Welcoming back the swallows in an annual tradition dating back to the 1950s, the 64th annual Swallows Day Parade on Saturday, March 23, is once again certain to draw huge crowds to the downtown area of San Juan Capistrano.
As one of the largest non-motorized parades in the United States, the parade marks a time for the community and visitors to come together to celebrate a long-standing tradition. Meeting friends new and old to honor San Juan Capistrano’s heritage is all part of the day.
Many will be decked out in Western wear, another time-honored tradition, and it is just one of the many distinctive components of the parade. Horses and carriages will be filled with officials and parade officiants, and other parade participants will be walking in procession, representing different community groups.
2023 Swallows Day Parade
The annual Swallows Day Parade and Mercado Street Faire is one of the biggest and most popular events of every year in San Juan Capistrano, embraced by community members of all ages. Photo: Alan Gibby/Zone57
Among those carriages, be sure to watch for this year’s Grand Marshal, Matt Gaffney, and accompanying dignitaries, Ms. Fiesta Jennifer Pointer and Senor San Juan Tony Pointer, along with teen and junior dignitaries Savannah Erca, Natalie Correa Morales, and Benjamin Brooks.
For those who want a change of scenery before, during, and after the parade, the Mercado Street Faire takes place just off the parade route in the Historic Town Center Park, located on El Camino Real between Forster and Olde Mission Road. The Mercado hosts more than 100 booths, a Kids’ Zone, and vendors for food, shopping, and even that last-minute Western wear to put on for the parade. As always, country music will be featured, provided by Brad Johnson & The Killin’ Time Band, from 1-5 p.m.
Hosted by the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association, the parade is organized entirely through volunteers' efforts and donations throughout the year leading up to the main event.
This year’s parade theme is “Saddle Up San Juan.” The parade starts promptly at 11 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. The Mercado Street Faire runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The SJC Fiesta Association recommends arriving early, as most streets in the vicinity of the event close at 10 a.m. To avoid congestion and the difficult task of finding parking, paradegoers can take free shuttle buses from designated areas, operated from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Shuttle bus parking can be found at Fluidmaster (30800 Rancho Viejo Road) and the Capistrano Business Plaza (30250 Rancho Viejo Road). The shuttles will drop off at the corner of El Horno and La Matanza Streets, not far from downtown.
According to City Manager Ben Siegel’s Weekly Update, there will also be free special event trolley service, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., with free parking to access the trolley at the Community Center parking lot (25925 Camino Del Avion). The trolley has a downtown drop-off location the morning of the parade at Los Rios Park. For real-time trolley arrival times on the day of the event, download the “Ride System” Trolley Tracker app.
Visitors may also take the Metrolink train to the San Juan Capistrano station, which is a quick one-traffic light walk to downtown.
For more information, go to swallowsparade.com.