“Celebrate Traditions” is the theme for the 94th annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta, which will run Aug. 1 to Aug. 5 in Santa Barbara.

This year’s La Presidente Denise Sanford made the announcement Wednesday alongside local dignitaries outside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Gardens.

“Traditions have, and will always be, a huge part of my life,” said Sanford, who joined the OSD board of directors in 2002.

“Fiesta is a tradition celebrated in many ways by our community and the visitors that come. My hope for this year — and how it relates to my theme — is for our community to embrace our traditions, keep them close to our hearts to pass them down to the generations that follow.”

The annual celebration is vital for supporting local businesses, Sanford said, and a significant way to bring the community together following the Thomas Fire in December and Jan. 9 Montecito debris flow.

“It will be more important in participating in our largest community festival,” Sanford said. “We suffered economically…bringing our community together to support will be more important this year.” 

The annual theme sets the tone for the week-long festival and “it allows Fiesta to develop its identity,” Sanford said.

Old Spanish Days began in 1924, and is well-known for its historical horse parade that is one of the nation’s largest equestrian parades.

— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.