Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year, but it is not celebrated the same way in Isla Vista as other college towns in America. Numerous ordinances are in place during Halloween weekend to ensure everybody has a safe holiday and celebrations stay in order.

These ordinances start on Oct. 26 through Nov. 4 between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. They include no music festivals, outdoor festivals, and dance festivals. Failure to abide by these ordinances could lead to an infraction citation and a fine over $500.

“If you are hosting a party or having a party we can shut the party down.” Lieutenant Garrett TeSlaa said.

Noise restrictions will also be enforced this upcoming Halloween. These restrictions prohibit the amplifying or audible playing of music from 1800 to 0700 decibels in the courtyard of a residence or business. During this period, a plethora of officers will be dispatched to watch for any other crimes to keep everyone safe. 

Even with the ordinances in place, TeSlaa explained that the officer’s goals are not to make Halloween unenjoyable but to make it safe for everybody due to prior events.

“We encourage them to have a safe and fun time, while abiding by the ordinances to maintain public safety,” TeSlaa said. 

There are an abundance of restrictions in place today but Halloween in Isla Vista used to be nothing like this. Over 30,000 people from Universities all over America used to come to Santa Barbara to celebrate this holiday.

“20 years ago Halloween would bring hundreds of thousands of people. With these ordinances, we have not seen nearly as many people.” TeSlaa said. 

In 1986 Isla Vista was named the number one party school in the world after a rumor by Playboy surfaced. This made the number of people attending Halloween skyrocket to 10,000  more people, making there 30,000 people in Isla Vista on Halloween weekend. With the immense surge of College students flocking to Isla Vista from all around the world, things got very chaotic, leading to over 1,000 arrests, two deaths from a cliff fall and one woman reportedly being shot.

“It was all of the outsiders that came in that caused all the chaos and problems,” Troy Alarcon,  UCSB Alumni said. “You couldn’t even walk down DP [Del Playa Rd.] Without having two feet of space, there’s somebody wall to wall. It was complete madness.”

With so many people coming to Isla Vista, there were an immense amount of tactics and restrictions Santa Barbara tried to implement to stop so many people from coming to Iv. These tactics included the “Do not Come to I.V” campaign, “Five Year Plan” and shutting down roads. Although, these did not work.

“They couldn’t really do anything. They couldn’t close off the roads so it was a complete free-for-all, it was wild.”Alarcon explains.

Even with the chaos Isla Vista used to endure, in the last couple of years everything has been in control better than ever before. The majority of visitors, crimes, and deaths on Halloween have decreased drastically. With these ordinances in place, Isla Vista is a much safer place on Halloween.