Beaches in Isla Vista will be closed to the public on Friday and Saturday, Santa Barbara County officials announced.
The closure comes ahead of Deltopia, a yearly weekend event that in the past has drawn crowds of college students and partygoers to Isla Vista in early April.
County officials have closed the beaches each year since 2010, following a 2009 Floatopia event that damaged the environment and left beaches strewn with trash, debris and human waste.
In recent years, Deltopia has brought tens of thousands of partygoers to Del Playa Drive in Isla Vista. The annual event often coincides with the first weekend after the start of UC Santa Barbara's Spring Quarter.
County officials say the Deltopia event has been announced for April 1-2, and have opted to close the beaches to the public both days. Officials say no approved permits have been issued for the event.
In 2021, sheriff's officials issued 20 citations and made 5 arrests during Deltopia.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department will enforce the closure.
