Students Will Present Finding Fiesta Exhibit in Santa Barbara

A student-led project exploring local history will remain on display at Casa de la Guerra through October 25, 2026.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Cultural

Students Will Present Finding Fiesta Exhibit in Santa Barbara

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Students in Santa Barbara will showcase the Finding Fiesta exhibit at Casa de la Guerra, featuring works developed during the 2025-26 academic year. The display will remain open to the public through October 25, 2026.

Why it matters

This project empowers students to shape public narratives regarding local community histories by engaging directly with archival materials. It demonstrates the impact of collaborative academic work on regional cultural storytelling.

The exhibit features over two dozen individual pieces on wall display. The project was developed following a three-day workshop involving 11 teachers from 6 local schools.

The players

Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

This organization preserves historic sites in the region and provided primary source materials for the student workshop.

UCSB Library

The library served as a key partner in providing archival documentation for the educational project.

The details

The Finding Fiesta exhibit includes a variety of media such as student essays, drawings, original corrido ballads, and photographs of cascarones. The content was curated after teachers analyzed archival materials including newspaper clippings, festival brochures, vendor lists, and recipe books.

The project began in Summer 2025.
Students worked on the archival projects throughout the 2025-2026 academic year.
The exhibit display concludes on October 25, 2026.

Industry Dynamics

This exhibit follows a pattern set by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation's public history archives by utilizing local archival materials for public display. It represents a broader shift toward collaborative public history where local institutions leverage student researchers to expand community outreach.

Residents and visitors can view the student works at Casa de la Guerra in downtown Santa Barbara. The exhibit is accessible to the public at the historic site through October 25, 2026.

The takeaway

This exhibit highlights the value of teaching history through primary source analysis rather than traditional textbooks. Students and educators can use this model to initiate similar archival projects in their own local communities.