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Organizers ‘thrilled’ with Old Spanish Days execution KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSSpirit of Fiesta Tara Mata dances during Las Noches de Ronda at the Courthouse Sunken Garden in Santa Barbara on Friday.
The first full Old Spanish Days Fiesta since 2019 wrapped-up on Sunday with event organizers expressing their pleasure at how things turned out for the event’s post-COVID debut.
“I’m just so thrilled that we’re back and we couldn’t be happier with the festival, it was just amazing,” La Presidente Maria Cabrera said in an interview with the News-Press. “We’re extremely happy, everyone did their part. The community showed up, Old Spanish Days directors took care of their venues, the police were there for us — we were just all there for each other.”
David Bolton, who served as this year’s El Primer Vice Presidente, estimated that Friday’s Historic Parade alone brought in around 80,000 attendees; indicating that attendance throughout the week likely met or exceeded Old Spanish Day’s initial estimate that over 100,000 event goers would descend on the city to join the celebrations.
“The Mercados were full, the rodeo was full, the arts and crafts shows were busy, the Noches de Ronda were fantastic and were full,” Ms. Cabrera told the News-Press. “We actually rode on the float back (after the parade) and it was like another parade because people stayed to check things out!”
“There were more blankets at the Rose Garden and at the grass area for the Mission than I’ve ever seen (for Wednesday night’s La Fiesta Pequeña),” she added.
FRITZ OLENBERGER PHOTO / COURTESY OLD SPANISH DAYSJunior Spirit of Fiesta Layla Gocong marches with her court down Cabrillo Boulevard during the Fiesta Children’s Parade in Santa Barbara on Saturday.Leading up to the week of events, Ms. Cabrera and other event organizers expressed apprehension to the News-Press about the many unknowns they were dealing with when preparing for this year’s festivities, particularly with the parade route being moved from State Street to Cabrillo Boulevard due to COVID-era restaurant parklets that the City is still grappling over how to deal with going forward.
“Because we’re coming out of COVID, you can’t just say ‘this is exactly how it’s going to be,’ because there are things you just don’t know,” Ms. Cabrera said. “Our biggest concern was are we going to have people show up to the parade. But early in the week when we made an agreement with the City to set up free trolleys so people could park downtown and take them to the parade, that was a game changer for me. As soon as that was done I went ‘okay, they’re coming. People are going to come.’”
The audience packed the Sunken Gardens to the brim to watch the dance performances during Las Noches de Ronda on Thursday.Already looking ahead to next year and Fiesta’s 100-year anniversary in 2024, Ms. Cabrera told the News-Press that one of her top priorities was to bring more people into the Old Spanish Days board of directors to ensure a full board, which she says the organization currently lacks.
However, she’s approaching that mission and others with a renewed sense of determination and conviction following the success of this year’s celebrations.
Riders stroll down Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara during the Fiesta Parade on Friday.“For me personally — because of my trust in God — I believe I’m here because of Him, and He took care of things,” she explained at the end of our interview. “There were moments (during this year’s Fiesta) when I was like ‘what am I doing here?’ But He doesn’t give us more than we can handle, and that faith is even stronger now.”
email: jdaniels@newspress.com
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