County Again Closing Isla Vista Beaches to Stop Floatopia

Isla Vista beaches will be closed this weekend — April 6 and 7 — in anticipation of a possible Floatopia event. The annual booze-soaked bash grew from a few hundred college coeds in the early 2000s to a massive unsanctioned party along the ocean that drew over 12,000 participants in 2009. The two days not only saw piles of bottles, trash, and poop collect on the half-mile stretch of sand between Devereux Beach and Campus Point but also led to dozens of injuries, arrests, and costly overtime hours for Sheriff’s deputies and UCSB campus police.

The closure, said officials, is authorized under County Code Section 26-11 that allows the Community Services Department to close any county recreation area, including beaches. Since 2009, the county has shut down I.V. beaches around this time of year whenever a Floatopia event seems imminent. In response, though, revelers have taken the party to the streets, hosting spin-off Deltopia events along Del Playa Drive. One is scheduled for April 6, according to Facebook, with over 6,200 people planning to attend.