Capistrano Is Welcoming the Swallows--Again and Again

After two months of local dispute over mission officials changing the traditional date of Swallows Day, the focus of all this attention--the swallows--are finally straggling back to San Juan Capistrano.

And as they wing their way into this centuries-old town, they’ll find not one, but two days of festivities, a break from the past that still irks many residents here.

They’re so irked, in fact, that some are planning a candlelight vigil tonight to “call attention to the sense of loss” over the change, said Janice Evans, a resident of 21 years.

“It’s about heritage, it’s about tradition, it’s about what this town was built on,” added Evans, who is organizing the 8 p.m. vigil at the entrance of the 219-year-old mission.

Evans and her group will urge mission officials to ring the old mission bell, a treasured and age-old practice to herald the return of the swallows, only on the traditional Swallows Day, which is St. Joseph’s Day on March 19, not March 16.

Nevertheless, mission officials say they have no plans to change the scheduled ringing of the bells on Saturday.

“There is virtually no chance of us not ringing the bells,” said Jim Graves, a spokesman for the mission.

Whether or not the famous old bells ring in honor of the tiny birds, Saturday marks the mission’s main celebration of the annual return of the swallows, including special performances by the South Coast Ballet and the colorful Aztec Indian dancers, as well as dances by the Juaneno Band Mission Indians, mariachis and an area of booths loaded with crafts and food.

Nearly 20,000 people are expected to attend the event, based on figures from last year’s Swallows Day, which also happened to fall on a weekend.

The celebration will then continue midweek on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19, when the mission holds a smaller but similar version of the main event. The day will begin with another symbolic ringing of the bell at 8:15 a.m., followed by the crowning of the Swallows Day king and queen, a children’s choir, and the customary singing of the 1930s song that put the town on the map: “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.”

“The idea is twice the fun, an extended celebration,” Graves said. “The essentials will still be the same.”

Mission officials said that they switched the dates of the main celebration from the customary March 19--St. Joseph’s Day--to the weekend of March 16 to accommodate working families and schoolchildren who are unable to attend the usual midweek festivities.

The change touched off a fuss in the community, with many residents feeling the departure from tradition was like a slap in the face to the heritage-rich town.

And even though mission officials decided to honor the punctual birds on the traditional St. Joseph’s Day as well as on the preceding weekend, there are still residents who believe there can be only one true Swallows Day.

Some, like Donald and Mary Tryon, said there is no way they would attend the main celebration on Saturday.

“We don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” said Mary Tryon, who sits on the board of the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society. “We’re sticking to our guns.”

Others, like Rita Tanner-Propersi, a member of the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Assn., said they were optimistic about the whole affair.

“We get to celebrate two days instead of one,” Tanner-Propersi said.

No matter, mission officials and residents alike will be closely watching how people respond to the double celebration.

“We’ll see how residents vote with their feet,” said mission administrator Gerald Miller.

And despite the flap over the mission’s meddling with a tradition, the rest of the city’s activities revolving around the the swift-flying birds will continue as planned for the remainder of the week.

Among other events, residents and tourists can enjoy the rest of the Fiesta de las Golondrinas at the El Presidente Ball on Saturday night, the Kid’s Pet Parade on Sunday, and the 38th annual Swallows Day Parade on March 23, the nation’s largest “nonmotorized” parade.

For those people who couldn’t care less about all the hoopla and only wish to see the very object of all this publicity--the swallows--good news: There already have been sightings of the little guys.

A sizable group of swallows were spotted swooping down on four architectural preservationists who are restoring the Great Stone Church at the mission.

“I think it’s important to stress that the swallows don’t automatically come out on the 19th,” Graves said.

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Swallows and Celebration

San Juan Capistrano once again will host the swallows and all the celebration that accompanies their return to the mission and city. This year, the doings run throughout the week, beginning Saturday. Here’s a handy planner:

SATURDAY, MARCH 16

* Annual Return of the Swallows to Capistrano Valley

When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Mission San Juan Capistrano, 31522 Camino Capistrano

What: Pageantry, entertainment, food and traditional ringing of the mission bells heralding return of the swallows

Wherewithal: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Information: (714) 248-2048

* El Presidente Ball

When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: El Adobe De Capistrano Restaurant, 31891 Camino Capistrano

What: Formal dinner-dance, no host bar, games and prizes

Wherewithal: $33 per person

Information: (714) 493-1976

SUNDAY, MARCH 17

* Kids’ Pet Parade

When: 1 p.m.

Where: Cook Park, La Novia and Calle Arroyo, San Juan Capistrano

What: Children under 12 show off favorite pets

Information: (714) 493-1976

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

* St. Joseph’s Day (traditional date for the swallows’ return)

When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Mission San Juan Capistrano, 31522 Camino

Capistrano

What: Live entertainment, food and traditional bell ringing

Wherewithal: $4 adults, $3 children and seniors

Information: (714) 248-2048

FRIDAY, MARCH 22

* Hoosegow Day

When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What: Fiesta Assn. deputies will roam streets searching for those not dressed in Western attire or any clean-shaven man. Jail sentences are short for those who can make bail by purchasing a garter or brass badge.

Information: (714) 493-1976

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

* Mercado Street Fair and Market Place

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: El Camino Real to Forster Street

What: Food booths, craft items, beer garden and live entertainment

Information: (714) 493-1976

* 38th annual Swallows Day Parade

When: 11 a.m.

Where: Downtown San Juan Capistrano

What: Nation’s largest “nonmotorized” parade

Tip: Arrive early, most streets closed by 10 a.m.

Information: (714) 493-1976

Source: San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Assn.