History was made Saturday as the first male was selected to serve as the Spirit of Fiesta for Santa Barbara’s annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta.
Jack Harwood, 19, of Goleta, was chosen from among the 12 finalists for the coveted title after audition performances at the Lobero Theatre downtown.
“It’s an indescribable feeling,” Harwood told Noozhawk about being selected. “I didn’t even process it for the first few seconds after they called my name.
“It’s something I’ve been dreaming and striving to be for a long time.”
Harwood, the son of Dacia and Riley Harwood, said he was introduced to flamenco dancing at the age of 3½, and was immediately hooked.
When he is not dancing, he attends Santa Barbara City College, where he is a freshman majoring in kinesiology.
“This is a historic day for Fiesta and our community,” 2023 Fiesta El Presidente David Bolton said. “To have the first male Spirit of Fiesta ever, it is a great moment in the history of our beloved celebration.
“The entire Old Spanish Days family extends heartfelt congratulations to both 2023 Spirit of Fiesta Jack Harwood, and 2023 Junior Spirit of Fiesta Olivia Nelson. We look forward to a great Fiesta!”
Olivia Nelson, 10, will serve as the 2023 Junior Spirit of Fiesta after being chosen from among 10 finalists.
A fourth-grader at Roosevelt School in Santa Barbara, Olivia is the daughter of Angela and Chris Nelson.
The Spirit of Fiesta is the visual representation of Fiesta, serving as a goodwill ambassador to local residents and visitors alike.
The spirits will perform at all official Old Spanish Days events as well as at receptions held by area civic organizations.
The Spirit will lead El Desfile Histórico (the Historic Parade) while the Junior Spirit will lead the Children’s Parade.
More than 600 people watched the exciting event live Saturday at the historic Lobero Theatre while hundreds more watched via a live stream on the Old Spanish Days website at www.sbfiesta.org.
A replay of the auditions will air from 7 to 9 p.m. April 29 and April 30 on KEYT’s Channel 13.
The tradition of Spirit of Fiesta started in 1949 when Lia Parker, who died in 2022 at the age of 88, was chosen as the first Spirit of Fiesta. A touching tribute to her legacy was shown at the start of the show.
Prior to the announcement, the 2022 Spirit of Fiesta, Tara Mata, and 2022 Junior Spirit of Fiesta Layla Gocong reflected on their extraordinary year, and performed farewell dances to thundering applause.
This is the third year in a row that the Spirit Auditions have been held at the Lobero Theatre. The theatre originally opened its doors in 1924, and was part of the very first Fiesta held in Santa Barbara that same year.
This year’s fiesta will run from Aug. 2 through Aug. 6.