Swallows Day in San Juan

INSIDE

PARADE MAP & EVENTS

Check out this year’s route and events leading up to the parade

A LOOK BACK

Kay Shaw talks about her husband’s vision for the very first Swallows Day Parade

NEWBIES GUIDE TO THE PARADE Tips and tricks for navigating this year’s Swallows Day Parade

Timeline: An EverEvolving Fiesta ns to

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1954 First official Swallows Day

Parade organized by Businessman’s Association

1960 Second Swallows Day Parade; Kay Shaw rides in the Swallows Day Parade. Photos: Courtesy of Kay Shaw

Remembering the Beginnings of San Juan Capistrano’s Swallows Day Parade

Kay Shaw recalls her husband’s vision for a non-motorized parade in San Juan

BY ALLISON JARRELL Ninety-three-year-old Kathrine “Kay” Shaw remembers much about the origin of the Swallows Day Parade in San Juan Capistrano. It’s a subject near and dear to Kay’s heart because her late husband, Fulton Shaw, is credited as one of the parade’s founders in the early 1950s.

Fulton hailed from the San Diego area, and Kay was originally from Glendora, where her father owned the local newspaper. The two eventually ended up meeting at Knott’s Berry Farm before moving together to San Juan Capistrano in the late 1950s. When Kay met Fulton at Knott’s, they were both in their 30s and Fulton was working at Old MacDonald’s Farm, training animals and making TV appearances with barnyard critters (imagine a chicken playing the piano). Kay was interested in following in her father’s footsteps and getting into publicity and she went on to become the founder of Knott’s Birdcage Theater.

After moving to San Juan, the duo became embedded in the community. Kay was, and still is today, involved in the Woman’s Club. She and Fulton often visited the mission to enjoy its beauty and to learn more about San Juan’s history.

The pair adored living in San Juan Capistrano—which, at the time, had only 500 people to its name and was filled lemon trees, orange groves and dirt roads. Kay remembers a few businesses existing in San Juan, like a small café and Shorty’s Market, but at the time there wasn’t much else.

A group of residents who owned horses were already putting on their own parade when Kay and Fulton arrived in San Juan, but Fulton had a larger vision to draw more people in to town.

“We loved the area. Once we came here to live, Fulton said, ‘Every town needs a parade!’” Kay recalled. “He said this town had to have a real parade where we could invite outsiders to come in and visit. He also felt the town needed outside money.”

Kay describes Fulton as gregarious—a lover of people.

(She’s the same way, but admits that she wasn’t nearly as outgoing). Being a people person made it easy for Fulton to begin organizing the parade, Kay said. He reached out to his friends, members of the Native American community and other community members to get the parade on its feet.

“I love to look back at the beginning,” Kay said smiling.

“My husband was a very active person with a great imagination and a will to do things. He loved San Juan with all of his heart.”

It was one of Fulton’s friends, the well-known judge, Marco Forster, who proposed the name, Fiesta de las Golondrinas. Kay recalls the moment when they were all together and the name was chosen. It came suddenly to Forster, she said, as if he were just waiting for Fulton to ask.

The parade’s title as the largest non-motorized parade in the nation had an earnest start, as Kay said all entrants were originally required to walk, ride a horse or ride in a horsedrawn carriage. In order to help get the word out, Kay relied on her publicity background and, as the parade chairperson, she reached out to local and regional newspapers.

“I worked the hardest at the beginning to get enough money to have bands, because I love a marching band.” Kay recalled.

“I wanted to have at least three bands, so we had to figure out how to get the money.”

Kay’s solution was to hold fundraisers by cooking and serving up as much food as they possibly could—including roasting a pig in the middle of town.

The first official Swallows Day Parade Fulton Shaw, one of the founders took place in 1954, and of the Swallows Day Parade in San in 1960, the parade Juan Capistrano. included celebrity grand marshals Barbara Stanwyck and Audie Murphy—another publicity move, Kay said, to draw attention to the tiny town of San Juan. She still remembers how Stanwyck told the most interesting stories and even requested a specific type of champagne for her arrival.

As the years rolled on, San Juan Capistrano continued to grow in size, and so did the Swallows Day Parade. Today, Kay still enjoys watching the parade go by her daughter’s home, right next to the Mission. She and Fulton always thought big when it came to Fiesta de las Golondrinas—but did they ever expect it would grow to such epic proportions?

“Oh yeah, you have to!” Kay said. “When you’re in publicity, you see everything big—no failures. You don’t want to spend your time on failures.”

Barbara Stanwyck and Audie Murphy first Grand Marshals

1961 Chief Clarence Lobo appeared in full ceremonial tribal dress

1964 San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association established

1967 First Pancake Breakfast by Woman’s Club and Rotary

1971 First Hairiest Man in Town Contest

1977 Parade route revised to

Camino Capistrano to allow for larger crowd

1979 First Toddler Marathon 1980 Leon Rene, composer of

“When Swallows Return to Capistrano,” is Grand Marshal

1981 First Swallows Day Barbecue 1983 Belt Buckle Contest established 1986 First Ms. Fiesta 1987 First Miss Fiesta and Jr. Senor San Juan Capistrano

1990 Anita Adkisson becomes first woman president of Fiesta Association

1991 First Boot Contest 1992 Clydesdale horses in parade 2014 First annual Frog Jumping Contest

2015 El Presidenté Ball is held at the Mission

Information courtesy of Jan Siegel and the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.

March 14 El Presidenté Ball

March 18 Fiesta Grande

6 p.m.-10 p.m. The Fiesta Association’s 2015 El Presidenté Ball is a Western formal event celebrating the heritage of San Juan Capistrano. Enjoy great food and old-fashioned fun while dancing under the stars (weather permitting) to live country-western style music at Mission San Juan Capistrano, located at 26801 Ortega Highway. Tickets are $65 and can be purchased online or at Fiesta Association meetings or events. For more information, visit www.swallowsparade.com/presball.html.

6 p.m.-9 p.m. Four contests and a night of Wild West entertainment are rolled into one evening of fun at the Fiesta Grandé. Join your friends and make new ones at the Swallow’s Inn and enter to win one of the categories being judged. Spectators are welcome. Entrance fee is $5 per person, per category. Pay when you arrive.

Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate from the Boot Barn. For more information, call 949.493.1976 or visit www.swallowsparade.com. Swallow’s Inn, 31786 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

March 19 St. Joseph’s Day/ Return of the Swallows 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Join Mission San Juan Capistrano in celebrating St. Joseph’s Day with live music, performances and activities. The celebration includes a special guest lecture on cliff swallows, ringing of the historic bells and community presentations. Admission is free for Mission members, $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 for children ages 4-11. 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, 949.234.1300, www.missionsjc.com.

March 20 Hoos’Gow Day 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Hoos’Gow Day is an annual tradition that brings a taste of the Wild West back to downtown San Juan Capistrano. The “sheriff” and the “deputies” of the Fiesta Association are dressed in their traditional black and white Western garb while they roam the town in search of city slickers. If you’re not wearing western clothing, the deputies just might “arrest” you and throw you in the hoos’gow, leaving you no choice but to make “bail” by purchasing a Fiesta Association souvenir. For more information call 949.493.1976 or visit www.swallowsparade.com.

FIESTA DE LAS GOLONDRINAS

Events

March 20 Frog Jumping Contest 3 p.m. The Fiesta Association’s second annual frog jumping contest will include music and prizes at Mission Grill, 31721 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano.

March 21 Parade Day Highlights 57th Annual Swallows Day Parade 11 a.m. The U.S. Marine Corp Marching Band and Mounted Color Guard will kick off the Swallows Day Parade, the grand finale of Fiesta de las Golondrinas.

Mercado Street Faire 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The Mercado Street Faire will be located at the Historic Town Center Park (on El Camino Real, just off Ortega Highway).

The Newbies Guide to Swallows Day Avoid the Parking Crunch

Woman’s Club, located at 31442 El Horno Street.

Guests are encouraged to make an $8 donation, or $4 for kids under 10. For more information, call 949.

276.7688 or visit www. womansclubofsanjuancapistrano.com.

The Swallows Day Parade begins at 11 a.m., but it’s best to arrive early on Saturday as parking fills up fast and street closures start at 10 a.m.

Invite Out-of-Town Guests to Arrive by Train

Metrolink has a special Swallows Day Parade promotion, which includes a chance to win free rail tickets: www.octa.net/Metrolink/Win-Metrolink-Tickets. All the parade events are within easy walking distance of San Juan’s Metrolink station.

• Board Metrolink Train 660 or 859 at the station nearest to you.

• Arrive at San Juan Capistrano station.

• From the station, walk to the Swallows Day Parade and the Mercado Street Faire in the Historic Town Center Park (on El Camino Real, just off Ortega Highway).

Take the Shuttle Bus

If you’re too close to take the train (but too far away to walk) a shuttle bus service will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, starting along north Rancho Viejo Road. Free shuttle bus parking can be found at Fluidmaster, located at 30800 Rancho Viejo Road, and the Capistrano Business Plaza, located at 30250 Rancho Viejo Road on the east side of Interstate 5 (use the Junipero Serra Exit).

Shuttles will drop passengers off at the corner of El Horno and La Matanza streets for a short walk into downtown San Juan Capistrano. Riders may also use the shuttle bus to participate in the Pancake Breakfast at the Women’s Club, adjacent to the Old Fire Station. The shuttle costs $2 to ride.

Start with a Homemade Breakfast

Begin your morning bright and early with the annual pancake breakfast from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The Woman’s Club of San Juan Capistrano and the San Juan Capistrano Rotary Club will serve up pancakes, ham and scrambled eggs at the

Dress in Your Best Western Garb

If you’re looking for a lastminute outfit upgrade, stop in at one of San Juan’s local shops for your equestrian and Western gear needs.

Stores like American Horse Products, located at 31896 Plaza Drive Suite C4, and Ortega Tack & Feed, at 31738 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite A, offer a range of apparel, from hats and boots to jewelry and casual wear. They also have your horse covered with feed, bedding and other supplies.

Refuel with Some Local Cuisine

San Juan Capistrano is filled with dining options downtown—just on Camino Capistrano alone you’ll find Mexican fare and margaritas at El Adobe de Capistrano, a twist on classic American and Mexican cuisine at Mission Grill and some tasty tomato soup at Sundried Tomato.

y a D s w o l l a Sw Parade Tips The Swallows Day Parade is one of the nation’s largest non-motorized parades, taking place throughout downtown San Juan Capistrano. Read on for details on the parade and tips for navigating your way through the day’s many events.

Starting at 11 a.m. the 57th Annual Swallows Day Parade will kick off with the U.S. Marine Corp Marching Band and Mounted Color Guard.

Swallows Day Parade Stats

• More than 130 entries • 500 horses by wagon and/or mounted groups • More than 3,800 people on foot in the parade • 23 floats, nine marching bands • Two hours in length—the route is a little over a mile long At 2 p.m., awards will take place at the Historic Town Center Park, located near the Mercado Street Faire area between the back of Swallow’s Inn and the back of Marie Calendars’ parking lots. The parade is adjudicated with 10 professional judges who will award the best entries in the parade.

Visit the Mercado Street Fair

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Mercado Street Faire will be located at the Historic Town Center Park, on El Camino Real, just off Ortega Highway. Steps away from the main parade route, families can peruse booths filled with cowboy hats, clothing, jewelry and tasty dining options, from barbeque and spuds to sausage and salads. Ice cold beer will be sold between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Live music will be provided by the traditional country music group, Working Cowboy Band. New cars from local dealers will also be available to view and schedule a test drive. Family entertainment will be provided, as well as a kid’s play zone in the Historic Town Center Park. The play zone will include a bounce house, slides and human bubbles to roll across the water in.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARADE AND OTHER FIESTA ASSOCIATION EVENTS, CALL 949.493.1976 OR VISIT WWW.SWALLOWSPARADE.COM.