Family Fandango Day, August 24, 2013, Santa Teresa Park

The pictures below were taken by Ron Horii:

The Bernal Family has a family reunion just before Fandango, organized by Greg Smestad, who is talking here. Their ancestors came to the Bay Area with the Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition in 1776. Jose Joaquin Bernal, who was teenager when he traveled with the de Anza Party, founded 10,000-acre Rancho Santa Teresa in 1834. His descendants owned and operated the ranch until 1980.

The musical group El Mosquito warms up behind the barn, using the tents to change into their costumes.

Julie Lee and Kitty Monahan help to setup the tables for Fandango.

While Kitty Monahan works on the Fandango programs, National Park Service interpreter Nathan Sargent talks to County Parks interpreter Heidi McFarland.

Amateur radio operators have a booth demonstrating their emergency communications equipment. They also brought the powerful lights that were used after dark for cleanup.

This is the Friends of Santa Teresa Park's booth. This poster shows past activities.

The Friends of Santa Teresa Park (FOSTP) are working on a plaque to be placed on Coyote Peak, the highest point in Santa Teresa Park. This poster shows a possible design for the plaque. It has a panoramic view from the peak, with closeups of points of interest.

The tables are setup in preparation for the visitors. Park interpreter John Dorrance is on the left. The red trailer on the right is the emergency lighting system that will be used for lighting after dark.

Back at the newly-restored East Barn, 4H'er Jason Bombadier prepares to show his rabbits. The rabbit hutches are temporarily housed in the goat pen of the East Barn. The East Barn was recently completed. This is the first year it's been open for Fandango. Part of it will be used for a 4-H goat and sheep project. The rabbits will be moved inside the barn.

FOSTP President Mike Boulland (left) and FOSTP member Ed Jackson (right) await the visitors.

Teri Rogaway (right) of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority joins the ham radio operators. Her husband Ray is setting up a video camera to demonstrate TV transmission to the receiver on the right.

The dancers of Folklorico Nacional Mexicano begin to arrive.

County Park docents Shari Sullivan (left) and Mary (right) get ready to greet the visitors at the sign-in/information table.

FOSTP member and Umunhum Conservancy President Sam Drake (left) looks at the ham radio equipment.

Fandango officially begins at 5:00, though the park always gets lots of visitors. Behind the FOSTP booth is the trailhead for the busy Joice Trail, which leads uphill into the park.

Food was provided by the Tamale Factory. Here, they are preparing their booth to serve tacos and tamales. Behind them is the Caretakers House.

As visitors begin to arrive, park interpreter and Fandango organizer Jan Shriner (right) greets Mary and Dennis Moran. Behind Jan is a table with ice water for guests.

Max Martinez (left) greets children who have come to try their hand at pretend cattle-roping and branding.

Nathan Sargent mans the NPS booth on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Trail. He has maps and brochures of the trail. The musical instruments represents the kinds of instruments that the settlers in the Anza Party would have used for entertainment.

Phyllis Carrasco (left) runs the arts and crafts tables.

Docent Mary Moran is signing the volunteer form, while Robert Berryessa, a descendant of the Berryessa family that owned nearby Rancho San Vicente, looks at the park literature.

Inside the East Barn is a corn-shucking machine, demonstrated by John Dorrance.

John Dorrance shows a reproduction of a grinding wheel.

Jan Shriner opens up the event, while the dancers wait to perform. Next to Jan is Blanca Cinco, who provided the Spanish translation.

Antoinetta Benitez (right) and FOSTP member Roxanne Koopman (left) help out at one of the crafts tables where kids can make animals out of corn husks.

Elena Robles (left), director of Folklorico Nacional Mexicano, introduces her young dancers.

Bernal Family members gather for a family portrait at the Anza booth.

Delfina Garcia, at her Meson del Minero (Rancho Trading Post) booth, shows a dress to Heidi McFarland.

Francisco Garcia (left) demonstrates items at the Meson del Minero booth.

4-H'ers show off their beekeeping project and products, which include beehives, beekeeping gear, items made of beeswax, a honeycomb, and honey.

Mike Boulland and Sam Drake talk to visitors and hand out newsletters at the FOSTP booth.

Mary Moran (left) works at the yarn craft table.

A visitor talks to Nathan Sargent at the Anza Trail table.

Dennis Moran does caricatures of visitors.

Bernal Family members show historic items and pictures and talk about their family history.

At Phyllis Carrasco's table, kids can make hand-stitched herb sachets.

At Mary Moran's table, guests can weave yarn into lanyards, reminiscent of the way leather was woven into rope in the rancho days.

Kids make corn husk animals.

Visitors enjoy feeding and petting Easy, Trailwatch volunteer Janice Frazier's horse. Janice is in the blue shirt on the left.

El Mosquito performed traditional Mexican folksongs.

By the chicken coop are Robin Schaut (center), manager of interpretive programs, and ranger Kristy Barton (right).

Alan Leventhal (center) stops by the FOSTP booth and talks to visitors.

FOSTP members talk to visitors about Santa Teresa Park and its history.

A young visitor feels the soft fur of a rabbit, while Jason talks to other visitors about raising rabbits.

Ham radio operators.

Coyote Crest 4-H

4-H beekeeping.

The Anza Trail table.

The Bernal Family table.

FOSTP member Greg Koopman helps with kids "brand" cattle.

Kids make designs to be turned into sachets.

Jan Shriner talks with ranger Aniko Millan (center). Aniko earlier tended to a child who was stung by a yellow jacket.

Janice Frazier watches as a child feeds a carrot to Easy.

The FOSTP booth at 7:19 pm. Sunset is approaching.

Julie Lee talks to volunteer Rick Leonard (center) and camp host/volunteer Brian Shively (right).

Here are former residents of the ranch. Patrick Joice used to own and operate the ranch with his family, which is why the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch bears his family's name. Lydia Carlson (in the hat), used to live at the Caretaker's House at the ranch when she worked for Park Maintenance.