Cal Lutheran Festival Is Norse, of Course

Although it was 50 degrees with rain expected in Oslo on Sunday, thousands of lovers of everything Norse enjoyed sunshine and 70-degree temperatures at Cal Lutheran University’s 28th annual Scandinavian Festival.

With campus lawns converted into a small village, people strolled past rows of gently flapping flags from Scandinavian countries and listened to live accordion and fiddle music on the main stage.

Vendors sold Danish clogs, Swedish rag rugs and imported tchotchkes. The smell of sweet, buttery potato pancakes called lefse filled the air.

“We started with a lefse, then went to the games, and now we’re back for more food,” said Sally Rismoen of Reseda, who was accompanied by her 8-year-old granddaughter, Paige Wood of Ventura.

Rismoen, who was raised by first-generation Norwegian parents in North Dakota, said the festival reminds her of her heritage.

Colette Germain of Los Angeles made the drive north after her parents in Florida, who are Finnish and had heard about the event, called her a few days ago and told her to go look for Finnish cookbooks written in English.

“They are not easy to find,” Germain said as she walked along a path with her daughter, Genevieve, while pushing her son, Philip, in a stroller.

Germain found four Finnish cookbooks for her collection.

“The people are so nice and some are very charming,” Germain said. “It’s nice to be around everything that was part of growing up.”

As couples lounged on the grass, a young man in a feathered cap taught a small group of children to juggle tennis balls. Nearby, three couples wearing red and white tights bobbed with their arms crossed during a Swedish folk dance.

Cal Lutheran spokeswoman Lynda Paige Fulford said about 10,000 attended the two-day event, which kicked off Saturday morning with campus officials playing the national anthems of several Scandinavian countries.

In addition to food and craft booths representing products from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, the festival featured several entertainers and offerings from Baltic countries Estonia and Lithuania.

Fulford said the biggest draw, though, was the weather.

“I think people are just really enjoying being outside on such a beautiful day,” she said.

“Verkelig,” said a smiling Beth Baird, using the Norwegian word for wonderful to describe the festival.

Baird, of Altadena, and her husband, Bill Davis, brought their three children to see entertainment performed by the Sons of Norway Lodge, of which they are members.

“I’m Norwegian. My grandmother was born in Norway and I’m teaching my husband Norwegian,” Baird said.

Baird’s 5-year-old daughter, Kari, quickly grew restless. With her new horned Viking helmet tipped askew on her head, the youngster asked: “Can’t we just go.”

After a trip to the food booths, her father said.