The Faces of Fiesta 2025

Meet El Presidente, Saint Barbara, and the Spirits

By Tiana Molony | Photos by Alejandro Navarro
August 6, 2026

Spirit of Fiesta:
Jenna Ramirez

Jenna Ramirez has been dancing for nearly her entire life. She began ballet at age 2 before discovering flamenco at 7, a dance form that quickly became a defining part of who she is.

“It was something that I always really loved to do,” she said. “As I grew up, it was just the one thing that didn’t change about me.”

Now 19 years old and studying radiology at Santa Barbara City College, Ramirez is this year’s Spirit of Fiesta — a title she never imagined holding but one she embraces with gratitude and humility.

When she performed in the Spirit of Fiesta competition, she intentionally set aside thoughts of winning and instead focused on enjoying the moment.

“I just wanted to make sure I had fun, and I did my best, whether I won or not,” she said.

That perspective made hearing her name announced even more meaningful.

“I was so shocked,” she said of the moment. “I was just overwhelmed with emotions.”

Ramirez’s love for flamenco extends far beyond Santa Barbara. For the past two years, she has traveled to Spain, the birthplace of flamenco, to attend the annual Jerez de la Frontera Festival, where she studies with renowned teachers and immerses herself in the art form’s rich traditions.

“It’s just so, so amazing every time I go,” she said. “I just feel so inspired. Watching their passion and their emotion is mind-blowing.”

As Fiesta approaches, Ramirez is most looking forward to celebrating alongside her family and her dance studio, the people who have supported her throughout her journey. She hopes to make them proud while representing a celebration she describes simply as “Santa Barbara’s party.”

Junior Spirit of Fiesta:
Penelope (Penny) Hernandez

For 10-year-old Penelope (Penny) Hernandez, confidence is one of the most important skills a dancer can have.

That means that if she misses a step, “it’ll be okay because I’m confident in myself,” she said. “And that nobody knows if I mess up because they don’t know my dance.”

Hernandez, a 5th grader at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, has been dancing since she was 3 years old. At such a young age, she’s already reached a major personal milestone.

“This is my dream come true — becoming Junior Spirit,” she said.

And she’s already looking ahead to the next one. One day, Hernandez hopes to become Spirit of Fiesta.

Alongside flamenco, Hernandez loves art, music, and volleyball and hopes to become an actor or a dance teacher at her studio one day. She also loves babysitting her “little cousins” and playing with her dogs: a dachshund named Risitto and two German shepherds named Felix and Jenga.

This year, Hernandez is most excited for La Fiesta Pequeña on August 5 at the Mission, where she will dance in white in front of a sea of people.

She hopes that kids watching her dance “can learn to be happy when they’re dancing because not a lot of people get to do it.”

Saint Barbara:
Julie Herrera Foley

Julie Herrera Foley, this year’s Saint Barbara, is not only a native Californian but also a 10th-generation descendant of the Ortega family, one of Santa Barbara’s founding dynasties.

Chosen by Golden West Reina del Mar Parlor No. 126, the organization responsible for selecting the annual honoree, Foley said she feels deeply honored by the role and does not take the responsibility lightly.

She has been attending Old Spanish Days Fiesta since she was a little girl and has long treasured the celebration.

“It’s always been special to see the community come together, where everybody is happy and positive, having a good time,” she said.

For Foley, being chosen is especially meaningful because the tradition runs in her own family. Her sister was selected to portray Saint Barbara in 2016. “So, it’s kind of nice to follow in her footsteps,” she said.

While the experience has challenged her, Foley hopes to leave a lasting legacy for her family. She described the opportunity as a “privilege and a blessing,” and something she hopes her daughter and granddaughter get to do one day.

As Fiesta approaches, Foley is eager to embrace every moment of the celebration, from appearances throughout the week to leading this year’s Historic Fiesta Parade.

“I’m looking forward to the whole thing,” she said. “The whole shebang.”

El Presidente:
Colin Hayward

Before being named this year’s El Presidente, Colin Hayward spent the past decade serving as a Fiesta marshal, a role whose primary responsibility during Old Spanish Days “has always been to keep everybody safe,” he said.

Hayward’s connection to Fiesta stretches back to childhood. Growing up in Santa Barbara, attending the Historic Fiesta Parade with his mother and siblings was an annual tradition that left a lasting impression.

Hayward said his love of the parade ultimately led him back to the organization. As he grew older and looked for ways to become more involved, volunteering with Fiesta felt like a natural fit.

After nearly a decade working along the parade route as a marshal, Hayward joined the Old Spanish Days Board of Directors, further expanding his role within the organization.

Now, as El Presidente, he serves as the public face of Old Spanish Days, helping oversee one of Santa Barbara’s largest and most beloved annual celebrations.

As Fiesta draws near, Hayward said he is especially looking forward to La Fiesta Pequeña.

“That’s an [exciting] night,” he said. “You can’t help but be excited.”

For Hayward, serving as El Presidente is both a tremendous honor and an opportunity to give back to the community that shaped him.

As he said, “It’s a privilege to be able to do this.”

The Faces of Fiesta 2025