Get to Know this Year’s Fiesta Luminaries
Become Acquainted with this Year’s Luminaries La Presidente, the Spirits, and Saint Barbara
By Terry Ortega | August 3, 2022
Read all of our Fiesta 2022 cover stories here.
Maria Cabrera
Old Spanish Days Fiesta 2022
La Presidente
Maria Cabrera, born in Colombia, moved to S.B. from the San Fernando Valley in 1983 with her husband, Francisco, and her daughter, Marisol. Her son, Pablo, was born in 1984. She has been a part of S.B.’s Fiesta fabric through her family’s involvment with three different dance groups, watching her daughter’s performances, and being a volunteer for 30 years. The role of La Presidente meant that Maria was part of this year’s entire planning, as opposed to just a few events. The challenges included “inventing the wheel again” in a post-COVID world, such as the new parade route for El Desfile Histórico (The Historical Parade) on Friday that goes along Cabrillo Boulevard from Castillo Street to Calle Puerto Vallarta, a route that was last used in 1973; as well as El Desfile De Los Niños (Children’s Parade) on Saturday, beginning near the corner of Cabrillo Boulevard and Garden Street to Calle Puerto Vallarta. The theme she chose for this year, Todos Juntos en Familia (All Together as a Family), for her means that, “Due to COVID, we missed each other’s company, and Fiesta is the time when you become family with those around you.” Maria says, “Fiesta is back! A little different, but worth the wait.” Always on the job, she would like you to be aware that Fiesta is “in need of volunteers, vendors, and merchants … we cannot do this by ourselves; we need each other!”
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