Tag archives: Fiesta
by Paul Vercammen Long before David Bolton ascended to 2023 El Presidente of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days, just another lofty position and title for him, he slept in his Honda Accord. For four and a half weeks in 1992, he crashed on a futon that replaced the removed passenger seat. David needed to be […]
Celebrating the 99th anniversary of its founding this year, Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta was established in August 1924. Civic celebrations commemorating Santa Barbara’s old Spanish days, however, date back to the December 1886 fiesta celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Mission Santa Barbara. The purpose of that four-day celebration was to […]
Social gridlock reigned at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum when it hosted its annual La Fiesta del Museo for 220 guests raising around $100,000 for the popular institution with all tickets selling out in two hours. Ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri emceed the bustling bash and conducted the auction, with an etching by cowboy artist […]
Society gadabout Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak, bubbly founder of the La Boheme dance company, hosted their 4th annual Viva La Fiesta bash at Fieldside, the popular Santa Barbara Polo Club restaurant, for 200 gloriously garbed guests. The fun fête featured Teresa’s colorful dancers who led our Eden by the Beach’s Summer Solstice parade, […]
Santa Barbara Historical Museum’s latest exhibition, Project Fiesta, marking the 99th anniversary of Old Spanish Days, was a Herculean task. Museum president Dacia Harwood and her colleagues had to sort through thousands of photos in the institution’s Gledhill Library to pick just 99 shots, mostly black and white, taken since Fiesta was founded in 1924. […]
More than 600 guests turned out for the 15th anniversary of Fiesta Ranchera at the 151-year-old Rancho La Patera gardens in Goleta raising in excess of $30,000 split equally between Old Spanish Days and the Goleta Valley Historical Society. The fun fête, chaired by the tony triumvirate of Janice Howell, Paula Bottiani, and Jenna Verbryke, […]
Despite its official title, Old Spanish Days is making it abundantly clear this year that it’s not an organization firmly attached to being stuck in its old ways. Not only did Fiesta, one of the area’s most popular and long-standing cultural festivals, earlier announce that it had chosen a male as Spirit of Fiesta for […]
Before Jack Harwood was named Spirit of Fiesta on April 15, people really couldn’t have been faulted for not knowing that a male could actually be chosen as the Spirit – after all, in the 73-year history of the tradition that began in 1949, only girls and young women have been named to the coveted […]
In a spirited competition at the Lobero with more than 600 eager attendees, Jack Harwood,19, was donned as this year’s Spirit of Fiesta, marking the first time ever a male Spirit of Fiesta was selected. Jack is the son of Riley and Dacia Harwood, the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. My Montecito […]
The SB Woman’s Club at Rockwood hosted a Fiesta fashion show-luncheon on April 19th. The Profant Foundation for the Arts donated their Vintage Fiesta Costume Collection and the models were members of the SB Woman’s Club. During the luncheon and reception, a slide show depicting the history of the Profant family and their involvement in […]
Beatification can have its drawbacks as this illustrious organ’s bridle correspondent Lynn Kirst, who has been Fiesta’s Saint Barbara for the last year, found out. She has now ditched her white go-go boots and ornate gown, celebrating with a boffo bash for 75 guests at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, a prize she won at […]
Many folks don’t realize there is a group that looks after the preservation of our Santa Barbara Courthouse called the Courthouse Legacy Foundation. During Fiesta they gave their annual party in the Mural Room and adjoining balcony where guests could look over into the Sunken Garden to view the Noches de Ronda show going on […]
The Santa Barbara Woman’s Club gave the first La Merienda since the pandemic. Merienda translates to “snack,” but it was much more than a snack. It was a full-on Mexican dinner with tacos, guacamole, chicken, beef, and salad. Event chair Sue Ziliotto told us, “This event has been going on for 92 years.” All the […]
The John E. Profant Foundation for the Arts welcomed everyone to “Where Fiesta traditions began,” the El Paseo Restaurant for one final night of celebrating. John Profant was born in Santa Barbara on May 23, 1928. His parents, Dr. Henry and Mabel Profant, were very active in the cultural community, helping to found CAMA and […]
Our tony town’s annual Fiesta fest kicked off at a sold-out La Recepción del Presidente for 160 guests when 14 past fest presidents with current president Maria Cabrera filled the Carriage and Western Art Museum, accompanied by the Spirits of Fiesta. After a blessing from fun-loving Franciscan friar Larry Gosselin, just back from a vacation […]
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum became a page out of a book about Sevilla with their La Fiesta del Museo Old Spanish Days party in the courtyard. We celebrated the culture, the dance, and the cuisine of one of my favorite places on Earth. My family was lucky enough to live there for seven years. […]
For the 98th year, the Santa Barbara Fiesta Stock Horse Show and Rodeo at the Earl Warren Showgrounds kicks off on August 4. Hosted by Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc., the 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to preserving the historic annual event, this event brings together the best horsemen and women from San Luis Obispo, […]
Fiesta isn’t only about music, food, dance, and arts and entertainment reflecting Santa Barbara’s Spanish cultural past and present, there’s also a pretty healthy dose of rock and roll, pop, and more in outdoor locations around town. Most notable are the twin Mercados at De La Guerra Plaza and Mackenzie Park, both returning for the […]
It was a very in-tents occasion when Teresa Kuskey, the bubbly founder of the La Boheme dance company, and social gadabout Rick Oshay hosted their annual fiesta bash at the Santa Barbara Polo Club for 175 guests. The fun fête in a giant marquee featured Teresa’s colorful dancers, who led our Eden by the Beach’s […]
Fiesta fever was palpable when the Santa Barbara Historical Museum hosted its La Fiesta del Museo, chaired by Sharon Bradford, for the first time in two years with 300 traditionally garbed guests helping raise 10% of the popular institution’s annual budget. A colorful variety of musical acts kept the fiesta fans entertained including Juan Zaragoza […]
