Santa Barbara is fortunate to have a local venue like the Channel City Club to hear from leading experts on state, national and international topics.

Old Spanish Days is underway, and the festivities are off to a memorable start.

The Channel City Club. in partnership with the Carriage & Western Art Museum and Old Spanish Days, recently hosted a vibrant evening that captured the spirt of the Fiesta season.

Set among historic carriages and finely crafted saddles, the warm, sunlit gathering was filled with music, remarks from two past La Presidentas and current El Presidente Colin Hayward, spirited performances by the Spirit and Junior Spirit dancers, and, of course, good food and even better company.

As I’ve written before, the Channel City Club is a cultural cornerstone of our community with a storied past dating back 80 years. This evening was just one example.

The history of Old Spanish Days stretches back even further. Founded in 1924 by local business leaders and prominent citizens, the celebration has long reflected Santa Barbara’s rich heritage.

At the event, Old Spanish Days historian David Bolton — executive director of the California Missions Foundation and El Presidente of Old Spanish Days in 2023 — offered a fascinating look at the evolution of Fiesta posters, a tradition that visually chronicles the festival’s history.

Bolton traced the posters back to their origins in 1924 when a community-wide contest, organized by local artists and the newly rebuilt Lobero Theatre produced the first design to help build excitement for the fledgling celebration.

Posters did not reappear until 1935, when Seaside Oil Co. sponsored the effort and commissioned local artists through 1941. The 1941 poster, which featured musicians in Spanish attire, was shown to event attendees.

From the 1950s to the ’70s, the posters entered was Bolton described as a “repetitive art era” that featured the familiar Spanish attired dancing couple with only variations in the woman’s dress — blue, red, yellow and green — distinguishing each year.

Then, he said, a new tradition emerged with the poster selected or commissioned by that year’s El Presidente, with local artists bringing themes to life.

Vintage and contemporary posters are exhibited and sold at the Carriage Museum, at 129 Castillo St., while current ones can be found in shops around town.

Earlier works are preserved at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, which frequently hosts its “Project Fiesta!” exhibit.

And locals proudly display posters in their homes and offices, making them lasting symbols of community pride.

Looking ahead, the Channel City Club continues to offer engaging programs. In August, the club will host a field trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, where attendees will explore exhibits spanning the birth of the nation to the modern era, including historical artifacts, followed by lunch at Air Force One Pavilion.

My wife, Jann, and I signed up right away and are looking forward to this event. It is yet another great example of what the Channel City Club offers.

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