A Good Excuse for a Weekend Getaway is This Annual Event Which Celebrates the City’s Rich Spanish History
La Presidenta's Party at Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara. Photo courtesy of Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc.
Here’s another good reason for people from Los Angeles to head to Santa Barbara for the weekend: Old Spanish Days.
It’s one of the city’s biggest celebrations, a long weekend of food, entertainment, mariachis, dancers, a horse show and rodeo and a parade. It culminates in a free fiesta concert on Sunday (3:30 p.m., at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens, 1100 Anacapa Street).
Old Spanish Days is a “Celebration of Santa Barbara.”
The 2011 event is Aug. 3-7 and is the 87th year. It is comprised at several events throughout the area. The parade is Friday at noon and runs through downtown’s State Street and finishes by Sterns Wharf at the water.
Some of the festivities of ticketed events. For information and a complete schedule, visit the event’s official website.
I wish I could have made it to Fiesta this year! We have been the past two years and loved it. The only downside is that downtown becomes absolute chaos at night when all the partiers come out! My family and I stay at The Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com) on upper State Street so the kids can unwind at the pool instead of being all riled up by the loud music and drunken revelry.
I love Fiestas! It is so much fun and probably the biggest party in California at the time. The food and all the entertainment is just fabulous and quite memorable. I was really happy with our hotel this year as well; we stayed at the South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com). So elegant and affordable and I love that I am able to escape all the city noise when I’m there!
Old Spanish Days are such a staple in my memories of Santa Barbara! Such a wonderful time to come together in such a gorgeous city! I have to agree with Kathrine and Lesly though; both the Sandman Inn and the South Coast are excellent hotels to stay at in town. I have stayed in both and I was very pleased with both of my stays. I totally recommend them!
Fiestas in SB is one of the best times of the year. Great food and music and everyone just comes alive and together for this week during the summer. If you are ever in the area or considering a trip to Santa Barbara during the summer months I would recommend coming during Old Spanish Days. The parties never stop and neither does the food! A great place to stay would be the South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com). So classy and the best place to call home while on vacation.
August in Santa Barbara makes for a great backdrop to an already fabulous event in Santa Barbara history and culture. I love how the community comes together and partakes in the festivities in every way they can. The dancers, the music, food, the eggs people take days to make! So much fun. I missed last years but the year prior was a great time. I could not for the life of me get all the confetti off of me! It just managed to weed itself everywhere! No fun. I stayed at the South Coast Inn (www.goleta-hotel.com). Right out of town with a lot of room!
This makes me miss Santa Barbara in the summertime so much! Great city and their parties are the best! They really do go all out to celebrate their heritage and everything they stand for-and boy is it a party! The eggs, the confetti EVERYWHERE. I think my wife is still finding confetti in her purse from the few years we’ve gone! Beautiful what they do in setting up the town. We love staying at the Sandman Inn (www.thesandmaninn.com) whenever we come. We book MONTHS in advance to just get a room at a decent price. It si totally worth it!