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| Fishermen's Fiesta, Aboard the Adriatic, 1951. ~ Matich Family Collection |
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| Fishermen's Fiesta
THE SAN PEDRO FISHERMEN'S FIESTA
was first held informally in 1938. In 1946 the San Pedro Chamber of
Commerce officially sponsored the event. From its beginnings the San
Pedro Fishermen's Fiesta drew large, high-spirited crowds. A decorated
ship parade culminated a weekend of dances, charity drives, and
pageants of all sorts. In 1946 there were 42,000 spectators and in
1952, 150,000 people celebrated on San Pedro docks. In 1953 National
Geographic Magazine featured images from the Fiesta in an issue
dedicated to California. The festival in San Pedro continued into the
1970s.
HEAR Margie Falcone remember the Fishermen's Fiesta.
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Catholic Heritage/Community History
THE FISHERMEN'S FIESTA WAS A CELEBRATION OF THE FISHING SEASON. However, the Catholic spirit of the event was also evident. The majority of the fishing community was from or directly descended from Italian and Yugoslav families. As Catholicism shaped the event, with processionals and icons visible throughout, it also helped to blur the cultural barriers not just between Southern-Europeans but also between Mexican and Filipino families as well.
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| A statue of Mary Star of the Sea, representing the Mary Star of the Sea parish, is carried to the waterfront in San Pedro, Fishermen's Fiesta, 1953. ~ |
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| Religious and Civic Dignitaries Visit
AS THE FISHERMEN'S FIESTA BROUGHT TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY'S CULTURES it was a draw for religious and civic leaders. In 1946, the
Mayor of Los Angeles participated, setting a precedent for political
leaders-to-come and in 1949, after a 2-year hiatus of the festival, the
Archbishop of Los Angeles blessed the fishing fleet, a ritual carried
out from that year on.
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