Horses, carriages, floats, and dancers filled Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara on Friday as part of the annual Fiesta Historical Parade, also known as El Desfile Histórico. Although locals know this event as the Fiesta Horse Parade.
Floats depicting periods of history from Santa Barbara and throughout the state were pulled along the oceanfront roadway. Descendants of local Native Americans, Spanish Pioneers, the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, and local service clubs and organizations all reenacted historical scenes.
This parade is also well known for its four-legged friends. This is one of the nation’s largest equestrian parades, featuring over 600 horses, as well as many antique carriages, coaches, and wagons.
The parade started at the west end of Cabrillo Boulevard, proceeded east along the beach to Calle Cesar Chavez, then back down Cabrillo.
Thousands of attendees stood along the street waving, cheering, and cracking cascarones with confetti. Viva la Fiesta!
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It would have been nice to have a little more information in the photo captions.