Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara announced Friday that the official theme for the 95th annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta will be “Spirit of Community.”
Each year, the presidente of Fiesta chooses a theme that will set the tone for the coming year. La Presidenta Barbara Carroll, who has been a Fiesta volunteer since 1986 and has served on the board of directors since 2006, was inspired by the way the Santa Barbara community comes together to appreciate its shared history and culture and participate in the annual celebration.
“My theme reflects the spirit of the people who volunteer their time, talent and energy to make Fiesta possible each year,” Carroll said. “Every year, thousands of us come together to participate in the annual Fiesta celebration by organizing and volunteering, or simply by enjoying the festivities. Fiesta brings us all together and truly manifests the spirit of our community.”
Now in its 95th year, Fiesta is unique among festivals in that it is run by a volunteer board of directors and supported by only one full-time staff member.
The board annually elects an el presidente or la presidenta who presides over the board and serves as the general manager of the organization. The primer vice presidente is responsible for the operations of the entire organization, and the segundo vice presidente is responsible for raising the funds that allows the historic festival to continue. The division chiefs oversee all of the volunteer committees that support 19 official Old Spanish Days events and activities in 14 venues citywide.
Fiesta 2019 will be held July 31 to Aug. 4.
Upcoming events
» Spirit of Fiesta Auditions — April 13
» La Primavera — May 25
» Fiesta Ranchera — June 20
» Fiesta Costume Sale — July 13
» Recepción del Presidente — July 28
» La Fiesta Pequeña — July 31
» Mercado de la Guerra and Mercado del Norte — July 31-Aug. 3
» La Misa del Presidente — Aug. 1
» Digs (Celebración de los Dignatarios) — Aug. 1
» Noches de Ronda — Aug. 1-3
» El Desfile Histórico (Parade) — Aug. 2
» Flor y Canto — Aug. 2
» Tardes de Ronda — Aug. 3
» Children’s Parade — Aug. 3
» Arts & Crafts Show — Aug. 3-4
Click here for more information.
— Angelique Davis is a publicist for Old Spanish Days Fiesta.