Fiesta Is for Fifi

The Poodle Parade that was one of the quirky joys of the Santa Barbara French Festival hasn’t returned to Oak Park since being preyed upon by the pandemic. But at long last, poodles, and any other particular breed of dog or mutt, can finally strut their stuff again thanks to one of two new events from Old Spanish Days Fiesta. The inaugural Fiesta Dog Parade is slated for 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, May 16, when the puffed-up pooches (and/or their owners) will don festive costumes with Spanish-inspired flair to parade down State Street (unlike their equine cousins who are still banished to Cabrillo Blvd. for the annual Fiesta Parade) and through Paseo Nuevo. The registration deadline is May 13, so sign up your Shih Tzu, Shetland Sheepdog, or Saint Bernard soon. See this week’s Spoken Word column for more on the Fiesta Poetry Contest, the other new event for 2026. 

Visit www.sbfiesta.org/fiesta-event/fiesta-dog-parade