The campus teams with students, neighbors and local agencies to ensure another laid back Halloween

Aiming for another safe and home-based Halloween weekend, UC Santa Barbara has partnered with its students and with the broader community to develop an array of rules, regulations, safety enhancement and alternative events from Oct. 26 – Oct. 31.

The Recreation Center, starting at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27, will host Hallowheels, offering roller skating, pumpkin painting, silent disco, photo booth, costume contests, e-sports, free food and candy, a spooky movie, s'mores, cornhole and more. The event is a collaboration of the Department of Recreation, Health & Wellness, Life of the Party, Gauchos for Recovery, and Woodstock's Pizza. The Associated Students Program Board will present its popular students-only concert event, Delerium, Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Thunderdome.

Off campus, the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) is throwing a Halloween Community Festival, featuring live music, performances, art, food, games, workshops, vintage clothing vendors and more. The festival will take place Saturday, Oct. 28, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Isla Vista Community Center, 976 Embarcadero Del Mar. An immersive haunted house, sponsored by IVCSD and St. George Youth Center (SGYC), will be open 6:30–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, at SGYC, 889 Camino Del Sur, followed by a pumpkin carving contest, 4:30–7:30 p.m. Monday.

In addition, IVCSD will sponsor a safety station, staffed by UCSB Community Service Officers, at Little Acorn Park, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on both Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28. 

The Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District (IVRPD), is sponsoring a haunted pumpkin patch event in Anisq’Oyo’ Park from 7–11 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30 and Tuesday, Oct. 31.

All events are designed to make Halloween a locals-only occasion. The campus continues to team on these efforts with myriad community partners, including IVCSD, IVRPD, IVFP, the City of Goleta and Santa Barbara County.

As in past years, no overnight guests are allowed in any of UC Santa Barbara residence halls or in university-owned apartments (except Family Student Housing) from 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27 to 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 30.

Campus officials have worked diligently to develop a parking plan to help ensure the safety of our campus community of students, faculty, staff, and others who are authorized to use campus facilities during the Halloween weekend.  Additional measures will be put in place to discourage unauthorized use of campus parking facilities to gain access to Isla Vista during Halloween.

Effective Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28, the campus will be closed to overnight visitor parking. Campus checkpoints will be set up beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 and will continue as needed throughout the weekend in order to provide safety and security to the campus.  Unauthorized vehicles will be denied access without prior approval. 

In order to park on campus overnight on the dates identified above, all vehicles must be registered with valid “Reserved,” ”A,” “B,” “C,” “H,” or annual “Night & Weekend” ePermit.

Short-term ePermits, including daily, 15-day night & weekend and visitor permits issued from the TPS Permit Portal, Permit Dispensers, and ParkMobile will expire at midnight Friday, Oct. 27, and Saturday, Oct. 28. These permits are not valid for overnight parking. Unauthorized vehicles parked overnight on campus are subject to a $300 citation and having the vehicle impounded at the owner’s expense. The enhanced parking restrictions will cease between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. to allow for normal business on campus.

As in previous years, a number of our campus parking locations are subject to closure and access will be limited to support enhanced safety and security measures.

In addition to parking lot closures, traffic in and around the campus will be impacted. Access to El Colegio Road and/or Isla Vista may be closed for safety reasons if deemed necessary by law enforcement. If roads are closed, proof of residency may be required to enter. Certain roads in Isla Vista may be barricaded and closed to vehicular traffic.

The festival ordinance prohibiting amplified music at residences will be in place from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day between Thursday, Oct. 26, and Monday, Oct. 30.