With only a few days until that global celebration of greenery known as St. Patrick’s Day many are thinking of where to go to post up and get their Irish on. But before you commit yourself to green beer on a Tuesday night and a green-around-the-gills feeling on Wednesday at work I urge you to save your stamina and your party funds for a much more festive celebration taking place next weekend in San Juan Capistrano.
On Saturday March 21st, 2015 thousands will flock to the historic mission town for the 57th annual Fiesta de las Golondrinas (Festival of the Swallows) or Swallow’s Day as it is more popularly known.
The Swallow’s Day celebration marks the perennial return of thousands of cliff swallows to Mission San Juan Capistrano and the surrounding area from their winter home in Argentina. The world renowned return of the Swallows draws visitors from around the globe and has been the subject of songs and stories in both popular culture and traditional folklore.
Right about now, I’m sure a good many of you are thinking “Yeah, that sounds great and all, but I’m not much for birdwatching…”
Rest assured friends that if the sole draw were avian spectating that would not be the kind of event to get coverage on a dedicated food and drink platform such as Chow NCOIC.
Festivities surrounding the chirping of swallows busily rebuilding their mud nests, include not only the Mercado Street Faire and the MUST SEE Swallow’s Day Parade which kicks off at 11 a.m. but also an intoxicatingly carefree atmosphere which pervades the entire town. Some have compared the resultant merrymaking to Mardi Gras albeit without the gratuitous flashing for beads.
But what else would you expect to occur when thousands of people from around the world descend on a relatively small area that is home to so many great restaurants and bars?
It probably aids the inherent revelry that the streets around downtown San Juan Capistrano are closed from 10am until 5pm to facilitate the parade and street faire. During these hours driving out of town is nearly impossible, think Camp Del Mar on the 4th of July. Now, you could always hop on the Metrolink or Amtrak but if you plan on driving down, plan on making a day of it.
This shouldn’t be hard to do though because as I’ve mentioned you have your choice of watering holes. Chief amongst them is The Swallows Inn, a tattered old dive of a joint that the L.A. Times once called `one of the 10 worst bars in America’. It is a distinction they relish with pride.
One reason why this place can have thirty year old undergarments hanging from the ceiling and break every Taffer Tip that the Bar Rescue host has ever written while still doing phenomenal business is because it is something of an institution in this two horse town and has been for over 40 years. Many locals can recall having their first legal drink at its familiar bar. You may recognize it as the place where Clint Eastwood broke Marine hater Roy Jennings (Bo Svenson) down shotgun style in that old Marine classic Heartbreak Ridge.
Swallow’s Inn does get an immense draw on Swallow’s Day so if you are looking for some place where you can go to get a reasonable amount of elbow room this might not be the place.
Not worry though. San Juan Capistrano, for as small as it is (only 35,000 residents) has a bevy of other great places to relax, dine, and imbibe.
For those trying to save a few bones while still having a great time, I would recommend heading to Thai Juan On. The cocktails are very reasonably priced at $7 – $9 and they have beer and wine if that’s more to your liking. I recommend you try the Thaitini, an alcoholic concoction based on the sweet milky tea beverage that Thai restaurants are famous for. Keen, the bartender is a real ham and will keep a drink in your glass and a smile on your face. They also feature an innovative and delicious take on Thai cuisine that you’d be crazy not to ty if you were already there.
Two of my favorite local pit stops that will be experiencing their first Swallow’s day rush this year are The Brewhouse and Rancho Capistrano Winery the town’s sole tap room and winery respectively. While the Brewhouse lacks a grub operation they do offer 30 of the finest local craft brews on tap at any given time with a constantly rotating selection.
Rancho Capistrano Winery makes its signature varietals on site and features a full menu of Napa Valley inspired cuisine cooked to perfection by Chef Adrian de la Torre III and staff.
With these and many other great places to choose from you shouldn’t have a hard time finding somewhere to celebrate Swallow’s day that’s just your speed.
So if you’re looking to have a great time and don’t mind a scene that’s a little more Old West than Old Ireland and where you’re more likely to run into a cowboy than a leprechaun….C’mon down to Swallows Day 2015.
Photos from The Swallow’s Day Parade 2014:
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