Art in Action: Volunteer Today!
Festival Weekend Volunteers
Most volunteers will be asked to work the days of the Festival in 2 to 3 hour shifts. Please peruse the volunteer opportunities descriptions and email us to get signed up! On-site training is provided. We would love to have you join us for the 2026 Festival!
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts is a summertime arts education event of the Lakewood Center for the Arts. We are currently seeking volunteers to help us execute our 63rd celebration of creativity! The Festival takes place at Lakewood Center for the Arts and George Rogers Park in downtown Lake Oswego. The Festival is a true community event, utilizing over 500 volunteers every year!
Please peruse the volunteer opportunities descriptions and use the form below to get signed up.
Get Your Company or Community Involved!
We welcome the involvement of volunteer teams from businesses and organizations and encourage volunteers to wear identifying t-shirts, pins or hats to show their support.
Contact us to learn more: festival@lakewood-center.org
We love NCL & NLYM Volunteers!
Our Festival greeters/hospitality are our face of the Festival at Lakewood Center and George Rogers Park. In teams of 2-4, greeters welcome visitors, offer a program, gently suggest a donation and provide basic information if needed. It is a fun and easy way to enjoy the Festival vibe, enjoy the positive energy of the day and make a few new friends!
As a booth sitter, you will be stationed at Art in the Park, helping the artists by watching their booths while they take short breaks. If you enjoy meeting a variety of artists, chatting with visitors about artwork, and you want to get an up close look at art and how artists run the business side of things, Booth Sitting is a great match for you!
Encourage visitors to answer survey questions reflecting their Festival experience and gather basic attendee data.
The Open Show Express Tent is a great place to mingle among the art created by our local artists. We have positions for sales/art purchases, docents, art check-in prior to the festival, and art check-out after the Festival closes.
Docents help Festival-goers with questions they may have about the artworks or with anyone interested in purchasing work. It’s a fun role that keeps you close to some amazing art!
Before the Festival begins, we need help with construction and event set-up- including paid positions! High School and college age is ideal for these positions, but anyone is welcome to apply.
Help visitors navigate accessible parking spots and get musicians backstage!
Steering Committee Openings
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts is seeking community-minded art lovers to join our Steering Committee! Add experience to your resume, meet new friends, have fun, and give back to Lake Oswego by joining us in this 60-year tradition of creating an annual arts education event.
Below are brief descriptions of current vacancies. Some require a year-round time commitment, while others are only active in June. Please contact us for more details and get involved in the fun today: festival@lakewood-center.org.
Operations Team Lead
You’re a behind-the-scenes champion who makes sure all of the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed. Guide a small team of coordinators responsible for managing Festival signage, equipment rentals, permits, parking/buses, and security.
Time commitment: The Lead is part of a Team that meets regularly all year long to plan, organize and make overall decisions about the Festival.
Sign Placement: Festival
You're comfortable on a ladder and great at getting signs up quickly! Help us look our best by becoming our sign placement person. you will get signs up and down during the Festival as well as maintain the sign catalog.
Time commitment: Your job starts the Thursday before the Festival and runs through Monday during take down.
Crew Scheduler
Position Summary: This is a 100% behind the scenes job where you will work to get our crew scheduled, keeping them updated via text and email, and handle call-outs or rescheduling.
Time commitment: This job is most active in June, but it can all be done by home.
Booth Sitter Lead
Position Summary: You'll check in and train the fleet of Booth Sitters throughout the Festival. Creating and leading a team, delegating, and being able to schedule and change the schedule as needed are must-have skills.
Time commitment: You'll be at the park Fri, Sat, and Sun of the Festival to work with the volunteers.
NCL Co-Coordinator
Position Summary: This is a behind the scenes job where you will work with the National Charity League groups to schedule their hundreds of volunteer hours for our Festival. Knowledge of NCL and computer experience is a must.
Time commitment: This job is mostly remote. Being at the Festival to help with any issues is helpful.
NLYM Coordinator
Position Summary: This is a behind the scenes job where you will work with the National League of Young Men to schedule their volunteer hours for our Festival. Knowledge of NLYM and computer experience is a must.
Time commitment: This job is mostly remote. Being at the Festival to help with any issues is helpful.
Ready to join us? Please fill out this form.
Volunteer with the Festival of the Arts!
The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts’ primary goal is to educate by promoting, supporting, coordinating and exhibiting the arts of the region. The Festival of the Arts is a program division of the Lakewood Center for the Arts / Lakewood Theater Company, a 501(c) (3) non-profit arts institution. Our Festival reaches attendees from around the region, including Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington and Clark Counties in Oregon and Washington. Both regional and national artists participate in the Festival.
As part of The City of Arts, we integrate art into events to create community and build connections across generations. The Festival nurtures this concept by creating a venue for experiencing the arts. The Festival takes place in Lake Oswego at the Lakewood Center for the Arts and George Rogers Park. Popular exhibits and events include: Art in the Park, a juried show of 120 booths of fine arts crafts; premier music acts on the George Rogers Park Main Stage; incredible food and drink; fun and inspiring youth activities. Lakewood Center houses the visual arts: the Open Show Express, with over 1,100 pieces of art submitted by artists from all over the region; juried artwork such as the Artist’s Vision and the new Festival of Arts and Flowers, the Dee Denton Gallery, and the Youth Exhibit.
The Festival has championed the diversity of artistic talent since its inception in 1963! In 1984, the Festival came under the artistic and financial supervision of the Lakewood Center for the Arts. The Festival partnered with The City of Lake Oswego for partial financial support, volunteer labor and complementary programming. From 1985-93 the City provided internal staffing and support personnel for all the events in George Rogers Park. In 1994, when City budgets for staffing were reduced, the Festival assumed the administrative duties, staffing roles and financial liability for park events. Today, a volunteer committee of over 50 art professionals, City employees, over 550 volunteers, civic groups and community leaders come together to create the Festival.
Over $300,000 annual operating budget is administered and supervised by the Lakewood Center for the Arts. A Finance subcommittee of business leaders raises funds and supervises expenditures. 50% of income comes from events and programs and 50% comes from contributions, businesses, foundations and civic organizations.
- The Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts attracts 22-25,000 people each year to attend art exhibits, demonstrations and performances.
- 450 artists, 1,800 pieces of artwork and more than 500 volunteers.
- Audiences come from Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho to see the events, gallery displays, concerts, and demonstrations.
- The Festival is cited by the Regional Arts & Culture Council as one of the major events of the region.