Old Spanish Days ready to start Fiesta activities as soon as April with the Spirit competitions
SANTA BARBARA- The calendar of activities for Old Spanish Days kicks off next month to lead up to Santa Barbara's biggest event of the year.
The competition to determine the Spirt of Fiesta and the Junior Spirit of Fiesta will take place in the historic Lobero Theatre on April 15.
In front of the Lobero on Monday, Old Spanish Days leaders said there will be 22 performances in the event plus a final dance from this year's Spirits.
Old Spanish Days Division Chief for Dance and Entertainment Patricia Orena said, "this year there are 10 Junior Spirit finalists and 12 Spirit finalists all along with their families and their dance studios have dedicated many hours to their performances."
Once the winners are announced, they go right to work as ambassadors for Old Spanish Days and the city.
Old Spanish Days El Presidente David Bolton said, "it is so special for everyone in Santa Barbara to see them and see them perform and see their first official dance. It will be at La Primavera which is going to be at the historic Casa de La Guerra and the El Paseo bringing back the historic moments of those locations and that will be on Saturday May 13th."
Fiesta photographer and Old Spanish Days El Segundo Vice Presidente said, "this crowd that shows up to this is just amazing. They are loud and very supportive. There's that tension in the air because you know something is going to happen at the very end."
Having the announcement at the Lobero Theatre is only fitting. The Lobero and Old Spanish Days have connections dating back to the origins of the theatre and the beginning of Fiesta in the 1920's.
Last year's Spirit of Fiesta, Tara Mata, won a $5000 scholarship from Tourism Spain and a trip to enhance her skills.
"And to have my two dreams become merged into one was absolutely amazing. I spent a week in Jerez de la Frontera doing the Flamenco Festival in Jerez and that was absolutely amazing to learn from professional flamenco artists as well as to see shows and immerse myself in the culture," she said.
Television coverage expanded
Events from this year's Old Spanish Days will also be broadcast on Newschannel 3 and Telemundo for the Costa Central (Central Coast).
Bolton said, "this year we will be having both the El Desfile Historico (Historic Fiesta parade) and Fiesta Pequeña on the steps of the Old Mission broadcast live in both languages on Newschannel 3 in English and Costa Central in Spanish on Cox Cable channel 15."
Mercado de la Playa update
There was also an update on the new Mercado De la Playa. This is the mercado that will be moved from MacKenzie Park to the waterfront area at Santa Barbara City College.
Bolton said, "for the Mercado de la Playa, we're gonna be in the large lot that wraps around La Playa Stadium. It is going to give us enough space to have the carnival, the booths, the stage, beer garden as well. It is going to be a great atmosphere."
Old Spanish Days Press Release:
Partnerships with the Historic Lobero Theatre and KEYT-TV highlight the deep spirit of history, community and inclusion that is Fiesta
Live Spanish-language broadcasts of Fiesta events also added for first time ever
SANTA BARBARA, CA – March 27, 2023 – On the steps of the historic Lobero Theatre, where in 1924 the beloved community festival known as “Fiesta” started, board members from Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara (OSD) and the Lobero Theatre unveiled the official poster for the 2023 Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta Auditions. This marks the third year in a row that the Lobero has generously partnered with OSD to bring the Auditions to their historic stage.
On April 15, 2023, the pageantry of Old Spanish Days Fiesta will be on full display when 22 talented young dancers complete for the title of Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta. The community is invited to share in the excitement of the day and watch the talented dancers perform. Tickets are on sale at the Lobero box office, the performance will also be live streamed on the OSD website at www.sbfiesta.org.
“We could not be more grateful to the Lobero Theatre for their ongoing generosity,” said 2023 El Presidente David Bolton. “It will be a dream come true for many of the finalists to dance on the historic stage where Fiesta started 99 years ago this August.”
OSD also announced today an expanded partnership between OSD and local television station, KEYT-TV.
In support of its growing collection of local channels, the “Spirit Auditions” will be replayed during primetime programing on Saturday April 29 and on Sunday April 30, 7-9 pm, on KEYT’s the Now Channel 13.
Finally, one of the most exciting announcements made today was that the partnership with KEYT-TV will include, for the first time ever, simultaneous multi-language live broadcasts of La Fiesta Pequeña (Wednesday, August 2, 2023) and El Desfile Histórico (Friday, August 5, 2023). Viewers can watch these historic events in English on NewsChannel 3 and in Spanish on Telemundo Costa Central, Cox Cable Channel 15.
“Old Spanish Days Fiesta is appreciative of the more than 50-year relationship with KEYT,” added 2023 El Presidente David Bolton. “It is a tremendous service to our community to be able to broadcast multiple events this year live in both English and Spanish during Fiesta. We are looking forward to the start of our Fiesta broadcast season with the exciting Spirit of Fiesta Auditions in April.”
About Old Spanish Days Fiesta: First held in 1924, Fiesta celebrates a period of romance and hospitality through pageantry, dance, music, costume and cuisine. Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation dedicated to honoring and preserving Santa Barbara’s history, spirit, culture, heritage and traditions. Fiesta 2023 will take place in various locations around the city starting August 2 to August 6, 2023. Visit www.sbfiesta.org for more information, to purchase tickets or to make a tax-deductible donation.
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