VISTA: Culture, history celebrated at Rancho Guajome Adobe

Vistors try tortilla making, basket weaving

By LEIGH ANN DEWEY - For the North County Times | Saturday, July 19, 2008 10:57 PM PDT ∞

VISTA ---- Vista's colorful and diverse past was celebrated Saturday when the historical Rancho Guajome Adobe welcomed the community to Fiesta at Guajome 2008.

The 22-room adobe ranch house, built in the 1850s on what was originally a 2,219-acre Mexican land grant, has been designated a National Historic Landmark for its contribution to the history of the area and the nation.

The hacienda, once a social and cultural center of North County, has been restored by the San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department, and is staffed by park rangers and volunteer docents.

The goal of the annual fiesta, held throughout the grounds, is to commemorate all the cultures that contributed to the history and development of the area, said Hector Live, event organizer and senior park ranger.

Events throughout the day included ballet folklorico performances; a fashion show featuring Victorian clothing; storytelling by American Indians; trick roping; basket weaving; and demonstrations of blacksmithing, tortilla making and weaving on a loom.

Visitors were able to partake in a Mexican barbecue and self-guided tours of the adobe, while children took part in crafts projects creating belt buckles, vaqueros (vests), baskets, and papel picado (cut tissue paper) decorations.

They also joined forces to break a candy-filled pinata.

"This is excellent and I'm glad we came," said Escondido resident Jerome Austreng, who attended with his wife, Arlene. "We've lived out here since 1979. (The adobe) tells us history from more than 125 years ago. Everyone should see it, especially school children. What a history lesson."

"I liked everything," Vista resident Christina Reed, 7, said of the fiesta. Her favorite activity was basket weaving.

Beth Wilkinson, an Escondido resident who grew up in Vista, brought her two children and nephew to the event. She said she found the fiesta listed as a "kid-friendly" weekend activity on a local Web site and decided to check it out.

"It's good because the kids get to experience other cultures," she said, watching the children run from their lunch table to a trick-roping demonstration. "But it sure is hard to get them to eat when there is so much going on."

Fiesta at Guajome is one of two major events held annually at the hacienda. The weekend after Thanksgiving, the adobe's Rancho Christmas event draws an estimated 600 to 700 visitors a day, Live said, and features an adobe completely decorated for the holiday season.

The landmark, at 2210 N. Santa Fe Ave., is open Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. Docent-led tours offered at 11 a.m., and 12:30 and 2 p.m.

School tours are given on weekdays by appointment, and weddings and private parties can also be booked.

For more information, call (760) 724-4082 or go to earlysandiego.org and click on Rancho Guajome Adobe in the drop-down window.

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