Kids Take Center Stage for Fiesta’s El Desfile de los Niños

The kids took over Fiesta on Saturday morning for El Desfile de los Niños (Children’s Parade), painting Cabrillo Boulevard bright with color as flower girls, dancers, sombrero-clad boys, and their families flowed down the street, showering the thousands in the crowd with flowers, candy, and technicolor confetti along the way.

More than 2,500 participated in this year’s Children’s Parade, including dozens of local organizations, schools, daycare centers, and dance programs representing several generations of Santa Barbara’s past, present, and future. It was the 92nd edition of El Desfile de los Niños.

This year’s Junior Spirit of Fiesta, Aleenah Soriano, led the procession, followed by Los Niños de las Flores — the youth representatives of Old Spanish Days — and a stream of foot-powered floats and dancers draped in colorful costumes showing off traditional flamenco, folklorico, and Azteca dances to the spectators packed onto either side of the street. Despite the stubborn marine layer, the Fiesta energy was in full swing, with cascarone confetti, bubbles, and mariachi music filling the beachfront morning air.

While the main parade is known for horseback caballeros, the Children’s Parade gives the spotlight to the youth, who walked, rode in scooters, or were dragged along in wagons and homemade floats. By the time the parade reached the end of the route at Calle Puerto Vallarta, near Santa Barbara’s famous Chromatic Gate, every kid had a treat waiting for them: a free cup of ice cream.

Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation organized this year’s parade, which marks the beginning of the second half of the five-day Fiesta celebration. For a full list of Old Spanish Days events and locations, check our Fiesta 2024 Listings Guide.