A Smorgasbord of Fun

Traditional costumes, live music and a smorgasbord of food will anchor Cal Lutheran University’s 26th annual Scandinavian Festival this month.

For anyone who hasn’t traveled to the faraway lands of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark, the two-day celebration April 17 and 18 is a taste of the cultures that define these countries.

Forget those boring Saint Olaf stories; think Solvang.

“Big groups--lots of Scandinavians from the San Fernando Valley and from throughout the state--flock to this event as well as a lot of people who are not Scandinavian because it’s a lot of fun,” said university spokeswoman Lynda Fulford.

Busloads of tourists from Arizona and Lutheran church groups from all over also make the trek.

The festival also includes the tastes, sounds and spirit of the eastern side of the Baltic Sea, from the countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Since its beginnings, the festival has grown from a community affair into a well-known celebration of tradition.

Last year’s silver anniversary celebration was the biggest since the festival started, Fulford said.

This year, with the university marking its 40th birthday, organizers expect more than 10,000 to attend. The cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children under 10.

The event, Fulford said, has become one the largest Scandinavian festivals in the state.

In an article in the magazine Sweden & America, Fulford said the festival began a surge of history-making events in the Nordic region in 1973.

King Carl XVI ascended to the Royal Swedish throne and Queen Margrethe to the Danish throne. Denmark and Norway joined the European Common Market, and Olympic hero Paavo Nurmi, “The Flying Finn,” died.

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At the same time in Thousand Oaks, two college employees playing golf one day decided there should be a local celebration of the university’s Norwegian and Lutheran heritage.

In 1974, 600 attended Cal Lutheran’s first Scandinavian Day, held in the gymnasium. Food booths sold Swedish pancakes, and drama students staged the tales of Hans Christian Andersen.

The festival is co-sponsored by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation, which maintains a cultural center in the university’s Pearson Library.

There will be several attractions this year at Kingsmen Park on the sprawling Thousand Oaks campus, including a 16th-century Swedish royal court, a Viking living history program, musical and theater presentations and lectures.

And there will be food--lots of it--provided by more than a dozen vendors.

A variety of meatballs, cabbage, sausages, potato salads, breads and soups will be available, as well as open-face gravlax sandwiches and other authentic dishes.

And the pastries will be plentiful.

“There will be a lot of wonderful homemade baked goods,” said Helen Shoup, a member of CLU’s Women’s League.

Some of the most popular treats, Shoup said, are lefses (sweet potato pancakes, krumkake (baked on a special iron and rolled) and rosettes (deep-fried pinwheels dipped in sugar).

A big draw each year is also the smorgasbord, priced at $12.95 for adults and $6.95 for kids 5 to 12.

This year’s includes ham, meatballs, sausages, potatoes, cabbage and baked beans. There will also be fruit and cheese, creamed herring, pickled beets, deviled eggs and several salads and breads.

While strolling the grounds, representatives from various groups that will be available to answer questions about studying or traveling abroad.

Also, information about becoming a host family for a Scandinavian student will be available, and consulates will be represented.

Craft booths will include everything from traditional wares from all the countries to contemporary gifts. Several artisans will demonstrate weaving, woodwork and papirklip--Danish paper-cutting.

Check out the paintings and prints, Norwegian Christmas cards, Swedish rugs, blankets, linens and Dala horses. And don’t forget the flags, figurines, books, CDs and many other items.

And, of course, someone will be selling those nifty Viking helmets.

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For those who just can’t wait until April 17 for a Nordic fix, a few preliminary events are scheduled. On April 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Town & Country Travel in Thousand Oaks will serve pastries all day, plus coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon and Nordic travelogues.

April 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eva’s Needlework in Thousand Oaks will provide demonstrations of knitting, crocheting and needlepoint in the Scandinavian tradition.

And April 10 from 1 to 3 p.m., Barnes & Noble in the Westlake Promenade will host several costumed chefs, who will prepare ableskivers and krumkake for sampling, to the accompaniment of traditional Scandinavian folk tunes.

DETAILS

CLU’s 26th annual Scandinavian Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 17 and noon to 5 p.m. April 18 at 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks. $5 for adults; $1 for kids 10 and under. For vendor or other information, call 493-3151.