Fiesta in Santa Barbara!

Yay! It's finally here: Santa Barbara’s beloved Old Spanish Days Fiesta, aka Fiesta Week, is rolling into town Wednesday, July 30 through Sunday, August 3, 2025! 🎉

Here’s your friendly neighborhood guide to what’s happening each day! 

🌹 Wednesday, July 30 – La Fiesta Pequeña

• Kickoff at Old Mission Santa Barbara, 8pm - 10 pm with dancing, music, and confetti eggs flying (paper only, folks—eco-conscious tradition!)

• Kids chase each other across the grass—laughs and flowers everywhere. 

🎪 Thursday, July 31 – Fiesta in Full Swing

• La Misa del Presidente at 10 am at the Mission, followed by a reception in the Rose Garden

• Mercado De La Guerra opens at 11 am—street food, tacos, trinkets, and tunes under the papel picado.

• Evening highlight: Las Noches de Ronda (Courthouse Sunken Gardens, 8–10 pm)—flamenco and folklórico!

• Plus DIGS! from 5–10 pm, part ticketed, part lively fun (margaritas optional but encouraged, duh)

🐎 Friday, August 1 – Big Parade Day!

• Mercado open again from 11 am

• El Desfile Histórico at noon along Cabrillo Boulevard—a legendary equestrian parade with floats, costumes and Castillo‑era reenactments. One of the largest in the U.S.!

• Evening: Flor y Canto (7 pm) pairs vintage Spanish California dances and songs with historical narration. Then Las Noches de Ronda picks back up at 8 pm. 

• Rodeo (my Dad's favorite!!) kicks off at 7 pm at Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center: bull riding, bareback riding, and yes—Mutton Bustin’ for littler cowboys and cowgirls

🎨 Saturday, August 2 – Family Fun Day

• Arts & Crafts Show opens at 9 am

• Children’s Parade at 10 am—adorable mini-Mariachis and flower-giving kiddos march through town.

• Mercado continues at 11 am

• Tarde de Ronda in early afternoon

• Evening: more rodeo and Las Noches de Ronda.The Santa Barbara Independent+1Old Spanish Days | Fiesta Santa Barbara+1Old Spanish Days | Fiesta Santa Barbara

🛍️ Sunday, August 3 – Last Day, Still Going!

• Arts & Crafts Show at 9 am

• Rodeo continues at 1 pm—great chance for a relaxing finale with good eats and live action

💃 Why Fiesta is Magic

• It’s a cultural celebration—nestled in valley roots from the Chumash to the Californios to early Spanish settlers. It’s joyful, reflective, colorful.

• The parades? Horses, floats, dancers, flower kids!

• The nighttime shows—Nights of Gaiety—bring the sparkle under the stars with dance, live music, and vibrant costumes

• And food, oh the food—tacos, tamales, churros, margaritas, local wine, arts & crafts, mercados—basically non-stop joy! 

🤓 Tips & Top Tricks

• Start early: mercados open around 11 am.

• Evenings fill fast—store up your blanket or chair by 9 am for Las Noches de Ronda. No plastic tarps!

• For parade viewing at El Desfile Histórico, consider reserving beachside seats between Anacapa and Garden.

• Transit over traffic—especially for La Fiesta Pequeña: street closures begin around 6 pm Wednesday. 

• Bike if you can!!

TL;DR

Fiesta is here, and it’s five days of horses, flower girls, mercados, rodeos, flamenco, family, and food—with a big sprinkle of confetti eggs and community love. Santa Barbara dresses up bright and breezy, and it’s calling your name. Viva la fiesta! ✨