The show must go on … or does it?
Santa Barbara’s iconic Fiesta celebration is under fire and facing a heightened sense of scrutiny that have some people calling for a protest and even a name change to the four-day event that began Wednesday.
In a significant move, Montecito Bank & Trust recently pulled out of participation in Friday’s parade.
The recent deportations and raids by the Department of Homeland Security have some people on edge, fearful that federal authorities might target the event and the large number of people who participate.
Fiesta has always been somewhat of a polarizing event, with some people objecting to the name “Old Spanish Days,” believing that it glamorizes the colonization of Mexican, native American and Indigenous communities.
The immigration raids have amplified that opposition and dampened the mood of the city’s largest economic event of the year.
“Revisiting the intent, the purpose, the culture wouldn’t hurt,” said Mark Alvarado, who grew up in Santa Barbara and is currently the executive director of The Downtown Club on the Eastside.
“It would at least allow people to visit the issue and see if there is something there,” Alvarado said. “It is our tradition in Santa Barbara. We all grew up with it one way or another. We all have a legacy; we all have a footprint on it one way or another. It at least deserves to be a conversation.”
Alvarado canceled the Fiesta Carnival de Los Niños at The Club, a week after the Glass House Farms raids, concerned about a lack of attendance from community members.
There are other signs of dwindling interest and concerns about perception of the event.
Montecito Bank & Trust will not participate this year in the El Desfile Historico parade.
“Many of our bank associates are concerned for the welfare of their friends, families, and greater communities,” said Megan Orloff, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for the bank. “Our decision to not participate in this year’s parade was rooted in safety and recognizing that attending Fiesta events no longer feels safe for many of the people whose culture, history and traditions Old Spanish Days celebrates.”
Orloff said it was not an easy decision, but one the organization felt compelled to make.
“We routinely evaluate our sponsorships relative to overall objectives and the community’s needs at any given time; our decision does not change our long-standing relationship with Old Spanish Days and the many people who work to keep the tradition alive.”
Representatives for Old Spanish Days could not be reached for comment.
Other concerns exist.
Santa Barbara’s Mariachi Festival, which serves as a fundraiser for Latino scholarships for students going to college, has not sold out, and ticket sales are about 20% lower than previous years at this time.
“These are tumultuous times, uncharted times,” said Miguel Martinez, board president for the Festival. “Our sales are definitely down compared to other years.”
Martinez said there are probably a few factors, including the Ventura County Fair, which is also this weekend, and the economy.
“There are a lot of factors,” Martinez said. “ICE is definitely one of them.”
Martinez grew up in Santa Barbara. His father owned Ruby’s Cafe on State Street, near De la Guerra Plaza, and it was one of the Fiesta hangouts back in the day. He said he hopes that people will turn out for Fiesta.
“Anytime there is a chance to celebrate culture and community, it is a good thing,” Martinez said. “Although our event happens the weekend of Fiesta, we are not affiliated with Old Spanish Days.”
Martinez said the mariachi festival at the Santa Barbara Bowl has always been a safe place to attend a family-oriented event.
“To me, the most beautiful music in the world is mariachi music,” he said.
Still, he understands the fears out there.
“It is not going away. It is something we will have to deal with the next few years,” Martinez said.
But who does skipping Fiesta hurt? The celebration of Fiesta has multiple layers.
There are the official events, such as El Desfile Historico, the largest equestrian parade in the country, and the “celebración de los Dignitarios,” a 21-and-over, $160 event.
Hundreds of dancers of all ages participate in a variety of shows, including Las Noches de Ronda and La Fiesta Pequena.
Several dance studios spend much of the year preparing for shows around town, and generations of families have participated in the flamenco tradition that is celebrated brightly on the Fiesta stage.
And there’s food. Nonprofit and for-profit businesses and restaurants look forward to the annual event to boost their numbers.
Vendors set up in De la Guerra Plaza to sell a variety of tacos, burritos, churros and other foods. A much more family friendly mercado, with a carnival, at MacKenzie Park was canceled a few years ago.
Our Lady of Guadalupe church on the Eastside is also a locals’ favorite, with food and entertainment.
In addition, State Street is typically lined with cascarone vendors who sell simple and extravagant eggs from four for $1 to $5 for a single egg.
Fiesta is also a place for locals to go downtown, eat, drink and see old friends. It’s been a place to see and be seen, and historically a social melting pot.
For many, Fiesta is not about celebrating “Old Spanish Days,” but about spending time with friends and family and places all over town.
It’s the family and friends portion of Fiesta that activist Andi Garcia wants to preserve. She grew up on the Eastside, and she is calling for a new celebration next year called “Vida Santa Barbara.”
“Fiesta is dead,” Garcia said. “We don’t want to celebrate. Nobody wants it. We are hearing that from everyone. It is not a good look. It’s not just brown folks. You have white folks saying who wants to celebrate this?”
Garcia, on her Ortega ParkSB Instagram site, has been posting ICE sightings to warn community members about the federal government’s presence.
She said a person was taken by authorities early Wednesday morning. This is not a time to celebrate Old Spanish Days, she said.
“What we are doing is taking a stand against the colonialism of it,” Garcia said. “Why are we still celebrating that?”
She said that she supports “joy,” and that should be the focus.
“Vida Santa Barbara will honor the families, all these families that participate in the parade, the artists, the families and children who spend all year dancing,” Garcia said. “They need to bring it back to the community.”
This year, she’s holding an event on Thursday at Ortega Park, where she has invited artists, poets, creatives and others to celebrate neighborhood and culture, and continue to stand up against the deportation raids.
“We are on patrol,” Garcia said. “We are on active duty to support and keep our community safe.”
Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez, who grew up on the Westside, said he has mixed feelings about the celebrating the event.
“Growing up, my parents would always take us out to Fiesta because it was the one time of year when they felt they were home in Mexico,” Gutierrez said.
“As an elected official it is our responsibility to make sure our city creates revenues to keep all the functions operating, and part of that is having festivals that attract business and tourism and people spending money at local businesses.”
Gutierrez said he has heard from lots of people that they don’t feel comfortable and they are not going to go celebrate this year.
“I don’t know how this is going to turn out,” Gutierrez said. “Local businesses are seeing a drop in business.”
Gutierrez said as a Mexican-American he lives in fear considering the recent immigration raids.
“Just because I live in fear doesn’t mean I shouldn’t show up and represent the people,” Gutierrez said. “Even though we are living in troubled times, don’t give them the satisfaction of scaring you from living free. Show up and be loud and proud.”