturing career day for students. Details at CCC.
