Pulled by a dozen Belgian draft horses, the “El Fandango” float in the 1950 El Desfile Histórico is the largest float ever entered in the parade. The building on the left is the original Bank of America at 900 State St. while, across East Canon Perdido, on the right is the old Security First National Bank of Los Angeles, which decades later was merged into Bank of America and is the site of the current BofA.
Pulled by a dozen Belgian draft horses, the “El Fandango” float in the 1950 El Desfile Histórico is the largest float ever entered in the parade. The building on the left is the original Bank of America at 900 State St. while, across East Canon Perdido, on the right is the old Security First National Bank of Los Angeles, which decades later was merged into Bank of America and is the site of the current BofA. Credit: Santa Barbara Historical Museum Collection photo

[Noozhawk’s note: One in a daily series leading up to Old Spanish Days Fiesta.]

Ahh, to have a rooftop view of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta parades … and “El Fandango,” a historic parade float in its own right.

Loaded with dancers to depict a fiesta that celebrated Anita de la Guerra and Alfred Robinson’s 1836 wedding, this 90-foot behemoth from the 1950 El Desfile Histórico is the largest float to ever participate in the parade.

The center “dance section” was built on house-moving dollies to support the weight, and it took 12 Belgian draft horses to pull it. 

From the Historic Parade to the Mercado, from Fiesta Pequeña to Noches de Ronda, Old Spanish Days Fiesta is a special time.

Fiesta history comes alive this year as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Old Spanish Days.

It all began in 1924 with a community Fiesta to celebrate the reopening of the recently reconstructed Lobero Theatre. Shortly after, Old Spanish Days was formed as a nonprofit organization to continue this annual festival honoring our history, culture and traditions.

A century later, Fiesta remains important to our community.

As we count down to the start of Fiesta 2024, the Centennial, we are grateful to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum for helping to keep alive the spirit of Fiesta. Each year the museum’s Project Fiesta! showcases Old Spanish Days in a unique and exciting way.

Thanks to this collaboration, we share photographs from the museum’s Fiesta collection.

Fiesta 2024 runs July 31-Aug. 4, and Project Fiesta! opens July 12 at the museum at 136 E. De la Guerra St. It is well worth a visit to experience the history of our community’s special summer celebration — Old Spanish Days.

Click here for a calendar of Fiesta events.

Enjoy, and Viva el Centenario!

David Bolton is in his 12th year as executive director of the California Missions Foundation, which was founded in 1998 to preserve the California missions, presidios and related historic sites and history. He has spent more than 30 years studying the missions, its peoples and culture, and is a past board member of the United States-Spain Council in Washington. In 2019, he was knighted by Spain’s King Felipe VI as a Commander of the Royal Order of Isabel la Católica. He was Santa Barbara’s 2023 Old Spanish Days El Presidente, and currently serves as Fiesta’s official historian as the organization celebrates its centennial in 2024. The opinions expressed are his own.