Old Spanish Days Expanding Out to State Street for Two Blocks During Fiesta

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - Old Spanish Days is stretching out its footprint in downtown Santa Barbara and adding a beer garden in the most crowded area during Fiesta.

El Presidente Colin Hayward says vendors will be booked into spots on State Street from Ortega Street to Canon Perdido Street. It is an area traveled by thousands of people each day during Old Spanish Days and it is outside of the downtown Mercado in De la Guerra Plaza.

This year there will be a connection out to State Street and into a dancers performance stage in the Paseo Nuevo Mall.

Hayward says they will be able to handle more vendors with this new footprint and that will be both food and those selling gifts and clothing.

The area has had unpermitted vendors lining the street. Hayward says those vendors will not be allowed.

Old Spanish Days is also adding a beer garden on the eastern side of the plaza near the performance stage.

Fiesta will take place August 5-9 this year.

The parade will again be on Cabrilllo Boulevard and extend farther down towards East Beach than it did in 2025 when it ended at Garden Street.

There will also be a photography contest this year to do with the dog parade that just took place and the poetry contest taking place right now.

During Fiesta there will be a photography contest using phone cameras.

For more information go to: Old Spanish Days

(More details, photos and video will be added here later today.)

The post Old Spanish Days Expanding Out to State Street for Two Blocks During Fiesta appeared first on News Channel 3-12.