People travel from near and far to celebrate Old Spanish Days every year. There is so much to see and do during Fiesta - whether you attend the opening festivities (Fiesta Pequena) at the Mission, watch a parade, attend the rodeo, watch a dance performance, hear a concert, go to the carnival or stroll through the colorful Mexican markets to enjoy Spanish and Mexican-American foods.  Every year we try to discover something new to experience.  No matter what age, kids never seem to tire of cascarones, the colorful confetti filled eggs, that are cracked and decorate our streets.

Did you know that you can support local non profits at the Fiesta Mercados?  Here are examples of some of the non profits that have vendor booths at Mercado De La Guerra and Mercado Del Norte:

Boy Scouts, Police Activities League in Oxnard, SB Junior Lifeguards, Young Life, Girl's Inc., Grunion Rugby's booth benefits the SB Rugby Association and the Special Olympics, SB High School, SB Masons booth benefits the Scottish Rite Language Center for Children and Old Spanish Days Fiesta in Santa Barbara, Inc.

County Courthouse Tours... If you've never visited the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, Fiesta is a great time to do so. Docent-led tours are offered every day every half-hour during Fiesta from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 1100 Anacapa Street. Meet in the Mural Room.

Share your favorite Fiesta activity for a chance to win 6 reserved seats to the The Fiesta Historical Parade or 4 tickets to Zoovies! by sharing your favorite Fiesta memories.

Our Favorites...

Rachael: Celebracion de los Dignatarios at the Zoo (adult event), as a family taking a picnic dinner to the Sunken Gardens and watching the dancers.
Julie: The Pancake breakfast at Alameda Park on Saturday followed by the Children's parade & eating dinner at Los Arroyos (love the mariachi music)
Irene: Fiesta Ranchera (for adults) is so much fun, and the whole family likes going to a mercado for lunch and smashing confetti eggs.
Elvira(SBParent.com reader): We enjoy this as a special family tradition now for 12 years! Get up really early, get dressed in our FIESTA finest, having pancakes from the Kiwanis at Alameda park... Walking OFF the pancakes while finding a good spot to watch the children's parade... then walking down to la placita, having a corn on the cob and what ever other goodies we can find... have a good time, walk back to our car, head home, take a nap and come back and watch the dancers a the courthouse and wait for a whole year to do it all over again.... it is like a marathon of a day, but we learn so much, watch such interesting things and have a great FAMILY DAY.

Spirit of Fiesta...Congratulations to 2010 Spirit of Fiesta, Erika Martin del Campo and Junior Spirit of Fiesta, 10-year-old Tatum Ortega Vestal  Photo (left to right): Tatum Ortega Vestal, Michael Dominguez, 2010 El Presidente and Erika Martin del Campo (David Sanchez photo).

Read the articles below for details about the history and role of Fiesta Flower Girls and the Fiesta Posters/Pins.  Mark your calendars for next week's festivities so you don't miss out. 

Viva La Fiesta!

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list.

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Fiesta 2010: A Gathering of Friends
We invite you to gather your friends and enjoy the tradition of Fiesta with us - see website for a complete calendar of events
Every day (Aug 4-Aug 8)

Here are event highlights you may enjoy:

• Recepción Del Presidente, Double Tree Resort, August 1, 2010, 5:00-10:00 p.m.
• Fiesta at Paseo Nuevo, Music/Flamenco Dancing August 2-8, 4:45-7pm FREE
  
• La Fiesta Pequeña, Santa Barbara Mission, August 4, 2010, 8:00 p.m. FREE
• Celebración De Los Dignatarios, Santa Barbara Zoo, August 5, 2010, 5:00-10:00 p.m.
• Las Noches De Ronda, Courthouse Sunken Gardens, August 5-7, 2010, 8:00 p.m. FREE
• Annual Kiwanis Club Pancake Breakfast, Alameda Park, 7a-12N, $7 ($5 pre-sale)
  
• El Desfile Histórico/Parade, Santa Barbara, August 6, 2010, 12:00 Noon FREE
• Flor y Canto, Courthouse Sunken Garden, August 6, 2010, 7:00 p.m., FREE
• El Desfile De Los Niños/Children's Parade, Santa Barbara, August 7, 2010, 10:00 a.m. FREE
• Tardes De Ronda, Children's Variety Show, Sunken Gardens, August 7, 2010, 1pm-5pm FREE
• Fiesta Arts & Crafts Show, Cabrillo Blvd, west of Stearns Wharf, August 7-8, 10am-7pm FREE
• West Coast Symphony 44th Annual Free Fiesta Concert, Sunken Gardens, August 8, 2010 3:30pm FREE

For more information about any of the these events go to www.sbfiesta.org
Be sure to attend events at the Santa Barbara Fiesta Rodeo at Earl Warren Showgrounds, located at Las Positas and Calle Real in Santa Barbara. Check out the website for more details on these events:
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Challenger Tour, August 5, 2010, 7:30 p.m.
Old Spanish Days Fiesta Stock Horse And Rodeo, August 5-8, 2010, various times

The Flower Girls represent the spirit of hospitality so generously extended to friends and visitors during the old Spanish days Rancho Period. The Flower Girls range in age from 7 to 15 years, and serve as the official greeters to Fiesta events, distributing sunny smiles and fragrant flowers. In 1949 the first group of flower girls was organized by Ruth Figg Hoblyn to escort the Spirit of Fiesta in the historical parade. In 1950, Tierra de Oro Parlor #304, Native Daughters of the Golden West, became their sponsor under the direction of Barbara Upton. They were the lead group in the parade and wore brightly colored skirts. They threw flowers to spectators along the parade route, establishing a tradition that endures to this day.
The month prior to opening ceremonies of Fiesta, the girls attend orientation meetings and rehearsals. The Saturday before Fiesta they are individually introduced to El Presidente who presents them with the official Flower Girl badge at the Flower Girls Garden Party. Each Flower Girl, in turn, presents EL/La Presidente with the first flowers (traditionally a rose) of Fiesta. In fact, an official Old Spanish Days Fiesta rose variety was introduced luring the 1970s. With this ceremony, the girls are ordained as Santa Barbara's Fiesta Hostesses.
The flower girls maintain a busy schedule of activities during the community event. They are called upon to perform in the opening ceremonies conducted at the Mission and the Dignitarios party. Periodically they also visit retirement homes and hospitals to share the memory of Fiesta with those unable to attend the festivities. For most, the highlight remains participating in the two parade pageants.
And, beginning in 2002, Flower girls who become ineligible due to reaching the age of 15 now have the opportunity to join Las Señoritas, a special group of girls 15 to 17 years of age who will have special duties during Fiesta.

Submitted by Kathryn McKee, Old Spanish Days Media Relations
(photo of 2010 Flower Girls)

Since 1924, Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara have featured a poster to advertise its five-day festival known as Fiesta. Over the years, they have featured dancers, smiling senoritas, horses, the Courthouse and the Old Mission.

Each President of the organization picks the artwork, or has a poster designed from scratch. At least twice, there have been community-wide poster art contests. It is always an exciting time when the annual poster is revealed at La Primavera, the spring dinner-dance whose guests eagerly await the unveiling.

2010 El Presidente Michael Dominguez has a special place in his heart for the Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Growing up in Santa Barbara, the legendary building has always had special meaning to him. When it came time to design his 2010 Fiesta Poster and pin, he found a way to incorporate it into both. Dominguez is also on the board of the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, and one day while walking the halls of the Courthouse, he noticed a large fanciful painting by Theodore Van Cina (deceased) of people in Fiesta costume coming through the beautiful main arch of the courthouse and decided it should be the artwork for his poster.

This was the perfect way to incorporate the beloved building into his poster, and reflect his theme, "A Gathering of Friends." Receiving permission from the Courthouse Legacy Foundation to use it, Debbie Oquist, an OSD board member and graphic artist, arranged for a photograph of the painting, then created the artwork and design that turned it into a poster. For the first time, the official poster is rendered in two border colors: red and blue. The result is are two striking posters

Presidents also get to say what kind of pin they want and what it should depict. Sometimes they feature very different ideas from the poster, and sometimes they tie together with it. This year Dominguez knew exactly what he wanted: the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.

Tisha Hawkins, Old Spanish Days Office Administrator, took photos of the building; one was selected and sent to the pin maker, who sculpted a three-dimensional copper-plated pin with a black and red cloisonné border. It is an exquisite pin, with incredible detail. Both the poster and the pin are available for sale at the Old Spanish Days office at 129 Castillo Street. Call for information at 962.8010 or visit www.oldspanishdays-fiesta.org.

Submitted by Kathryn McKee, Old Spanish Days Media Relations