The Urban Note: Old Spanish Days

The thousands of people that attended these year’s festivities will leave with long lasting memories and stories to tell the next generation as the 88th Old Spanish Days Fiesta has wrapped up five days of celebration with the official closing ceremony that featured a free concert by the West Coast Symphony.

Cleanup crews could be seen early Sunday sweeping up all of the cracked cascarones and confetti, empty wraps and other trash, left behind by children and adults alike strolling through the Mercado De La Guerra and the rest of downtown Santa Barbara, laughing, smiling and having the time of their lives taking in the sights and sounds of a small town transformed into a shared clash of Spanish, Mexican and American cultures demonstrating the rich tradition of Santa Barbara.

Celebrating the old Spanish days, however, has not always existed in Santa Barbara but is in fact a recent affair. The now famous Fiesta celebrations started back in the 1924 to keep tradition alive but after the devastating earthquake of 1925, Old Spanish Days helped to attract much needed tourism to start the rebuilding process following the natural disaster. The annual Fiesta fosters a unique spirit among the locals as the coming together of residents encourages community cooperation, collaboration and growth.

Locals and out-of-towners delighted themselves with the tastes of tamales, tacos and churros, and could not pass up the opportunity to join in all the carnival games. Even the good ol’ American hot dog got a revamp for Fiesta as bacon wrapped dogs were devoured by hungry visitors. The colorful traditional dances were definitely another fan favorite, and the ever so popular “Noches de Ronda” provided a venue for people to witness the beautiful decorative dresses of Spain and Mexico as they swayed back and forth at the firm taps from the heels of the dancers wearing them. Words cannot describe the beauty and joy that only the eye can witness during Old Spanish Days. So until next year, QUE VIVA LA FIESTA!