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MyspaceI used to be a Fiesta hater, one of those otherwise proud Santa Barbarans who would flee the city during its busiest week due to fears of traffic, crowds, pricey fairground food, silly nightclub cover charges, and those pillaging out-of-towners who come to litter our streets and falter away in a hungover Sunday daze. Such an attitude was bolstered by many locals who felt the same, from those who simply bemoaned tourists to those who cast aspersions on the historic merits of the celebration.
Paul Wellman
La Fiesta Pequena at the Santa Barbara Mission kicks off Old Spanish Days August 4, 2011
But somewhere along the line, I decided to stick around for these so-called Old Spanish Days, and over the past few years, I’ve come to realize that most of my worries were unwarranted. There are crowds, sure, some of the food can be overpriced, alright, and there’s certainly a limit to how many flamenco dances you can watch, granted, but with the right amount of strategic scheduling (read: participate early in the week and early in the day, rather than midday to evening Saturday and Sunday), I’ve come to learn that even the crabbiest locals can find plenty to celebrate during Fiesta.
Plus, as my understanding of our city’s economy and history has deepened with my decade or so of research and experience as a journalist, I now believe that Fiesta is exactly what it’s supposed to be: a party to celebrate both residents and visitors, a display of the unique Hispano-Anglo-Mexican-Yankee-Native American multiculturalism that makes Santa Barbara unique, and an annual cash bomb to the economy, both the for-profit merchants along State Street and the nonprofit organizations slinging tacos and tortas in mercados throughout town.
This year, I may be off to my strongest start ever, and with a young child, I’m also getting a taste of how much fun Fiesta can be for all ages — and we haven’t even checked out the horse parade on Friday or the Noches de Ronda at the Courthouse. Our Fiesta started on Tuesday night, when we gathered with friends on the lawn between Mission Santa Barbara and the rose garden, chowed down carne asada tacos, and watched a dress rehearsal for Fiesta Pequeña. We could see the dancers without jostling for position and run on the lawn without tripping over the thousands of others who come for the real Fiesta Pequeña on Wednesday night.
A about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, I was driving up Santa Barbara Street, and realized that the food vendors might be in action. Better yet, there was still parking on De la Guerra, so I hopped out, hit up the birria taco stand, got three for $6 plus a tasty strawberry lemonade for $2 more, and chowed while watching Linda Vega’s tiny dancers stomp on the stage. I’m not sure where you eat lunch around Santa Barbara these days, but $8 for a full belly and sated thirst is a decent deal to me.
“St. Barbara: Mistress of Imminent Doom” t-shirt
After work on Wednesday afternoon, I ditched my office clothes in favor of the perfect Fiesta T-shirt: my “St. Barbara: Mistress of Imminent Doom” black edition, designed by my colleague Nick “Angry Poodle” Welsh in conjunction with artist Max Kornell, a former Indy designer-turned-kid’s book author. (Read my review of his debut Bear with Me here.) After a brief time-killing beer at Derf’s near my house, my wife and boy picked me up and we headed to the Samarkand, where we easily found parking on the top side of MacKenzie Park, walked down to Mercado del Norte, checked out the redesigned scene (I can’t wait to hit up the nicely placed Crazy Horse Cantina one of these days), and listened to some local kids rock out on stage. Soon enough, it was time for more tacos, and three adobado ones for $6 did the trick; throw in a horchata for $3, and a $9 dinner under the setting Santa Barbara sun was affordable and delicious.
That night, it was time for what’s become an annual tradition for my friends and quite a few others: Spencer the Gardener blessing in this year’s Fiesta in a locals-studded concert at the Casa de la Guerra’s Cantina till the wee hours. (In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that a nonprofit I cofounded, the New Noise Music Foundation, is coordinating the Casa Cantina this year, which means that it’s extra rockin’, particularly with Friday night’s Rey Fresco with Moonlight Trio and Saturday’s Very Be Careful shows.) The Firestone was a-flowin’, the feets were a-dancin’, and the money was a-piling up for the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, which counts the cantina as one of its biggest fundraisers of the year. And Spencer even threw a line out for me, “I Like Matt Kettmann,” related to my recent embarrassingly shameless creation of a public Facebook page for my journalistic life. (You can like me here.)
Robert Redfield
Casa de la Guerra’s Cantina
I watch my son on Thursday mornings, which made the perfect opportunity for another visit to the Mercado de la Guerra, where, through waves of smoke from the tri-tip torta booth (gotta get me one of those eventually, plus two of those massive ribs I spotted, too), we watched dancers from Lompoc’s Garcia Dance Studio frolic across the stage. Seeing dancers whose skin tones ranged from stark white to soft brown to dark chocolate, I was reminded of what was truly the first Fiesta: the 1820 re-dedication of Mission Santa Barbara, which took eight years to properly rebuild after the devastating earthquake of 1812. That multicultural celebration lasted a number of days and featured a wide variety of ethnicities participating in the fun, from the Mexican vaqueros running bear versus bull fights, Spaniards sipping their brandies, and Chumash playing violins to the Yankees, Creoles, and other assorted peoples dancing, singing, and drinking along.
Certainly, times were far from joyous for everyone way back then, but the same can be said for today. Life’s not always easy, but when your entire city turns into one big party that offers a bit of fun for everyone, it’s not the time for complaining. It’s the time for celebrating, and that’s what I’ll be doing the rest of this weekend, at least at the right times.
Previous Month
Comments
What a crock
dadof3 (anonymous profile)
August 5, 2011 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well I don't know if you have to be a Hater; but to enjoy Fiesta one would have to suspend historical context or have extreme divine faith; otherwise turn it up and dumb it down. But I did truly start to enjoy the Fiesta Pequena on the big screen LCD. But a bad turn of sentiment started when the mistress of ceremonies relayed an introductory message introducing a Mexican dance troop empathizing with the historical struggles of the Franciscan order. The ending of the Fiesta Pequena was reminiscent of Mel Gibsons' Apocolypto, but of course without severed and bloodied heads rolling down the steps of the great Mission de Santa Barbara. The Mercado del Norte once a place for la familia to gather in some idea of grace is now just another idiotic out of place carnival where los ninos first learn bad behaviors and manners.
DonMcDermott (anonymous profile)
August 6, 2011 at 6:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Having been raised all of my child and most of my adult life in Santa Barbara County (Goleta), I was part of the whole Fiesta program, from religious teachings (St. Raphael Church) and KFC, to school and work (1993 summer Part time City Worker during Fiesta).
I hated and loved the Fiesta week all through my 20 years in Santa Barbara but now living in Northern Virginia across from the cesspool of our Nation (DC), I celebrate the Fiesta week here in Alexandria, Va. as a way of honoring my history and native background (Santa Bruta, Californian).
It does seem stupid in many ways but as nearly all of my neighbors are from South of the Border and practice their culture daily, why can't I?!
Santa Barbara, California is as much apart of me as MS-13 is to my Neighbors and their Spanish/ ? culture is, so I too celebrate Fiesta with the rest of Santa Barbara, by listining to Mariachi Music and eatting Mexica foods.
Viva Fiesta!
dou4now.
dou4now (anonymous profile)
August 6, 2011 at 5:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
and now...you "get it". We love you for that! Fiesta in Santa Barbara is like an annual cleansing of the soul, a sort of purification that re-makes the participant and the remarkable city in a mystical way? It’s really a celebration of the early California ideal of romantic, unfettered spirit and breathtaking landscapes with stunning architecture. For the native born in Santa Barbara, this ritual is a chance to demonstrate a remarkable heritage and in this way insure the future of our rare legacy for yet another year. Finally, it is a passionate plea to all who live here, and all who visit, to love it deeply, and preserve it always. And, who’s kidding who, there is a certain amount of just downright shameless letting loose. Thanks Mat you nailed it!
jeffersonstable (anonymous profile)
August 7, 2011 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I disagree 100% Fiesta Sucks Massivly Like a Hoover Vacuum.
I call it Copesta.
More disgusting fat cops from Ventura and Oxnard.....and what is with the crazy sbpd and their search lighst aimed at eye level.
Being one that enjoys the Evil Weed...I find the searchlights quite annoying.
Haven't gone in years and have no plans to.
rstein9 (anonymous profile)
August 8, 2011 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Easy kids. Man- we do like to jump on a wagon now don't we.
I have to agree with the author. We live on Figueroa St (near the Indy offices) and I too have been a massive hater. People throwing up on our lawn..sleeping in our bushes (yes I said SLEEPING in our bushes...and other things)
But this year...I don't know.
Call it nostalgia.
On Friday morning I was driving down State St and I was overcome with a sense of urgency. I hurried back to my has and grabbed two camping chairs, a Mexican blanket, some twine,a few sheets of blank paper, a Sharpee and some street chalk. I quickly scanned State St and the best spot ws in front of Sak's 5th Ave (3 blocks from my house) I pulled up, jumped out of the car and nailed a spot down. I was a bit concerned about our blanket, so I used thin metal wire to secure it to the chairs. This was at about 7 a.m. I thne woke my son up for Cross Country practice and fed him breakfast. I had a rental car until noon that day because my car was in the shop. Then the weirdest thing happened...I was on the phone with my 89 year old Dad and he said he wanted to go to the parade...to which I proclaimed..."I have a great spot...can you get your helper deliver you to a spot in front of Sak's...it has our name on it." He said yes and we were off. At 11:30 I picked up my son at Shoreline Park after practice and delivered him to the same spot and while returned the rental car, my son met with my Dad and his helper. Dad is in a wheelchair and had marked the spot "handicap" with the street chalk....to be contunues at "The Sober Spitbath"
independent.com/weblogs/sober-spitbath
emenzies (Elizabeth Menzies)
August 8, 2011 at 1 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Fiesta remains a celebration where a bunch of white guys and Mexicans dress up as Spaniards, get drunk, let their horses poop all over State Street, and act like idiots in celebrating the European conquest, exploitation, and near total genocide of the indigenous Chumash natives.
Fun times.
Draxor (anonymous profile)
August 9, 2011 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What bother's me is that I have yet to hear one of the Fiesta "Presidente" speak Spanish even halfway fluently.
I took some European guests to Fiesta Pequena, and honestly is was embarrassing to have each dance troop, composed mostly of Hispanic performers, introduced by Anglos who have never bothered to learn another language. It felt like a missed opportunity to have a true exchange between the cultures, and turned more into colonialists watching the "Natives." It confirmed the fact that we don't treat Hispanics as equals.
¡Qué vergüenza!
blackpoodles (anonymous profile)
August 11, 2011 at 8:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PeterPeli (anonymous profile)
August 15, 2011 at 10:33 a.m.