Thousands flood Isla Vista for annual Deltopia celebration near UCSB
Tens of thousands of people packed Isla Vista and Del Playa Drive near UC Santa Barbara all day Saturday to celebrate the informal post-Spring Break event known as “Deltopia.”
There were dozens of 911 calls for medical service, and one person apparently broke an arm jumping from a balcony, but authorities did not report any serious injuries as of Saturday evening.
“Deltopia is a tradition that draws thousands of Isla Vistans to take to the streets and celebrate each year,” said Ethan Bertrand, a member of the Goleta Union School Board, former Isla Vista Community Services District Director, and community leader.
“I’m proud of the considerable progress that has been made in improving safety for Deltopia weekend over the past 10 years. The combination of organized programming, harm reduction, and education has made a positive impact.”
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In 2014, Deltopia erupted into chaos, with injuries, arrests and deputies deploying tear gas and rubber bullets on crowds of people.
Since then, crews have worked to make the event safer. The unsanctioned tradition began as “Floatopia” in the 2000s. After 2009, the beaches were shut down and Deltopia as we currently know it began in 2010.
A steady stream of college-aged students walked Storke Road on Saturday to attend the event. The city of Goleta clamped down on parking, as did the Camino Real Marketplace, but many students seemed to park in the Target Shopping Center and walked several blocks.
Bertrand said he was thrilled to see a large crowd of people enjoying entertainment, free food, and community at the Spring Festival put on by the Isla Vista Community Services District and several partners.
“Our community has made it clear that they want to have fun on this day, so we all need to work together to provide safe and positive activities for folks,” Bertrand said. “It was great seeing Isla Vistans dancing to music in a park, as opposed to congregating at parties on crowded ocean-front balconies.”
More work, however, is needed.
“Of course, we need to continue to prevent alcohol-and drug-related safety issues,” Bertrand said. “I commend Supervisor Laura Capps for leading the campaign to distribute Narcan throughout the whole community in the lead-up to the event.”
Jonathan Abboud, general manager of the Isla Vista Community Services District, said the Spring Festival in Little Acorn Park, a block from Del Playa, was a success.
“Thousands of people attended the IVCSD Spring Festival today, with lines for free tacos the entire 5 hours of the event, performances by five local bands, DJs, and rappers, EMTs and Safety Stations onsite, the Guardian security team, and with public restrooms and water stations deployed across Isla Vista,” Abboud said.
He said the vision many people had in 2014 following the “Deltopia riot” is become a reality — an organized event that promotes public safety by drawing people away from the street and private parties to have fun in a safe environment and provide resources for their health and wellbeing.
“There was also a concerning number of medical emergencies out in the rest of the community, and that is something we will need to continue to work with our partners to reduce,” Abboud said.
