Stage Set for Soltopia to Replace Deltopia in Isla Vista After County Crackdown

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This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.

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Live music, free food, and (hopefully) sunshine: Isla Vista’s center will transform into a music and community festival on Saturday. I.V. residents can grab free tacos and dance or relax as local bands play rock, punk, folk, and indie music and deejays spin sets. Near Embarcadero Hall, folks can peruse an art and thrift market. And for 21+ attendees, there’s a Beer Garden (and a beer die tournament) in Anisq’oyo Park. 

The festival is called Soltopia, and it’s the Isla Vista Community Services District’s response to the cancellation of Deltopia, the massive, unsanctioned block party that attracts tens of thousands of partygoers annually. 

Myah Mashhadialireza, the community services district’s programs and engagement director and the head organizer for the event, said that she gave the creative vision over to students and other I.V. community members. 

“I said, ‘Make it yours. Whatever creative vision you want. Whatever vibe you want to cultivate, the decor, the feeling, the bands [that] you want to play, create it,’” she said. 

The result? Seven different sections, each with a different flavor. 

The Live Music 

Roadhouse: The Big Stage on Madrid 

Artist Lineup: Katy Plane, Medea’s Children, Uncle, Dislocated, Mantis Finger, Loc Dawgs 

It’s SoCal counterculture for Soltopia’s biggest stage, said section organizer Maycie Cooper. She says to expect punk, rock, pop and ska. 

“I knew we needed somewhere that was loud,” Cooper said. 

Cooper said that part of the appeal of Deltopia is the chaos and unpredictability embedded in it. She wanted to incorporate some of that chaos feeling — with folks letting go of inhibitions — in Roadhouse. 

“I recognized that we were going to make a very wholesome, safe environment for most of the students in all the other areas [and] I kind of wanted a spot where it could be a little bit rambunctious. So that’s basically what Roadhouse is,” she said. 

ChillaVista: Surfer Vibes and Beer Garden 

Artist Lineup: Winter Friends, Birchwood, Eternal Wave, Big Hungry, Dawn Patrol, Orangepit!  

The ChillaVista zone will span Anisq’oyo Park. In one section, folks can sit back in the grass on blankets or cushions and listen to bands.

“It’s a very kind of surfy, laid-back vibe,” said section organizer Jonas Hoffman. 

Devlin Ott, who runs the Sounds of I.V. account on Instagram, said she plans to bring cushions and blankets for people to use. 

The other section will contain a Beer Garden for 21+ attendees. Hoffman said local brewery M. Special donated the beer, and proceeds will go to STESA (Standing Together to End Sexual Assault). 

Hoffman said Zeta Psi fraternity will host a beer die tournament, and the Surfrider Club and Excursion Club will have stands in the area. 

Tides and Tunes: Acoustic, Folk, and Country 

Artist Lineup: Junkyard, Monkfish, Georgia, Emergency Contact, Velvet Binx, Standby 

Stylized as “a place to cool down,” Tides and Tunes, located just outside the Isla Vista Co-op, will feature bands playing folk and country music. Folks can grab catered sandwiches from the coop, enjoy popsicles, and relax. 

“It’s gonna be [a] chiller, hangout vibe, as opposed to the Roadhouse stage, which is gonna be punkier, heavier,” said Devlin Ott, who is helping organize this section. 

Section lead Rachel Hartman said in a social media post that she named the area Tides and Tunes to incorporate I.V.’s beach-town feeling, as well as I.V.’s music scene. 

DJ Spots 

2016 After Dark: Mid-2010 Throwback 

Deejays: Bjarkirz, DJ Suze, DJ Dani

Folks can grab a taco outside and dance to mid-2010 hits inside for the 2016 after-dark section. In a social media post, section organizer Mariah said to expect high energy and neon lights. 

Cantina del Sol: Reggaeton, Hip-Hop, and Hyperpop 

Deejays: Lang, DJ RiKO, Bird, HANGMAN 

Located outside of Dublin’s Bar on Pardall, Cantina del Sol’s section will include disco balls and  set lists that feature reggaeton, hip-hop, hyperpop, and trap music. The focus? Dancing. 

Sandpit: High-Energy Dance Music 

Deejays: Rajanno, Squig, Nick Delfino B2B Luna, Nikko, ILUVWUMAN, Lucuma

Find a 360 stage and deejay sets on Pardall. Section organizer Will Davis writes on the Soltopia website that the area will bring “classic open-air dayge vibes, with lush greenery and flora lining the street.” A special guest — Nikko — will play at 3 p.m. 

Market Coastal Commons: Thrifted Clothes and Art 

Art and thrifted clothes vendors will dot People’s Park for Coastal Commons. 

“Throughout my zone, we’re going to have some thrift vendors, so different clothing, henna artists, and some different keepsakes that both students and small businesses will be selling,” said section organizer Phoebe Tunnell. 

Tunnell said the section will also include an art section run by a local artist, and a flower-bouquet-making section.

[Click to zoom ] A map of the Soltopia festival scheduled for April 4, from 12 – 6 p.m. Credit: Courtesy Isla Vista Community Services District

Deltopia History 

In years past, students and visitors would celebrate Deltopia on the first weekend of spring quarter. Tens of thousands of people flood Del Playa Drive in an hours-long day party that, in recent years, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has said generated dozens of medical calls and citations, and overloading emergency services. 

This year, Santa Barbara’s Board of Supervisors passed a 72-hour noise ban over Deltopia weekend, effectively cancelling the event. This noise ban will be enforced by sheriff’s deputies over the weekend, with the Sheriff’s Office saying in a February 19 press release they plan to uphold a “zero-tolerance” policy. The exception to the rule is the Soltopia festival area. 

Soltopia organizer Myah Mashhadialireza said that when getting feedback from students about an alternative event, many had reservations. 

“They didn’t want to support something the police are okay with, and if you look at the history of party culture in Isla Vista, it is a direct approach to resistance,” she said. 

She pointed out that Deltopia was created in 2010 because the county shut down beaches ending Floatopia, a major beach party. 

Mashhadialireza said she’s working to show that just because a festival is organized and contains safety measures like first aid tents and security doesn’t mean it’s not a form of resistance against perceived overreach. 

“It’s to change and control the narrative for yourself, rather than have external news sources and places around the nation tell you’re a crazy party community,” she said. 

Chillavista section organizer Hoffman said he is excited to platform local bans in a way that’s more accessible to the public. 

“I think that what I experienced last year in Deltopia was kind of the lack of accessibility for a lot of people, because parties would often be closed off and maybe not very accessible to everyone,” he said. “Now we’re bringing in very large local bands like Birchwood, for example, who a lot of people in our community like listening to,” he said. 

“There’s gonna be so much free stuff there. Why wouldn’t you?  It should be beautiful outside,” section organizer Devlin Ott said. 

Supporting Local Business 

Deltopia has also served as a chance for local I.V. businesses to make sales. Businesses in I.V. depend on the ebb and flow of college students, and see a dip in sales in the summer, when the community empties out, meaning they need to make their money during the year. 

“Having these celebrations, it drives the economy,” Mashhadialireza said, adding that the community services district is pushing to incorporate local businesses into local government functions. 

Logistics 

Soltopia will run from noon. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. The festival is open to everyone, but I.V. residents and students who live on-campus at UCSB can register for a wristband that grants them free food throughout the day. You can register here.  

Four medical stations, four safety tents, and several drinking water stations will be placed throughout the festival grounds. Two Santa Barbara County Sheriff tables with deputies will be stationed on Pardall and Seville. The Isla Vista Community Services District has employed private security officers.

Free Food 

Pre-Festival 

• Yetz’s Bagels (9-11 a.m.) 
• I.V. Bagel Café (9-11 a.m.) 

Lunch 

• I.V. Food Co-Op (noon-3 p.m.)
• Roger’s Tacos (noon-3 p.m.), located at the I.V. Community Center Patio
• Elubia’s Kitchen (1-4 p.m.)
• Super Cucas (1-4 p.m.)
• Zocalo (2-5 p.m.)

Late Lunch and End of Festival 

• I.V. Deli Mart (3-6 p.m.)
• Maria’s Tacos (3-6 p.m.)