The Procession

Yesterday, the Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta began with a procession from the church to the historic olive grounds next to the mission. This year, it was lead by the the  Grupo Nauhcampa, a conchero dance group from Gilroy.

At the end of the mass, the dancers lined the center aisle and, dancing backwards, moved their way down the aisle and out the church. They danced to the statue of St. John the Baptist in front of the church where they performed a ceremonial blessing to the four directions. From there, the dancers, Father Jim, and some parishioners weaved their way around the plaza and down to Third Street and through part of San Juan Bautista and up to the olive grounds.

To see  photos of the procession and the fiesta, head over to  this Take 25 to Hollister album on Facebook.

2014 Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta

The statue of John the Baptist was created by Sculptor Thomas Marsh.

Today, the Mission San Juan Bautista congregation is having its annual celebration to honor St. John the Baptist, the patron saint of the old mission, and its 202nd anniversary.

The fiesta runs from 11 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free to everyone.

The celebration begins with a procession led by the  Grupo Nauhcampa at 11 AM to the historic olive grove, on the north side of the Mission, where the fiesta is held. They lead another procession at 1 PM.

Live entertainment is provided by the Mariachi Juvenil Alma de Mexico and the Nu-Horizon Band. The traditional chicken barbecue lunch plate, with sides of chili beans, salad and French bread, is available for purchase at $8/plate.

For further details, check out the article by Ernest Franco in the Out and About Magazine.

The 2014 Hollister Rally

Are you ready for the 2014 Hollister Rally?

Come two weekends from now we will have thousands of visitors in our town and county, enjoying the annual biker festivities. The event will run from 9 AM to 9 PM on both Friday (July 4) and Saturday (July 5) and from 9 AM to 3 PM on Sunday (July 6).

To learn more about the schedule and vendors, head over to the Official Hollister Rally website. And, if you'd like to know how Hollister became known as the "Birthplace of the American Biker" and how this annual motorcycle rally came to be, check out this Take 25 to Hollister post written in 2008.

Quarry–Plant 25

Whenever the Husband and I drove north on San Felipe Road, past the Hollister Airport, we looked to the west and wondered what the tall structures are in the distance alongside the hill. All we knew was that big trucks enter and exit a dirt road off of Bolsa Road on the other side of that hill.

I recently learned that it's a quarry over there and it was established in 1999. So much for imagining it was an archaeological dig or a small city of Oz being built. The Don Chapin Company, an engineering construction company, owns Quarry–Plant 25, which makes ready-made concrete, precast concrete, and other products for different types and sizes of residential and commercial construction projects. 

Another View from Park Hill

This scene always makes me think of driving south on 101 passing by a certain exit for Hollywood. Just as long as I pretend the mountains aren't there. Thank goodness we don't have to deal with any kind of freeway traffic or big city jams.