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National costumes, nyckelharpas, Dala horses and delicate bobbin lace—these appear each spring at the Scandinavian Festival on the campus of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. Some 5,000 to 6,000 performers, vendors and visitors have flocked to the campus each April for thirty-four years to celebrate the Nordic heritage—the largest and oldest of such festivals on America's West Coast.

The festival begins with the Parade of Flags of the United States and the five Scandinavian countries, as well as that of the Sami, and the singing of the national anthems, followed by introductions of the consuls from the countries and other dignitaries. With that begins two days of music, dancing, lectures, soccer matches, crafts, food demonstrations, and a village market.

This popular event was initiated by Swedish-American Armour Nelson, Professor of English and scholar of Scandinavian literature as well as Shakespeare, and John J. Nordberg, Director of Estate Planning of the college (now university). They originated the idea while playing golf near the campus. Nelson had labored for years assembling an important collection of Scandinavian literature and objects of art, and as they walked the course, they thought of ideas to show off the beautiful campus, to display the Scandinavian items in Arken, the archives of the library, and to celebrate the Scandinavian roots of California Lutheran College.

Nelson wrote in 1983 that, "I told John that I thought an open house exhibit with a scholarly lecture on some Scandinavian topics could inform the people about our Scandinavian heritage." Nelson said: "John loved a good show and immediately suggested adding folk dancers and a smorgasbord." A committee was formed, and on February 9, 1974, the first festival was held, attracting 600 people to the campus. The consuls from , , Iceland, and added their greetings and support to the event.

The exhibits, craft demonstrations and programs were all held in the school's gymnasium, and food booths with krumkaka and Swedish pancakes were set up in the space between the gymnasium and Student Center. The Drama Department enacted stories from Hans Christian Andersen nearby. Dancers from various Scandinavian clubs in the Los Angeles area added music and color to the event. It was so successful that Nordberg remarked: "We just may do this again next year." The committee agreed, and the festival became an annual affair. Swedish-American Aina Abrahamson, the college librarian for many years and the editor of The Almanac, Journal of the Swedish American Historical Association of California, was on the original planning committee and saw the dramatic growth in attendance. Said Abrahamson, "The festival seemed to catch on by word of mouth and grew each year." She was responsible for bringing the Vasa Hambo dance contest about, where contestants danced in pairs under the discerning eyes not only of the judges but of the crowds gathered to watch.

Formerly sponsored by the American Scandinavian Foundation of Thousand Oaks, the festival now is administered by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation (SACHF), which also backs the Nordic Spirit Symposium and the Scandinavian Center on campus. Said Jim Gulbranson, who had participated in the festival since the beginning, "The festival is more than just eating Swedish meatballs or watching dancers in traditional clothes." He saw it as an opportunity to teach people about the Scandinavian cultures—and to have fun too! This year's co-directors, the hard­ working, well-organized Lana Lundin (who, with her husband, Lars, a Vice President of Volvo, lives part of each year in Gothenberg) and Eric Berg, saw to it that the festival was "affordable family fun," and attractive to kids as well as their parents and grandparents. The prices were $5 for adults, and no charge for children under eleven years old.

An especially merry time is during the raising of the tall majstang (Maypole), accompanied by the traditional singing and dancing while making gestures of scrubbing laundry, jumping like frogs, etc., around the festooned pole. In addition to displays and demonstrations, there are a typical "Swedish Marketplace" that extends along the boulevard next to the beautiful Kingsmen Park, concerts of Nordic folk music under a large tent, wandering musicians, lectures on archaeology and travel, theatrical performances, displays of antique and new Saabs and Volvos, crafts for children, encampments of Viking re-enactors (with sword fights and authentic costumes) and the Sami (with tents and reindeer crafts), and for all ages, croquet with little Dala horses as the wickets, and the 1,000-year-old Viking game of Kubb, that fill out the two-day event. On Sunday morning, a Scandinavian worship service involving Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish pastors is held in the attractive campus chapel.

Said one attendee, "I'm not Scandinavian, but after coming to the festival, I feel like I've learned a lot about , and really would like to go there now." Oh, yes, there is also a lottery at the festival, and by holding the winning ticket she might get her wish fulfilled!