The Los Altos History Museum is planning a new celebratory cultural event — Rancho Day: Horsemanship in the Hills. On Saturday, May 28, the event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at seven dollars a ticket. The museum hopes to provide a fun and informational way to learn about California’s Rancho Period, which began with the Construction of Spanish missions in the 1700s and lasted up until the early 1900s.

“It’s such a little-known part of local history,” Museum Educator Georgianna Shea said. “We often think of ranchos and horseback riding as being brought to the west by Americans. The long Hispanic influence isn’t usually highlighted, so we want to bring that to the public’s attention.”

With games, performances and hands-on activities, the museum strives to make the event an experience suitable for all ages. Specific workshops such as piñata and tin art making require registration and extra fees, but the history exhibits and many performances are open all day and included with the ticket.

Notable events include the Los Altos Hills Horsemen’s Association reenacting the

Anza Expedition of 1776 as well as traditional dance performances from Raíces de México Ballet Folklórico. Mexican food will be prepared with the ingredients of the time period and served to attendees.

A more detailed schedule of the day can be found here.

This event is only the first program in a four-part fundraising series meant to support the establishment of the Museum’s new Permanent Exhibition in place of its current upper gallery. 

Other programs in the series include:

• Apricot STEM Fair: A Tale of Two Valleys – July 16
• Train Day: Making a Town – September 10
• Creek Fest: Playing with Water – October 22

The Permanent Exhibit will focus on displaying the history and stories of the land Los Altos was established in a more engaging way. This includes using technology, touchable objects, augmented reality and a hands-on learning lab to make a more interactive experience for visitors. 

More information can be found on the Los Altos Museum website.