Browse Items (21 total)

A Fiesta participant in costume at Old Mission Santa Barbara.

A tradition kept to this day, icons of the city were used as hubs of social activities for Fiesta. Here, participants gather at the Santa Barbara Mission in preparation for Fiesta activities.

Woman in Fiesta costume standing in front of archway

Woman in embroidered shawl.

Man wearing sombrero and serape riding a donkey

A palm-reader wearing a traditional silk shawl engages audiences in Fiesta activities.

A June 17, 1919 edition of the Daily News proclaimed that "Spanish colors, hospitality, and traditions will predominate at Santa Barbara's summer fiesta.” Here, one of many traveling mariachi bands fill the downtown area with joyous music and…

At Casa de la Guerra, two costumed dancers are surrounded by musicians

Just as today, several downtown locations acted as hubs of Fiesta activities. From Casa de la Guerra to the Santa Barbara Courthouse, residents and visitors alike donned Spanish costumes of the finest fabrics.

El Paseo, built in the early 1920's around Casa de la Guerra, was the heart of Old Spanish Days Fiesta with a mercado, performances, and public gatherings. Here, one lovely lady performs a romantic Spanish dance surrounded by a six-piece…

Gathered in El Paseo, Fiesta performers would dress in traditional Spanish attire that also evoked the current Hollywood interpretation of California history.

With large gourds resting on their heads, these women travel around the mercado with flowers, vegetables, and fruit.