Dance the Night Away… Olé 

Social gridlock reigned at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum when it hosted its annual La Fiesta del Museo for 220 guests raising around $100,000 for the popular institution with all tickets selling out in two hours.

Ubiquitous KEYT-TV reporter John Palminteri emceed the bustling bash and conducted the auction, with an etching by cowboy artist Edward Borein snapped up for $3,500.

Among the cavalcade of entertainers were Joan Zaragoza and Mariachi Las Olas, guitarist Luis Moreno, Junior Spirit Olivia Nelson and Spirit of Fiesta Jack Harwood, whose mother Dacia is the museum’s director, Grupo de Danza Folklorico Quetzalcoatl under maestro Francisco Espinosa, flamenco dancers Talia Ortega Vestal and Maria ‘La Chacha’ Bermudez, gypsy singer José Díaz “Cachito,” Cuban flamenco guitarist Andres Vadin, guitarist Alex Jordan, and percussionist Gerardo Morales, who worked with the Black Eyed Peas and Christina Aguilera.

The pulsating evening ended with the guests, including Mayor Randy Rowse, Cory and Vanessa Boggs, museum president Hilary Burkemper, El Presidente David Bolton, Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger, Gretchen Lieff, Saint Barbara Lisa Osborn, Stephanie Petlow, Peter and Kathryn Martin, Jeremy Lindaman, Congressman Salud Carbajal, Marlene Miller, Brenda Blalock, Michele Profant, Carol Wathen, former mayor Helene Schneider, Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey Nowak, and Mark Whitehurst and Kerry Methner, dancing the night away to popular local band Area 51.

A heavenly evening…