Battle of San Diego Bay Celebration
House of Spain, Casa De España hosts the Battle of San Diego Bay 214th Anniversary Celebration through the courtesy of the U.S. Naval Base Point Loma. This event commemorates the only Pacific Coast, ship-to-shore battle between American ship the Lelia Byrd and Spain’s Fort Guijarros, located on Naval Base Point Loma.
The ceremony begins at noon with a flag raising ceremony, accompanied by Spain and U.S. national anthems. Captain Howard Warner III, the Naval Base Point Loma Commanding Officer, will welcome the attendees and the Cónsul General of Spain in Los Angeles, His Excellency Javier Vallaure will be in attendance. The keynote speaker will be Mr. Joseph Bray, a native San Diegan, who has studied the life and career of William Shaler, the captain of the Lelia Byrd. William Shaler also served as an American government diplomat and confidential agent in several foreign locations, including Algiers, Mexico, and Cuba. Mr. Bray is a rare book specialist with the U.C. San Diego Library’s Special Collections and Archives department. Joseph oversaw the publication of an award-winning annotated reference bibliography, The Hill Collection of Pacific Voyages, at the University of California, San Diego. Following the ceremony there will be a Spanish dance performance by Doña Juanita Franco and her Classical Dance Academy “Ole Flamenco.”
The fiesta will include a variety of historical, cultural, and maritime displays, historical costumes, children’s craft activities and bounce house, and food and beverage services including paella (by Paella Valenciana Catering), tapas, desserts, beer, wine, and sangria.