63rd Annual Swallows Day Parade & Mercado

WELCOME

63rd annual Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire

A Welcome Message from San Juan Capistrano Mayor Howard Hart

Welcome to San Juan Capistrano for our 63rd annual Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire! The Fiesta de las Golondrinas is such a special celebration for our community, and we are so very excited you can join us. This day marks the culmination of a great deal of effort by our Fiesta Association, City volunteers and staff and first responders. So, please let me begin by thanking all of you who have dedicated your time, hard work, and resources for your efforts. For residents of San Juan Capistrano and our thousands of visitors, this is quite an event! If your schedule allows for it, come early on Friday for Hoos’Gow Day. This is a great day to visit our world-famous Mission and historic Los Rios Street neighbor-

hood, but be sure to dress appropriately or the Fiesta Association posse might catch you!

Many of us start Saturday at the Rotary Club of San Juan Capistrano pancake breakfast over at the Scout Hut on the corner of La Matanza Street and El Horno Street. After

that, it’s time to make our way over to the parade route. Whether you are watching the parade from curbside or perched in one of the prized restaurant balcony seats, you are sure to capture the spirit of what makes San Juan Capistrano unique and wonderful. The music, the majestic horses and the spectacular dance troupes in their colorful costumes make this an experience you won’t want to miss. I look forward to seeing your pictures and videos on social media!

After the parade, the celebration continues through the day at the Mercado Faire and then into the evening at our downtown bars and restaurants. If you haven’t visited San Juan Capistrano’s restaurants lately, you are really missing out. We have become quite the foodie destination!

I look forward to sharing the City of San Juan Capistrano’s own unique holiday with you! Viva Las Golondrinas!

2023

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT’S

TMESSAGE

he past three years have been quite the test for our Fiesta Association members and all of our volunteers. In 2020, less than two weeks before the parade, well, we all know what happened. In 2021, we were still not ready to open up again. Finally, in 2022, things were regaining a semblance of normalcy, the parade was back on, our volunteers were re-energized and . . . boom! Nine days before the parade, there was a statewide quarantine on all horses due to a really nasty equine virus. In spite of the challenges, our members rallied and, together with a supportive community and generous sponsors, we were able to make the 2022 Swallows Day Parade a reality.

For the 63rd annual Swallows Day Parade, we truly are celebrating a return to where we once were. And, again, I thank our members and volunteers, our generous sponsors, our city, and our community.

So, barring locusts, frogs falling from heaven or San Juan Creek turning red, we are going to have a parade!

And I did just knock on wood.

Jim Taylor

PRESIDENT

San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association 2023

LOOKING TO JOIN FIESTA?

Support the Swallows Day Parade by becoming a member of the Fiesta Association! Visit swallowsparade.com.

A VISITOR’S GUIDE

TO SWALLOWS DAY

It’s that time of year again when the swallows return to San Juan Capistrano.

The streets of the historic town are alive with locals and visitors celebrating the Swallows Day Parade in March. People get to enjoy members of organizations and horses walking by, food and drinks and a chance to see familiar faces and, perhaps, make some new friends.

This year marks the 63rd annual Swallows Day Parade for the South Orange County city. Along with the swallows returning, it will also mark the return of horses—which were not able to be included in the 2022 event due to a then-outbreak of an equestrian brain disease.

The parade and Mercado Street Faire on Saturday, March 25, are part of the Fiesta de las Golondrinas, or Festival of the Swallows. The festivities that day will occur in lovely downtown San Juan Capistrano, which has beautiful architecture and great restaurants and businesses. The parade starts at 11 a.m.

To ensure you have the best time, here are some helpful pointers to guide you through the day.

ARRIVE EARLY

The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association, which organizes and presents the event, recommends you arrive early, as most street closures are in effect by 10 a.m.

TAKE A SHUT TLE BUS

Taking a “convenient” shuttle bus is also an option. The shuttle is free and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Shuttle bus parking can be found at Fluidmaster (30800 Rancho Viejo Road) and the Capistrano Business Plaza (30250 Rancho Viejo Road, on the east side of Interstate 5.)

The shuttle bus will drop off at the corner of El Horno and La Matanza streets—a quick jaunt to downtown.

EVENTS SWALLOWS

DAY

THE MERCADO STREET FAIRE

The Mercado Street Faire is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Historic Town Center Park on El Camino Real in downtown San Juan Capistrano, just off the main parade route. There will be plenty of vendor booths to enjoy the food and shop for Western wear, as well as live country music, dancing and play time for the entire family, including a kids’ play zone.

THE SWALLOWS DAY PARADE

The colorful parade, Saturday’s main event, kicks off at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a parade awards ceremony at 2 p.m., back in the Historic Town Center Park during the Mercado Street Faire. As it makes its way through downtown San Juan Capistrano, the non-motorized parade features horse-drawn floats, carriages, wagons, plenty of music and demonstrations.

Stay in San Juan Capistrano and Enjoy the Town After the Parade

Once the horses and paradegoers are finished passing through, that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. San Juan Capistrano is an up-and-coming town with plenty of things to do and enjoy, including in the growing downtown area. There are plenty of restaurants for dining, antique shops for shopping, or you can visit Los Rios Park if you want some peace and quiet after the festivities (and to snap some scenic pictures). And, of course, you can always pay a visit to the historic landmark Mission San Juan Capistrano or Swallow’s Inn if you’re craving some adult beverages and Western music and dancing.

DENNIS QUAID

You’ve seen him on the big screen. Now, get ready to see him on the streets of San Juan Capistrano for this year’s Swallows Day Parade.

Movie star and musician Dennis Quaid will serve as the Grand Marshal for 2023. Fiesta Association President Jim Taylor made the big announcement during San Juan Capistrano’s Fourth of July celebration in 2022.

Quaid is no stranger to San Juan, having played at The Coach House in May 2022. While many know him from films—including roles in The Day After Tomorrow, The Parent Trap and other movies—Quaid is also a musician, a side venture he chronicles and promotes on his Instagram page.

The Coach House performance got the audience that night dancing and enjoying themselves, as Quaid covered The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm,” Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” and other songs.

The entertainer’s shirt was drenched in sweat as the night went on, and audiences clapped along with his musical output.

Taylor decided to ask Quaid that night if he would do the honors of being the Grand Marshal and, from there, the old tradition of having a celebrity in the saddle for the parade began anew this year.

San Juan Capistrano Mayor Howard Hart has mentioned his interest in getting a picture with Quaid when parade time rolls around—and, surely, he is not the only person looking for such.

Quaid’s more recent screen ventures include the Netflix film Blue Miracle, thriller movie The Intruder and the Amazon show Goliath. Upcoming works Quaid has participated in, according to his official website, include American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story and the independent film Broke, which will also feature Wyatt Russell.

THE PARADE’S FIRST GRAND MARSHALS WERE BARBARA STANWYCK, A POPULAR AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS, AND AUDIE MURPHY, ONE OF THE MOST DECORATED AMERICAN COMBAT SOLDIERS OF WORLD WAR II.

PAST HONOREES

GRAND MARSHALS

Barbara Stanwyck, Audie Murphy

Scotty Clayson

John Rovick (Sheriff John)

Buddy Ebsen (actor)

Claude Akins (actor)

Monty Montana (actor)

James Drury (The Virginian)

Gary Vinson

Richard Arlen (actor)

George Putnam with Special Guest: President Richard M. Nixon

Buck Taylor (actor)

Roberta Lynn (Champagne Lady)

Bill Skiles, Pete Henderson, Jimmy Rogers

Andy Devine (actor)

Jeanette Nolan (Dirty Sally)

Brad Gates (OC Sheriff)

Monty Montana (actor)

Jock Mahoney (actor)

Iron Eyes Cody (actor)

Richard O’Neill, Alice Avery

Leon René

Pat O’Malley (actor)

C. Fulton Shaw

Tony Moiso

Brian Goodell (Olympic gold medalist)

Monsignor Paul Martin

Carl Bucheim (San Juan’s first mayor)

Dan Haggerty (actor)

Todd Hart

Rusty Richards (actor/horse trainer)

Peter Sherayko (actor)

Shelley Taylor Morgan (actress)

Larry Bucheim

Tony Forster

Teeter Marie Oliveras Romero

Gilbert G. Aguirre

George Avila

Bill and Pat Bathgate

John and Marie Lacouague

Elarion M. “Larry” Hernandez

Joan Irvine Smith

Melvin M. Rosenbaum

Bill Webb, Julian Ramos, Pat Forster,

Tom Hribar, William Zintl

Monsignor Paul Martin

Paul and Betty Valenzuela

Shigeru “Shig” and Miyeko Kinoshita

Gary and Collene Campbell

Millie and Gil Jones

Kay Shaw

Melitas Forster

Wyatt Hart

Arturo and Maria Galindo

Bill and Joan Cvengros

Joe Soto

Jim Curwood

Ricardo Beas

Sam Allevato

Steve Nordeck

Steve Oedekirk

Silvia Mazzeo Pule

Scott and Diana Schmitt

THE YEARS:

A LOOK BACK AT PARADE DAY THROUGH

The Swallows Day Parade has been a staple of San Juan Capistrano for decades … but what exactly did those events look like? The San Juan Capistrano Historical Society graciously provided these photos for a glimpse into the past and celebrations gone by.

FMS. FIESTA

DANIELE SMITH

SEÑOR SAN JUAN

JOHN “FISH” FISCHLE

or the 63rd annual Fiesta de las Golondrinas season, San Juan Capistrano community fixtures Daniele Smith and John “Fish” Fischle are proudly representing the Fiesta Association as senior dignitaries—another example of their record in community service.

“Having lived in this town all my life and been a part of the Parade and this Community at a very young age, it is an honor to be recognized as this year’s Ms. Fiesta for the San Juan Capistrano 2023 Swallows Day Parade,” Smith said.

Smith has been a San Juan resident for more than 45 years and is also a board member for the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. She is also

a member of the city’s Design Review Committee (which oversees architectural and building details for proposed new projects in town), the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society and was the 2021 San Clemente Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year.

In her professional life, Smith works as a real estate agent.

In her free time, you can also find her line dancing throughout town to country music.

As for Fischle, this is not his first time as Señor San Juan. He previously served in the role in 2012 and is “honored” to again take up the mantle.

“My family came to Anaheim in 1903 from Germany,” he said. “I graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

“I love to garden, bicycle, surf, travel, play cowboy, dance at Swallow’s Inn,” he said. and

and also completed my teaching education there.”

Fischle was a high school teacher for more than 30 years and taught photography and local history.

“I have been a member of the Fiesta Association for 22 years,” he said.

In addition to the Fiesta Association, Fischle is also a member of the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association, Spurs and Satin (a local 1880s Western reenactment group) and Dana Point Yacht Club—among other groups.

When Fischle isn’t volunteering with the Fiesta Association, what does he like to do?

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

SWALLOWS DAY

THERE’S MORE THAN JUST THE PARADE AND FAIRE

El Presidenté Ball (March 11, 6-10 p.m.)

El Adobe de Capistrano

31891 Camino Capistrano

The Fiesta Association celebrates San Juan Capistrano’s early days and the start of the old West with food, music, and costume contests. Attending one can make you feel like you’ve time-traveled back to when people traveled by wagon.

Fiesta Grandé (March 22, 6-9 p.m.)

Swallow’s Inn

31786 Camino Capistrano

Contests and a night of Wild West entertainment are rolled into one evening of fun. Attendees have previously entered contests for categories such as best existing mustache, best outlaw and best belt buckle.

MAP & EVENTS

HTC PARK: Lost & Found Fiesta Association Command Post

In the days leading up to the big party, the Fiesta Association hosts numerous quirky activities to celebrate and get the community warmed up and having a good time.

Hoos’Gow Day (March 24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

The streets of San Juan Capistrano Better wear your Western duds this day— otherwise, you might end up in “jail”!

Costumed Fiesta Association members are stationed throughout town in search of city slickers who aren’t wearing at least some Western attire. You may get “arrested,” all in fun.

Frog Jumping Contest (March 24, 4-6 p.m.)

Los Rios Park

31831 Los Rios Street

The Fiesta Association’s annual frog jumping contest is a family-friendly time for entertainment and prizes.

FIESTA MERCH

Please help support the Annual Swallows Day Parade. Festival merchandise is available for purchase at our booth in the Mercado Street Faire.

JUNIOR DIGNITARIES

ELOISE GLYNN and JAVIER MARTINEZ

The 2023 youth representatives for the Swal lows Day Parade both attend San Juan Capist rano Elementary School.

Eloise Glynn enjoys reading Harry Potter books, playing handball with her friends at recess and playing softball with a local team. Her favorite subject is math, as she enjoys learning new things in math. She was born in Mission Hospital. Eloise loves living in San Juan Capistrano with her older brother, mom and dad, as she finds the people in town are nice and welcoming. Javier Martinez enjoys collecting baseball cards, reading Goosebumps books and playing basketball with his friends at recess. His favorite subject at school is math, as he thinks long numbers are cool! Outside of school, he plays soccer and is the proud oldest brother of Carlos, who is in first grade, and Eva, who is barely 2 months old.

2023 KIDS’ PET PARADE

GIVING FAMILIES A CHANCE TO SHOW UNIQUE ANIMALS

A dog wearing a superhero outfit, a snake draped around a kid’s neck, and ducks were all part of the fun on Feb. 18 at Los Rios Park during the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association’s Kids’ Pet Parade.The annual showcase is part of the Swallows Day Parade seasonal festivities and gives kids a chance to show off their favorite animals.

PET PARADE WINNERS

TEAM COSTUME

Dominic Pule with his dog Zeus BIRD

Lily Marquina with ducks Jojo and Waddles KID AT HEART

Margo Kutner with her dog Skylar

EXOTIC PET

James Glynn with his snake Split

DOMESTIC PET

Lilly Brazil with her dog Tilly

THE HISTORY OF THE SWALLOWS DAY PARADE

Dating back to the 1950s, the Swallows Day Parade has gone from a school carnival to a community tradition that’s become a signature of San Juan Capistrano’s friendly and charming vibe, as well as a historically important event.

A small and passionate group of residents came together in 1958, beginning as a committee to the San Juan Capistrano Businesses Council, the predecessor organization to the San Juan Chamber of Commerce. This set in motion the transformation of the event from a small-town carnival to an equestrian and Western parade.

Activities have come and gone, but the parade remains an enduring feature central to the revelry and celebration.

Given the growth of the activity schedule, the importance of a sovereign organization to oversee the events became clear—hence, the volunteer group becoming the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association in 1987.

Other civic organizations have linked with the Fiesta Association since then, giving rise to the monthlong Fiesta de las Golondrinas, or Festival of the Swallows.

The Fiesta Association also pays tribute to the city’s Spanish, American Western and Juaneño Indian heritage

through the seasonal events, in addition to heralding the return of the swallows.

The Fiesta Association is also integral in welcoming new residents to San Juan Capistrano, as the area continues growing. Through volunteer opportunities and promoting the town’s legacy, transplants and longtime residents alike develop a sense of pride for living in this pretty and tight-knit South Orange County area.

The city solidified the Fiesta Association’s importance to the community in 1995 by proclaiming the Fiesta Association the lead coordinating organization, with approval rights for all Fiesta de las Golondrinas events.

The parade was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic—the only postponements throughout the event’s history. When the parade finally did return in 2022, it had no horses and instead allowed motorized vehicles for the first time in the event’s history, due to a equine brain virus outbreak.

Anyone interested in joining the Fiesta Association is welcome to become a member and contribute to the history of San Juan Capistrano. Visit swallowsparade.com for more information.

ENTRIES PARADE

11th Armored Cavalry Regiment Horse

Detachment

American Legion Post 721

Ballet Folklorico de San Juan Capistrano

Black Belt Tae Kwon Do Academy Bootleggers

Buccaneers of Tortuga

Buy My Bikes Inc.

California Highway Patrol, Capistrano Area

Canine Companions

Citizens’ Climate Education

City of San Juan Capistrano

City of San Juan Capistrano Sister

City Capestrano Italy

Code of the West Repertory Company

College and Career Advantage

Compassion With Action

Del Obispo Elementary School

Desert Mirage HS “Mighty Scarlet Regiment” Ram Band & Pageantry

Disneyland’s Circle D Ranch

Family Assistance Ministries

Fiesta Association

Goods and Goats Market

Great Danes of Orange County

Grupo Folklorico Alebrijes

Hula Connection

J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center

Jr. Miss Fiesta Eloise Glynn,

Jr. Senor San Juan Javier Martinez

JSerra Catholic High School

Juaneno Band of Mission Indians

Acjachemen Nation

Las Vaqueras

Laura’s House

Legión de María

Long Beach Mounted Police

Marco Forster Middle School

Merced County Sheriff Posse

Mike Ahumada - Realtor/Remax

Select One

Mini Madness Miniature Therapy

Horses and Cows

Mission Basilica Royal Court

Mission Basilica School Swallows Nest

Mission Basilica School Walkers and Cheerleaders

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mormon Battalion

Moulton Museum

Ms. Fiesta Daniele Smith and Senor

San Juan John Fischle

Oaks Middle School Eagle Pride

Marching Band

OC Fire Authority “Steamer”

Parade Team

OC Sheriff’s Department

OCASA College Prep

Oxnard High School Marching SWARM

Padre Junipero Serra Riders

Rancho Arroyo

Rancho Cucamonga Equestrian Patrol - Unit 417

Rancho Jalisco

Redwood Middle School Viking Band and Color Guard

Ricardo’s Place Restaurant

Riverside Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Detail

Robert Ridland

San Clemente Island Chapter

Daughters of the American Revolution

San Juan Capistrano Docent Society

San Juan Elementary

San Juan Hills High School

Senator Catherine Blakespear

SJC YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD, INC

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

Supervisor Katrina Foley

Sussman Middle School Marching Band

TEAM TAIWAN

Temecula Cowgirls

The Ecology Center

The Hole in the Wall Gang

The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team & The Little Miss Norco Cowgirls Jr. Drill Team

Unidos South OC

Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society

Wiltsey Middle School Wildcat Brigade

Taco Bell

Dotti Smith

Parade Announcer

Comedian Mike Hughes

O’Reilly Auto Parts

Comedians Suzette Masters and Ron Ruhman

The Stands

Producer Jonathan Morgan Jenkins and actor

Mark Schwartz

Chase Bank

Parade All Stars Landi

Morgan and Kirk Morgan

The former Marie Callender’s site

OC Talk Radio’s Dawn Kamber and radio personality Garrison West

ANNOUNCERS

L’Hirondelle

Radio personality

David Mason and Spanish announcer

Leslie Roberts

El Maquey

Spanish announcers

Christina Sepe and Jorge Vasquez

Parmiss Mediterranean Restaurant

Comedians Tom Riehl and Vince Harper

VIP Pavilion

Rancho Mission Viejo

spokesperson Charlie Ware and The Capistrano Dispatch founder Jonathan Volzke

Swallow’s Inn

Fiesta Association members Leanna Bradshaw and Jim Taylor

Mission VIP

Singers Tisha Bellantuoni and William Crisp

National

Anthem Singers

Tisha Bellantuoni

William Crisp

David Blair

Montica Kirsch

Bryan Vickery

Sydney Haik

Jena Abril

SPONSORS

PARADE SPONSOR

Almquist Development and Investment

DIVISION SPONSORS

Rancho Mission Viejo

JSerra Catholic School

Fluidmaster

Supervisor Katrina Foley

VIP PAVILION

SPONSORS

American Horse Products

Stephanie Frisch, Medicare Options Specialist

The Toll Roads

Inn at the Mission San Juan

Capistrano

PacTec Law

PRESENTING SPONSOR

St. Margaret’s Episcopal School

MERCADO SPONSORS

Capistrano Ford

Cefali & Cefali

TASTE OF SAN JUAN

SPONSOR

Cefali & Cefali

KIDS’ PET PARADE

& EXPO SPONSORS

Cefali & Cefali

Conservatory and Curiosity

FIESTA GRANDE SPONSOR

Boots Leone

FIESTA ASSOCIATION SPONSOR

The OutPost

TELEVISION SPONSOR

Santa Margarita Water District

MEDIA SPONSOR

Picket Fence Media

SPECIAL THANK YOU TO CR&R

Ed Stewart and Associates

ValPak

The Dish Boot Barn