Festivals make summer in Vancouver one big, joyous multicultural potluck. These bashes are a great way to get outdoors, learn about other cultures, and sample tempting food-stall offerings. By phone, festival insiders give the Straight the scoop on seven events that will get visitors jiving and snacking to a different culinary beat.

Catch the Nordic spirit this weekend at a celebration of everything Scandinavian. Kids can ride Icelandic ponies while adults enjoy folk dancing. Plus, each Nordic country has a tent serving its own goodies. Sweden offers meatballs with mashed potatoes, gravy, and lingonberry sauce, while Denmark prides itself on fancy open-faced sandwiches with toppings like smoked salmon, cream cheese, lemon, and capers. “We usually eat our sandwiches with a knife and fork,” says Tina Praegel, head of food services. Sweet fixes include Norwegian waffles and krumkake, a cone-shaped cookie filled with strawberries and cream. When: June 20 to 22 Where: Scandinavian Community Centre, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby Info: www.scandinaviancentre.org/, 604-294-2777

Not to be confused with Greek Day on Broadway, which takes place Sunday (June 22) in Kitsilano (see Straight Goods, page 74), this is an event put on by the Greek Orthodox community of East Vancouver. It features nonstop entertainment and eating that culminates each night in dancing for all. Folk and belly dancers take centre stage, as does a bouzouki band that plays live on weekends. Feast on barbecued lamb on a spit, souvlaki, and spanakopita. A special crowd pleaser is loukoumades. “They’re like mini doughnuts that are soaked in honey,” says the fest’s office administrator, Eleni Angelopoulos. When: June 27 to July 6 Where: Boundary Road and 29th Avenue Info: www.greeksummerfest.com/, 604-438-6432

The Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Society of B.C. organizes this annual event showcasing the best of reggae, calypso, and soca music. Head over to the food area to munch on jerk chicken, Marva Vidal’s Trinidadian-style roti, and flying fish. “Flying fish is Barbadian. It’s fried and battered. The thing that makes it unique is the actual fish itself,” says Dave Smith, the fest’s marketing coordinator. Beverages include a sweet sorrel drink, and Carib lager is always popular in the beer garden. When: July 26 and 27 Where: Waterfront Park, North Vancouver. Info: www.caribbeandays.ca/, 604-515-2400

Fairgrounds will be packed with snacks like takoyaki (octopus fritters), imagawayaki (red-bean pancakes), and korokke (croquettes). This year’s bonus is the zero-waste challenge, which requires that serving dishes be compostable. “We feel like we’ve been a fairly progressive festival for quite some time, but this is one area that we wanted to work on,” explains Miko Hoffman, general manager of last year’s fest. When: August 2 and 3 Where: Oppenheimer Park (400 block of Powell Street) Info: www.powellstreetfestival.com/, 604-739-9388

Ana David, founder and general coordinator, describes this event as “very colourful, very vibrant, and always lots of fun”. The live music, from salsa to flamenco, keeps visitors dancing. Snacks include the Salvadoran pupusa (a thick, fried tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese, and ground pork) and the Chilean empanada, “ground beef with onions in a special sauce that is stuffed and baked in a bread”. The event, put on by Latinos in Action, is alcohol-free, and offers specialty beverages like chicha, a Latin American fermented corn drink. When: August 17 Where: Trout Lake Park Info: www.latinsummerfest.com/

The Tsleil-Waututh, Coast Salish people who live on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, share aboriginal art, song, and food at this afternoon festival. “One of our biggest highlights is our cultural village, where we have community members working on traditional crafts and skills, like cedar weaving and carving,” says coordinator Andrew Van Eden. The biggest food draws are salmon barbecued on racks over an open fire, and baked goods such as bannock. When: August 17 Where: Cates Park (Whey-ah-Wichen), North Vancouver Info: www.aboriginalbc.com/trellis/events/, 604-929-3454.

This Labour Day weekend fest rounds out a summer of great eating. State-banquet chefs from the Grand Hotel in Taiwan will give demos of menus fit for a president. Sample Taiwanese favourites like sesame chicken dumplings and pineapple shortcake. Executive director Charlie Wu particularly recommends the oyster omelette, “one of the top 10 Taiwanese dishes enjoyed by foreign visitors”. When: August 30 to September 1 Where: Plaza of Nations Info: www.taiwanfest.ca/.