La Fiesta Del Museo

The Santa Barbara Historical Museum (SBHM) gives one of the best Fiesta parties in town. The venue makes a perfect backdrop – it looks like a movie set and all we have to do is don our costumes and we’re ready for action!

We entered through the front door and trekked through the galleries, one being all Fiesta costumes, men, women and children’s. Then to the check-in table being greeted all the way by señoritas in costume and then margaritas in the Covarrubias adobe courtyard. The adobe is the second oldest structure in Santa Barbara. Sam Adams made it come alive playing flamenco guitar. There were tiny tacos cooked fresh and hot at the Mexican kiosk. Junior Spirit of Fiesta Paloma Valenuela was there to dance for us. And there is always an interesting silent auction.

The Museum Courtyard never looked better all done in jewel tones, with roses and candles on both harvest and round tables. Bordering the main courtyard were Moorish lanterns. More entertainment with Grupo de Danza Folklorica Quetzalcoatl (folk dancing couples) who looked stunning in all white matching outfits. Spirit of Fiesta Sophia Cordero was also there to perform.

Erin Graffy de Garcia was the historian host who told us about the various families who led our town in olden times with live models showing us shawls and combs. All the while we ate with gusto. I didn’t have to choose between salmon or steak. We had surf and turf. The final flamenco dancing was with Manuel Gutierrez, Jose Cortes, Andres Vadin, Gerardo Morales, and Timo Nunez.

This is a major fundraiser for SBHM so there needs to be a live auction and it was lively. Four lucky folks will be in the Fiesta parade and have tickets for all the events including next year’s SBHM party. There was a bronze by Edward Borein posthumously cast from his clay model. Especially special was the private party for up to 50 guests at the Museum. The paddle raise was for the Museum’s greatest need: the Collections Environmental (HVAC) Project. Underneath the Museum is the huge collection of items (80,000 to 100,000) preserved by them including the last stop light from State Street and Highway 101. The temperature control is vital and needs renovating. 

The Mission of SBHM “is to be a repository, interpreter and communicator of the rich history of the Santa Barbara region. Through exhibitions, scholarship, educational programs, and preservation of the region’s material culture, we connect people of all backgrounds to historically important ideas, people, and objects.”

Then it was time for the dance floor instead of the stage. Elements Band was there for our dancing pleasure. The honorary chair for the evening was Sharon Bradford. The deputy director is Dacia Harwood.

It always amazes me that when my family and I moved back to the United States from Andalucia, Spain to Santa Barbara, that we were right in the middle of Spanish traditions unique in the whole country. We had the costumes and even a horse. Every year all the good memories of our life there return, and we get to make new ones. Viva la Fiesta!