'Where the West Went Wild'? Santa Ynez's Sagunto Street

By Mike Chaldu · Mon Jul 13 2026

Annual Old Santa Ynez Days treats visitors to parade, street faire, and the nearby rodeo

By Mike Chaldu

Multitudes of visitors descended upon Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez on June 20 to experience the 62nd version of the annual Old Santa Ynez Days, an event meant to celebrate Western culture and the area's establishment in 1882.

As locals know, the yearly happening includes a parade down Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez, starting from the east end of the road, where Maverick Saloon and the Santa Ynez Valley Elks Lodge is located, to Faraday Street. At that point, Sagunto Street became the site of the Street Faire, which included vendors, agricultural organizations, and live entertainment.

The parade showed its Western flair with plenty of horses (and their riders), huge pickups patriotically designed in honor of the U.S.'s upcoming 250th birthday, as well as some military vehicles (from the Flat Fender Friends) and a convoy of classic cars (courtesy of the Community Hot Rod Project in Santa Barbara).

Serving as the 2026 Old Santa Ynez Day Grand Marshal was Nicole Pena, honored for her 40-year history as a Santa Ynez business owner and community supporter. Nicole and her late husband, Ben, owned the Santa Cota Market for over 15 years, and during that time, the Santa Cota Market became a bustling hub for grocery items, deli sandwiches, and florals. When the couple sold the market in 1998, Nicole opened Santa Ynez Florists, a thriving florist shop servicing the entire Santa Ynez Valley.

Pena is active in the Santa Ynez Chamber of Commerce and has donated her time and talent to almost every Chamber event, and is currently the president of Santa Ynez Beautiful, a 501(c(3) dedicated to the beautification of Santa Ynez.

After the parade, attendees got to peruse the street fair, which consisted of booths that offered goods for sale and agriculture and cattle organizations. Also, a small stage was set up, where the Agin Brothers Band belted out some country and western favorites while some did a little line dancing in front.

Setting up on Faraday Street was a kids area, which offered activities like arts and crafts, pony rides, petting zoos, and even meet ups with movie characters like Jesse from "Toy Story."

This is the 62nd edition of Old Santa Ynez Days, which was started in 1962 as Tortilla Days, and the name was changed to Old Santa Ynez Days in 1975 to more reflect the events its roots in ranching and agriculture still prevalent in the area.

Also held in conjunction with Old Santa Ynez Days was the Old Santa Ynez Days Rodeo, which was held at Chumash Arena on Meadowvale Road over the two days of June 20-21. It was the fifth year the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association held a competition with the Santa Ynez community event.

Tyler Forsberg, who comes from Fillmore in Ventura County, and competes in tie-down roping and team roping, was named the All-Around Cowboy for the rodeo. The rodeo results can be found at www.prorodeo.com/result/2026/old-santa-ynez-days-rodeo/18546?resultsTab=text.

The Old Santa Ynez Days Parade and Street Faire is held the third Saturday in June, which it will most likely to be held next on Saturday, June 19, 2027.