The Ramona Pageant

Have you ever thought of researching your town's history? How or when was it first populated, who were the first inhabitants and how did they make a living? On many occasion have I driven down town and wondered what all the fuss was about this girl named Ramona. Beautiful old fashioned banners, baring her name, forever hang from every street light. Therefore, I finally decided to do a little bit of digging and see what this lady's connection was, and still is, to my little town.

What I came to discover was that both San Jacinto and her sister town, Hemet, was rich in history. True, it was a mostly tragic past but there are many notable triumphs to mention as well. Nonetheless, for the purpose of finding out who Ramona was I turned to author Helen Hunt Jackson. According to Mrs. Jackson, Ramona was a young Spanish-American orphan girl who fell in love, and later married, the Native American Alessandro. She lived in California where she and Alessandro endured the tragedy of prejudice.

Her story was portrayed in the novel Ramona, published in 1884, written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Mrs. Jackson, an Indian activist, was appalled at the ill treatment the Indians were receiving. At one point she hired a law firm to represent the Saboba Tribe who were about to lose their land at the foot of our very own San Jacinto Mountains. This tribe still resides here on their reservation and run the Saboba Casino.

In any case, even though Ramona was considered the Uncle Tom's Cabin of California, the novel sparked a number of legends and regional myths. These legends were then ingrained into California culture. Folks who came from miles away to visit Ramona's birthplace in San Diego were disappointed to find that Ramona was actually a fictional character. Or when they came to take part in the now famous outdoor play called "The Ramona Pageant" in our neighboring town of Hemet (about 80 miles north of San Diego), people were once again surprised to learn that Ramona and her true love had never existed.

Nonetheless, the story of Ramona is played out as an annual event in Hemet California. Would you believe it is America's longest-running outdoor play with over 400 actors, singers, dancers and horsemen? This cast is comprised mostly of our locals both from Hemet and San Jacinto.

At any rate, "The Ramona Pageant"is performed in the Ramona Bowl, a breath-taking natural amphitheater. The Bowl is as important to the play as all the costumes, animals and props are. The natural settings, of course, make the story so much more authentic. And the Bowl's surroundings, about 160 acres of canyon country, really allow the audience to emerge themselves in the story, almost a part of it I would assume.

The first few seats were built into the Bowl, so to speak, in 1926 and little by little more seats were added. However, people still preferred to sit on the hill sides. Fundamentally, however, the best addition to the Amphitheater was the permanent bathrooms in 1936.

Then in 1993 "The Ramona Pageant "was named the official California state outdoor play. Quite an accomplishment, I dare say, as is the number of years Ramona has been performed on this vast stage. Since 1923, "The Ramona Pageant" has entertained and educated thousands of travelers about life in the Wild West. And once again in April of this year the large cast will assemble. For the last two weekends of April and the first weekend of May the 85th jubilee of Ramona will come alive in the hills of my hometown.

May I suggest you order your tickets today. The May show has already been sold out and if you like to enjoy the deep pit barbecue luncheon and the pre-entertainment gala in the market place, I would get in touch with the Hemet /San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce as soon as possible. We hope to see you there.