Thousands gather along Santa Barbara’s Cabrillo Boulevard on Aug. 7 for the annual Old Spanish Days Historical Parade, featuring entries that celebrate the city’s Spanish and Mexican roots.
Thousands gather along Santa Barbara’s Cabrillo Boulevard on Aug. 7 for the annual Old Spanish Days Historical Parade, featuring entries that celebrate the city’s Spanish and Mexican roots. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk file photo

The Santa Barbara Police Department made 199 arrests and booked 94 people into Santa Barbara County Jail during the five-day Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebrations earlier this month.

That compares to 149 arrests and 59 bookings in 2025, according to police Cmdr. Nathan Beltran, who released the 2026 Fiesta statistics on Monday.

Of the arrests that occurred between Aug. 5 and Aug. 9, 43 were for felonies, 153 were misdemeanors, and three were infractions.

Those 199 also include five cases referred to the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office, down from eight last year.

Santa Barbara Police made 199 arrests over the five-day Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebrations this year, up from 149 in 2025.
Santa Barbara Police made 199 arrests over the five-day Old Spanish Days Fiesta celebrations this year, up from 149 in 2025. Credit: Santa Barbara Police Department graphic

Officers responded to 1,557 calls for service this year, up from 1,427 calls during the 2025 Fiesta celebration. Of those, 899 were initiated by members of the public, while 658 were initiated by police officers.

Police issued 1,282 parking citations this year, up from 966 in 2025.

They also made 12 DUI arrests, up from last year’s seven.

“The Santa Barbara Police Department appreciates the cooperation of our community, event organizers, and public safety partners who helped make this year’s fiesta a safe and enjoyable celebration,” Beltran said.

— Noozhawk South County editor Evelyn Spence can be reached at espence@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.