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Friends of Santa Teresa Park


Santa Teresa Park

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Past Events

Dedication of the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch

Founders Day Fandango 2006

Ranch Spirit Day 2007

Family Fandango 2008
, volunteers & exhibitors


Park Pictures

Santa Teresa Park Wildflowers, Spring 2002

Mine, Fortini, Stile Ranch Wildflowers, 4/11/08

Bernal Hill wildflowers and views, Feb-Apr. '08 Part 1, Part 2

Coyote Peak, Rocky Ridge Wildflowers 2008







Family Fandango Day

Santa Teresa County Park 

August  1, 2009


The pictures below were taken on Family Fandango Day, held on August 1, 2009 at the Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch in the Santa Teresa County Park Historical Area on Manila Drive. This was the fourth year for this event, which celebrates the history of the ranch from the original Muwekma Indians to the Spanish settlers and their descendants, and to the American ranch era.

The pictures below were taken by Ron Horii:


The Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch on Manila Drive at Camino Verde.


Delfina and Francisco Garcias' booth, displaying rancho artifacts


Melinda from the Youth Science Institute is holding a garter snake. On the table are nature specimens and a microscope.


Dot Wilson showing visitors the ranch house.


Kitty Monahan and Heidi McFarland at the information table.


Patrick Joice, whose picture is on the end of the timeline on the left, talks to visitors in the barn.


Park interpreter and MC Jan Shriner with Spanish translator Jorge Izquierdo Garcia.


Gloria Arellano-Gomez of the Muwekma tribe with her daughter, says a prayer in the native Muwekma language.


Justice Paul Bernal talks about the history of the Bernal family at Rancho Santa Teresa.


Patrick Joice, the last rancher on the property, talks about his family's history and ranch experiences.


Youngest dancers of the El Grito de la Cultura dance academy doing a bottle dance.


Kids from the audience join in the dancing.


The audience watches the dancers. About 300 people attended.






Paul Bernal showing pictures and memorabilia of the Bernal Family.


Mike Boulland (center) at the Friends of Santa Teresa Park's information table and adobe brick-making area. Helping out were expert brick-maker Juan Cisneros and John Ruiz and family.


The Friends of Santa Teresa Park had an activity on making adobe bricks. The ingredients for the bricks were mixed in plastic cups and poured into molds made of wooden sticks. Dorene Boulland and student volunteers are directing the brick-making.


John Slenter demonstrates cattle branding, using a stamp and ink.


The father of one of the dancers demonstrates rope twirling skills.


The Santa Teresa Foothills Neighborhood Association had a display on animal bone recognition.


Cattle roping.


Park intern Novim Spencer from SJSU demonstrating cattle roping.


Ohlone tule reed crafts.


Docents Jeanne Carevic and Robbie Lamons lead the kids in games of rancho bingo.


Delfina and Francisco Garcia showing their rancho artifacts.


Making tortillas.


SJSU lecturer Alan Levanthal talking about the Native American history.


Katie Eskra at the NPS's Juan Bautista de Anza National Trail's table and Spanish soldiers' uniforms. In the back is the Friends of Juana Briones' table.


Kids getting dressed as Spanish soldiers.


Kids dressed as Spanish soldiers marching in formation, led by Frank Martinez IV.


The soldiers at attention.


The food line.  The food was provided by the Center for Employent Training (CET) Culinary Program, and the parents of Folklorico Nacional Mexicano Juvenil, part of the El Grito de la Cultura dance academy.


Equestrian Trail Watch volunteer Janice Frazier brought her horse, Easy.


Ruben Reyes demonstrating a foot-powered potter's wheel.


Pottery-making demonstration by Ruben Reyes, using bowl molds.


Robin Schaut carrying a basket of paper flowers with confetti eggs, called cascarones, to the dancers. The flower/eggs were made by Terri Sanislo.


El Grito de la Cultura director Elena Robles introduces the older dancers.


The dancers paired up. Elena Robles danced with one of the younger dancers.


Expert dancer Raul Herrera demonstrates dance moves.


Parents of the dancers join in.


Members of the audience joins in.


Dancers dressed as vaqueros.




Dancers taking a bow, holding the cascarones, which they broke on audience members' heads.

The pictures below were taken by Chris Horii:


Closeup of Junior Ranger badges handed out at the Juan Bautista De Anza National History Trail table.


Cattle roping.


Park interpreter John Dorrance demonstrating cattle roping.


Expert adobe brick maker Juan Cisneros holding an adobe brick.


Mixing up the adobe mud in wading pools for the adobe brick-making demonstration.


Getting ready to shovel the adobe mud into the brick form.


Shoveling the adobe mud into the large brick forms.


John Ruiz smoothing off the surface of the brick.


Initialing the big adobe brick.


Smoothing out the adobe brick mixture in the small brick molds.


Small bricks drying by the Friends of Santa Teresa Park banner.


Dancer carrying a cattle brand she made.


Young dancer.


Kids making tule crafts at the Muwekma table. In back is the Muwekma's booth.

Pictures by Ron and Chris Horii. Page created by Ron Horii, 8/14/09