New Carnival Plans Light Up Fiesta Celebration at the Downtown Club in Santa Barbara
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Fresh plans are coming together to offer more locations for festivities during Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara.
In addition to traditional events like El Desfile Histórico, the Fiesta Parade, there will now be a new carnival.
It will take place on the field at the Downtown Club on Canon Perdido Street. This site was formerly part of the collective Boys & Girls Club in the county and it is rebranding. It has been around since 1938.
“Going back 101 years, to 1924, when the organizers were putting together the concept of Fiesta, they said Fiesta should have a carnival environment,” said 2025 El Presidente Fritz Olenberger.
Details were announced with a shower of confetti and cheering kids. The event is a collaboration between the club and Old Spanish Days, which takes place July 30 through August 3.
Fiesta has undergone some slight changes this year, including the relocation of the traditional Old Spanish Days Fiesta Rodeo and Stock Horse Show from the Earl Warren Showgrounds to the Santa Ynez Valley Equestrian Center.
The Showgrounds will still host a separate rodeo event and carnival during Fiesta weekend, but it is not affiliated with Old Spanish Days.
WATCH NEWSCHANNEL LIVESTREAM: New Fiesta Carnival Announcement
Fiesta weekend remains one of the most anticipated and celebrated times of the year in Santa Barbara. The city’s rich cultural history is showcased through dance, music, and a variety of community events.
Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the city.
The club location on the Eastside of Santa Barbara offers a convenient, walkable site for local families. There’s space on the soccer and football field, as well as nearby asphalt, for a carnival company to set up rides and games. A dance stage and Fiesta dancers will also be featured. At least five major rides are expected.
“We’re really targeting our kids—kids who would otherwise not have access to the Earl Warren Showgrounds or other places because those are farther from where they live. We’re right here, and it’s a lot safer for them to come and have a good time,” said Downtown Boys & Girls Club Executive Director Mark Alvarado.
The new carnival will begin on July 31 and continue through the weekend.
The last time a carnival was held during Fiesta was in 2023, in the City College parking lot near the beach. That location was not feasible this year.
The club’s carnival will be free to attend, with tickets available for rides.
Organizers hope it becomes part of the broader Old Spanish Days experience, especially for families.
“After people go to the parade, stop here for some rides, then head to the downtown mercado in De La Guerra Plaza. Come back here on other nights,” said External Director and past El Presidente David Bolton. “We want this to be part of everyone’s Fiesta week—and part of the larger Fiesta that this community celebrates together.”
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