THOUSAND OAKS : Scandinavian Festival Treats Lure Hundreds

Lured by a tasty smorgasbord of Swedish meatballs, Norwegian pastries and deliciously fattening sausage sandwiches, hundreds of festival-goers filled Cal Lutheran University’s Kingsmen Park Saturday for the 22nd annual Scandinavian Festival.

The one-day event, sponsored by the Thousand Oaks university and the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation, is among the state’s largest and longest-running festivals celebrating Scandinavian and Baltic cultures.

Basking in warm, un-Nordic-like weather, Saturday’s crowd meandered through dozens of arts, crafts and food booths, accompanied by the spirited songs drifting from Torkil Hammer’s Swedish key fiddle.

“This is a descendant of the oldest bowed instrument,” Hammer, a Newbury Park engineer and amateur fiddler, said. Grasping the intricate violin-shaped instrument, Hammer played a brief riff for a small crowd of onlookers before strolling through the park to his next performance spot.

“It’s a lovely day,” said Ojai resident Charmain Helmle, who watched Hammer play from a cool spot in the shade with her husband, Milton. “We’re waiting for the food. We’re here for the smorgasbord.”

Stefan Emling, a blonde, blue-eyed Swede American, has come to the festival for years as a spectator to enjoy a day mired in his culture and history. This year, Emling brought a taste of Sweden with him, setting up a booth featuring meals from his family’s Torrance restaurant.

“We cover a lot of events, but this one is all the Baltic people,” he said. “We have the Finns, the Balkans . . . the Icelanders are here. We all have a common heritage.”

In addition to various food booths, the festival featured an afternoon feast of pickled herring, meatballs, ham, red cabbage and other Scandinavian favorites.

Food appeared to be a major draw for many festival-goers Saturday. Despite long lines and artery-clogging potential, visitors waited patiently to purchase “Viking” sandwiches: hot veal sausages wrapped in French rolls and smothered with fried onions.

Lefse , a Norwegian potato pancake resembling a thick tortilla, was a popular dish as well. San Fernando Valley resident Taryn Satt rolled her baby’s carriage through the throng to grab one before heading home.

“We’re going to go home because we are too hot,” Satt said. The mercury crept above 80 degrees in many areas of the county, National Weather Service meteorologists said. “I’m glad we came out,” Satt said. “It was charming.”