Fiesta has officially arrived in Montecito—and organizers say it’s here to stay.
Over 500 people packed Coast Village Road Thursday evening for the inaugural Fiesta in Montecito, bringing folklórico dancers, flamenco performances, mariachi music, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and a festive atmosphere to the community for the first time.
The free event marked Old Spanish Days’ first official celebration in Montecito, an expansion organizers say has been years in the making and one they hope will become an annual tradition.
“We’ve been wanting to engage with Montecito for years and years and years, but the opportunity just has not been there until this year,” Old Spanish Days El Presidente Colin Hayward said.
The celebration transformed Coast Village Road into a pedestrian-friendly festival as families gathered around the performance stage, children danced along with performers and restaurant patios filled with visitors taking in the festivities.
For Hayward, the event is about introducing the traditions of Fiesta to a community that has historically sat just outside the celebrations’ downtown footprint.
“What I hope is that slowly but surely, the spirit of Fiesta grows in the hearts of Montecitans,” Hayward said. “This year, everybody’s getting a little taste of it.”
David Bolton, treasurer and division chief of external relations for Old Spanish Days, said he came up with the concept.
The event exceeded expectations.
“At 4 o’clock there were five people,” Bolton said. “At 4:10 there were 50 people. At 4:20 there were about 200 people, and by the end it was well over 500.”
Beth Sullivan, executive director of the Coast Village Association, said merchants welcomed the event and benefited from the crowds.
“I would say there’s definitely more than 250 people here,” Sullivan said during the celebration. “The restaurants are at capacity.”
Sullivan said planning began in January after Bolton approached the association with the proposal.
“He wanted this to happen,” Sullivan said. “All I had to do was work with the city and support the merchants on this street.”
Throughout the evening, mariachi music echoed down Coast Village Road as dance groups performed in colorful traditional attire before applauding crowds.
Hayward described the event as “a mini Fiesta,” giving visitors a chance to experience many of the festival’s signature traditions in one evening.
“You’re going to get the dancing, you’re going to get the food, you’re going to get the crowds, you’re going to get the mariachi,” he said.
Organizers hope Thursday’s celebration is just the beginning.
“Fiesta is coming back to Montecito,” Bolton said. “Every year, we’re going to make this bigger and better. The response today was so positive, we’re so honored that the community turned out, and we’re going to do everything possible to make sure that this continues.”
