Marking the 300th anniversary of the birth year of Fray Junípero Serra, the California Mission Studies Association will hold its 30th annual conference Feb. 15-17 in Santa Barbara.The Presidio and Mission Santa Barbara will host a series of events including tours, workshops and presentations of scholarly papers on aspects of California Mission history. While attendance at most of these events are restricted to CMSA members, two are open to the general public (space permitting):—A farewell concert conducted by John Warren of the New World Baroque Orchestra will feature mission-era Baroque music on Feb. 15, 7:15 p.m. at Mission Santa Barbara.—The re-enactment of Father Serra raising the founding cross at what he called the founding of "El Presidio y la Misión de Santa Bárbara” will take place on Feb. 17, 10 a.m. at the Presidio.Founded in 1984, the California Mission Studies Association is a nonprofit public benefit corporation formed for educational purposes:—to preserve, advance, and promote early California historic and cultural resources;—to advance and promote development of archaeological, historical, and archival resources;—to promote research projects resulting in the preservation and restoration of period landmarks;—and to encourage and support educational opportunities for scholarship in the fields of early California history and culture for all people."We are looking forward to discussing this legendary figure in Alta California mission history," said CMSA president David Bolton of Santa Barbara. "The year 2013 will feature many events from Spain to Mexico to California all centering on the life of Fray Junipero. This CMSA Conference will help tell the story."The keynote address on Feb. 15, "Junípero Serra and the Super Natural," will be presented by Dr. Steven Hackel, a professor at UC Riverside, author of an upcoming biography on Father Serra, and co-curator for an anticipated Serra exhibit scheduled later this year at the Huntington Library in Pasadena.On Feb. 16, Dr. Rubén Mendoza will give the annual post-lunch presentation, “Illuminations at the Serra Missions and Presidios." An archaeologist, writer and photographer, Mendoza has directed major archaeological investigations and conservation projects at missions San Juan Bautista, San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, and Nuestra Se√±ora de la Soledad, among others. Recent efforts at the Royal Presidio of Monterey resulted in the tandem discovery of the earliest Fray Junípero Serra chapels in California, dated at 1770 and 1771. Mendoza’s Mission Solstice Survey has, in turn, resulted in the astronomically and liturgically-significant discoveries of solstice, equinox and feast day solar illuminations of mission church altars throughout California, the Southwest, and Mesoamerica.CMSA members include representatives from archaeology, anthropology, architecture, art, music, history, religious studies, Native American studies and historic preservation. Most members live in the U.S. but a growing number are from Mexico. The 2013 CMSA Conference rotates primarily among the 21 California missions (last year’s took place at Mission San Rafael Arcangel), although some have been held in Mexico and Arizona. It was last held in Santa Barbara in 1990.Advance tickets for the Feb. 15 Baroque music concert ($10) are available through Feb. 14; call (805) 962-0605. For information on the conference, or on becoming a member of the California Mission Studies Association, visit www.californiamissionstudies.com.{gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2013/0208/sbmissions/{/gallery}