Tag archives: Old Spanish Days
Old Spanish Days 2019 got underway at the Carriage & Western Art Museum with the 95th annual La Primavera event. Historically, “In 1920 the La Primavera Association sought to perpetuate the history of Santa Barbara’s founding years through a spring festival and pageant. More than 300 locals played a part in the La Primavera masque, […]
Lying among the rolling hills and fresh arroyos of the Gaviota coast, Rancho Tajiguas has been a favored spot for times immemorial. The 1769 Portola expedition, which prepared the way for Spanish settlement of Alta California, camped for the night at its mouth and were welcomed and entertained by the Chumash peoples living in two […]
On four separate occasions over the past 40 years, my husband and I have evacuated due to wildfire. Each time, the first possessions that are packed in the car are our family photos. More important than art, electronics, books (well, maybe), or clothing, are the images of the important people, times, and events in our […]
Everywhere you look in California, there are larger, more explosive fires. Why? As the left once again blames climate change, could there be another reason why we are seeing so many huge fires? What role have environmental activists, eco lobbyists, green NGOs, lawyers, and politicians played? What about forest management? Forests need thinning to promote […]
One last “Viva” and one last cascaron happened on August 12 at the end of Fiesta. It’s the Fiesta Finale given by the Profant Foundation at the El Paseo Restaurant – the perfect venue. This was the center of the celebration at one time. Rita Hayworth danced here in her father’s troupe. This is where […]
One of the Old Spanish Days traditions is the president’s reception, and this year was no exception. It’s usually held in the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, which always brings to mind what the rotunda used to be in the old days – the train turntable and roundhouse. The great earthquake in 1925 destroyed the […]
A plethora of presidentes, past and present, descended on the Hilton Beachfront Resort for the sold-out 70th annual La Reception del Presidentes, kicking off Fiesta week in grand style. The fun fete, short on speeches and long on tradition with dancing and music, attracted more than 300 local dignitaries, including current La Presidente Denise Sanford […]
The theme of Old Spanish Days this year is to celebrate traditions. The Montecito Bank & Trust began a new one under the auspices of bank president George Leis, who says, “It’s my favorite time of the year.” They held their first Fiesta Party at the bank’s historic downtown branch on State Street for about […]
On the Verge (OTV), Santa Barbara native Kate Bergstrom‘s repertory theatre company founded in 2015 with a mission of marrying new work created by female and LGBTQ writers with the local community of actors, directors, producers, and theater-goers, is taking a slight detour for its fourth year. In place of presenting several different plays in […]
Every year, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum (SBHM) launches the Fiesta season with their party a couple weeks before the official Fiesta. They know how to do it and it just keeps getting better. If our Old Spanish Days roots come from Spain, it’s no wonder. After living near Sevilla for seven years, I can […]
The 94th edition of Old Spanish Days [OSD] Fiesta is nearly upon us. This year’s theme is “Tradition and Celebration”, noted by La Presidenta Denise Sanford, who declares, “Traditions are the very foundation by which individuals and families construct their identities, creating the bonds of community. To celebrate our community’s traditions,” she says, “is to […]
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum welcomed the upcoming 95th Old Spanish Days Fiesta with the opening celebration of a new edition of Project Fiesta on June 7, in the museum courtyard. On hand to greet attendees were representatives from the museum and Old Spanish Days including Museum trustee Bill Reynolds and interim executive director Michael […]
Fiesta Ranchera celebrated its 11th anniversary with a sold-out bash for 900 guests at the 146-year-old Rancho La Patera and Stow House in Goleta, raising around $50,000 split equally between Old Spanish Days and the 51-year-old Goleta Valley Historical Society. The colorful gala, co-chaired by Alex Castellanos, director of the 94-year-old Old Spanish Days, and […]
La Primavera means “spring” in Spanish, and in Santa Barbara it means the beginning of Old Spanish Days (OSD). There’s always a Fiesta party to unveil the poster and pin that will be the symbol of this year’s celebration. Fiesteros gathered at the Carriage & Western Art Museum in costumes for margaritas, wine, food, and […]
Old Spanish Days recently announced the theme for Santa Barbara Fiesta 2018. Meet La Presidenta Denise Sanford, (another lady president) who stood in front of the great arch at the courthouse and told us, “I chose the theme Celebrate Traditions. It is the privilege of the president to choose a theme of their choice.” Denise […]
