No matter rain or shine, San Juan Capistrano will soon come alive with marching bands, dancers and horse-drawn carriages to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Swallows Day Parade.
Hosted by the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association, the parade is part of the city’s long-standing tradition of marking the swallows’ return from Argentina, which they called home during the winter months.
Last year’s parade was met with a downpour, but this year, Fiesta Association President Jim Taylor said he’s hoping for clear skies as the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales return to the route after a nearly 20-year absence.
“We really like this event and we like putting it on for the community,” Taylor said. “The return of the swallows and the parade is what helps make San Juan Capistrano unique.”
This year’s theme is “lassos and laces” to encourage more attendees to show off their best Western style, he added.
The parade is set for March 22 and will begin at 11 a.m. Road closures will start about an hour prior.
The route will start the parade at the El Camino Real and Ortega Highway intersection and end it just past Stonefield Park on Camino Capistrano.
At the same time, the Mercado Street Fair will be open for everyone to eat, dance, shop and have fun at the kid’s play zone.
Taylor said there will be a handful of parking lots included in the street closures, encouraging people to take advantage of the train.
Metrolink is offering a $10 round-trip ticket, free for 17-year-olds and under, that will drop off at the San Juan Capistrano station in the middle of the celebration. Free shuttles will be available.
Leading up to the parade, the San Juan Capistrano Mission will celebrate St. Joseph’s Day and Swallows Day on March 19.
The celebration will be kicked off with mass at 8:30 a.m. followed by the ringing of the mission’s bells, presentations about the history of the mission and Native American storytelling, and Flamenco dancing.
Tickets for the event are priced at $20 and are available on the mission’s website, missionsjc.com.
On March 19, the Fiesta Association will hold its annual Fiesta Grande at the Swallows Inn, a local western bar. At the event, the association will announce the winners of its contests including the best belt buckle, best western hat and best hairiest man.
At the start of the year, contestants in the hairiest man competition shave their facial hair to see who is truly the fuzziest by March.
“You just shave them and then 12 seconds later, they’ve got a five o’clock shadow,” Taylor said. “By the time March 19 rolls around, they look like Sasquatch.”
On March 21, the association will “make getting arrested fun” with Hoo’s Gow Day. Administrators of the parade will search the town to arrest “city slickers” – anyone not dressed in Western attire – and bail helps fundraise for the association.
Another milestone for the Fiesta Association is the 10th annual frog jumping race on March 21.
At Los Rios Park, families can place bets on which frog they think will hop across the finish line first. An actor portraying American writer and humorist Mark Twain will educate attendees on the story of the original jumping contest in Calaveras County.
The Fiesta Association starts its planning for all the festivities in November, and Taylor said he spends about 40 hours a week as the date approaches.
Taylor said the rainy weather last year caused a decline in attendance, but in 2023, about 55,000 people were there for the parade and fair, including vendors, parade participants and attendees coming from Los Angeles and Inland Empire counties.
The parade costs about $250,000 to put on each year. The Swallows Day Parade is free to attend, but Taylor encourages people to donate.
The first-ever Swallows Day Parade was held in 1954 and has since grown to be known as one of the largest non-motorized parades in the country. The original events included equestrian riders and western dances.
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