"Fiesta Finale has taken place at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse for the past five years on the Sunday at the very end of Fiesta; this year’s Finale is scheduled for August 7.  The late John E. Profant’s daughters and his widow created the event to honor John’s memory.  We’ve attended four of the five Fiesta Finales that have been held and it has become a favorite event of ours.
 In honor of the high regard we have for both the Profants and Fiesta Finale, we have teamed up with the Profant Foundation to create the Montecito Journal Award in Literature and to fund its nearly $2,500 scholarship.  Anyone and everyone and in any age group is invited to apply (google up the John E. Profant Foundation for application forms and requirements), amateurs and professionals alike.  The application period extends from the beginning of February until the end of April.  We expect to enlist the help of some of Montecito’s most notable authors to help choose a winner.  The Award carries with it a $2,000 check, a scholarship to attend the Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference, and we hope (it hasn’t been nailed down yet) an introduction to an active literary agent or publisher.  Viva La Fiesta!"