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Local News in Brief : San Juan Capistrano : It’s the Early Swallow That Gets a Perch

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Thousands of tourists will converge on San Juan Capistrano today for the annual return of the swallows.

Today’s activities are part of a weeklong celebration in the city’s 30th annual Fiesta de las Golondrinas or Festival of the Swallows.

Swallow-watchers will gather around Mission San Juan Capistrano at Ortega Highway and Camino Capistrano as early as 6 a.m., waiting for the swallows’ return from Goya, Argentina, traditionally marked when 92-year-old Paul Arbiso rings the mission bells.

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Mission School students will select this year’s “King and Queen of Spain,” and crowds will be entertained by Aztec dancers, mariachis and the singing of the day’s official song, “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.”

The city’s Fiesta Assn. anticipates 8,000 visitors and encourages those wishing to find parking to arrive early.

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