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SOME HISTORY

Fiesta-TNT was founded in a small room by Chief Imagineer, Teresa Newton-Terres, unofficially in 1996 and officially in 2000.  While Fiesta-TNT had an official birth, the joy found in family fun Fiestas began generations ago. Teresa comes from a long line of Spaniards. The first left Spain about 1910 on a ship bound to work in the Hawaii's agricultural industry and eventually migrated to Santa Barbara, California. It is here in California that Spaniards, Hispanics, Native American Indians, Asians, and Europeans thrive.  And a city wide festival, known as the OLD SPANISH DAYS FIESTA -"Fiesta" to the locals- began around 1928....and Teresa's family had an integral part in the beginning of the festival which draws over 100,000 in any single day from around the globe. Generations of the Terres family participate in the yearly festival held under an August Full Moon and includes costumes, singing, dancing, horse and carriages parading, and socials. (Click for more of early Fiesta History)

When Teresa fell in love and married her soldier boy she moved far away from her native home to travel the world...and while she traveled home to Fiesta; yet, missed the year long event preparation. It wasn't long before she began a yearly tradition of her own and sponsored a fiesta for family, friends, and neighbors.

"Will You Dance With Me?" The Unofficial Beginning:

Several years ago, Teresa's then 13 year old daughter, Dete, came home from school and announced, "I volunteered you and I to dance a Spanish dance for my Spanish language class at the class Cinco de Mayo party!"  

"But I haven't performed in 20 years!" Teresa cried.

"They won't know that!  I will dance with you, we will get some great music.  We'll use our old costumes...and fake it!" Dete said smiling.

CAC High School Fiesta In Spanish!"Fake it? And with old costumes that probably don't fit?" Maybe a 13 year old can fake it, but I can't, Teresa thought; and then Teresa thought, How often does a 13 year old ask their mother to a cultural dance with them and participate with their high school class mates? Teresa announced, "Yes!  We will dance together!" Teresa had three months to prepare, and the next day Teresa located a dance studio that she had heard had a Spanish teacher whom she hoped could teach them a dance as she had forgotten the dances of her youth. Sure enough, Antonio Mesa, agreed to teach them one of the most famous Spanish cultural dances -- Seviallanes. Next Teresa got to work making new costumes.

Since so much time and money went into the Spanish class performance, Teresa thought it was an opportunity to throw a party for family, friends, and the neighborhood. So, Teresa and Dete danced and entertained the language classes during a weekday, and that weekend Teresa and Dete held a Fiesta at their home...  One teen exclaimed, "I've never had so much fun!" While a parent proclaimed, "This is great!" And a younger child asked, "Let's do it again!"

These comments made Teresa realize that family fun Fiesta's aren't just to be enjoyed in her hometown because, families deserve a Fiesta, a party, a joy-filled shared memory... and with the right preparations children, teens, adults, parents and grandparents can enjoy preparing, hosting, celebrating, and cleaning up from...a Fiesta - a party.

One thank you note from a mother of several home-schooled children wrote, "Your invitation and photos we took at the party will go in our home-school portfolio under Social Studies, which we will be reviewing with the Board of Education next week.  The Fiesta was a real cultural experience...not to mention loads of fun!"

Understanding that project management's life skills aren't just for industry's efficiency and effectiveness, it was natural for Teresa, as a professional project manager, to apply her professional know-how to raise the bar of the event's success... and so a family tradition continues.

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(Click for more of early Fiesta History)

 

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