Pockets of Isla Vista transformed into full-on block parties Saturday for the unincorporated community’s second annual Meet Your Neighbors Day.
The goal wasn’t to make money or invite a bunch of out-of-towners.
It was a meet-and-greet between the college students, long-term renters and property owners who live there and the organizations serving the small community of about 23,000 adjacent to UC Santa Barbara.
Isla Vista Recreation & Parks District general manager Rodney Gould said the event started last year as a way for neighbors to begin healing after the May 23, 2014, Isla Vista massacre in which six UCSB students were murdered by a 22-year-old college dropout, who killed himself after a shootout with authorities.
Meet Your Neighbors Day brings all demographics together in respective neighborhoods, getting them to eat, chat and participate in activities.
Festivities and free food were spread out across eight Isla Vista parks in 2014, but Gould said this year’s event focused events in four parks: People’s, Perfect, Anisq‘Oyo’ and Little Acorn.
UCSB, Santa Barbara City College, Isla Vista businesses and others helped sponsor the festivities in different ways.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department, for example, provided residents with a free pancake breakfast.
Zumba, yoga, children’s arts and crafts, bounce houses, live music and a Monarch butterfly exhibit drew the crowds, as well as a beer and wine tasting at the heart of Isla Vista in the Loop.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
