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About Fiesta

History of Old Spanish Days Fiesta 

Imagine California’s Santa Barbara in the 1820s:  the centuries-old Native American presence meeting the recently-founded mission, church, and presidio culture; the grand family ranchos and vaqueros; the blending of cultures through songs, dance and lifestyle, creating timeless traditions.

Santa Barbarans have long embraced their city’s Native American, Spanish and Mexican heritages. Passed down for generations, the early California family traditions of colorful music, dance and horsemanship, together with a vaquero spirit of friendliness, hospitality and tolerance, are part of this heritage, which embodies Old Spanish Days Fiesta.

Since Fiesta’s inception in 1924, the citizens of this fine city remained steadfast to preserve, perpetuate and most of all, celebrate, what makes Santa Barbara so unique. Over the years, the Old Spanish Dayscelebration has come to embody more than a dozen distinct events and locations, budding with Santa Barbara’s local color, tradition and heritage.

These events draw tens of thousands of local residents and visitors alike. The Fiesta coffee table book is a timeless snapshot into the best of the Fiesta traditions and celebrations.

Fiesta Today 

Santa Barbarans have long been eager to celebrate their beautiful city with visitors from all over the world. Iconic locations, such as the Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Courthouse, State Street, El Paseo Restaurant, Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara Bowl, Earl Warren Showgrounds and the classic mercados & cantinas have all become home to Fiesta’s multitude of popular events.

Each year the grand finale of Fiesta takes place for a full week around the beginning of August. For months before that, however, the city ramps up with fundraisers, dance contests, costume sales and float building. Tens of thousands of people flock to Santa Barbara to watch and participate as hundreds more sing, perform historic dances, and ride horses & carriages in parades.

Local businesses close their doors early to celebrate one of the largest equestrian parades in the country. Hundreds of children and adults, decked in authentic costume, dance flamenco, folklórico, salsa, and ballet on stages throughout the city. The bars and mercados go crazy with locals and out-of-towners. And two different parades fill the streets with colorful entertainment.

The Dance Studios 

The following is a list of the more promient dance studios/academies. Most of these are represented in the Fiesta book.

Please send us a note if you have additions or updates to this list.