Fiesta Spirits Talk Upcoming Celebrations With Your Morning News

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Just last week in a wowing performance, Santa Barbara's Jenna Ramirez and Penelope Hernandez were selected as Old Spanish Days' Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta. Now the real fun begins as duo prepares for the official start of the Fiesta season.

Jenna and Penelope joined Your Morning News to talk about the moment they heard their names announced.

"I kind of knew like what to do when we go backstage or when it's my turn to go on, but it was still really nerve-wracking because when I went on stage, I still felt how I was every single year. But when I heard my name get called, I was really proud of myself and I'm just so happy," explained Hernandez.

Between the two of them, the duo has years of experience, performances, and auditioning, but as first-time Spirits they're looking forward to simply continuing traditions.

"Dancing at Mission Pequeña. I'm so excited for that. That is like a dream come true of mine and just being able to dance all through Fiesta is so special to me because I've been my whole life, I've participated in Fiesta, so I'm really excited," said Ramirez.

The Spirits will be busy throughout the next few months leading up to the celebrations in August, with scheduled events happening around town including La Primavera, Fiesta Ranchera, and La Recepción del Presidente.

The 2026 Fiesta season kicks off from August 5-9. You can find a complete list of events here.

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