Pardall Carnival Returns to Isla Vista

UC Santa Barbara students and local Isla Vista residents flooded Pardall Road on Sunday for the reintroduction of the beloved Pardall Carnival. 

The Isla Vista Community Relations Committee (IVCRC) of UCSB’s Associated Students held the annual event following a two-year hiatus due to pandemic regulations.

Organizers emphasized their excitement towards restoring an in-person community in Isla Vista following the past few years of social distancing.

The carnival was landmarked by a giant ferris wheel, which replaced the usual traffic of Pardall Road. Free of charge carnival games were also featured along the closed-off street, which attracted long lines from excited community members. 

The closed-off street also featured tables from over 20 local organizations and businesses working with IVCRC. Booths offered organizational information along with free snacks and goodies.

One of IVCRC’s tables handed out free T-shirts and food vouchers to eager carnival attendees. Local restaurants surrounding Pardall flooded with students and locals using vouchers, with lines extending out the doors.

Isla Vista’s residents were excited to see the Pardall Carnival back in-person. Zach Tull, a fourth-year carnival attendee, said he enjoyed being able to walk through the busy streets and observe the community coming together.

“It gets us out of the nuclear friend groups we’ve been existing in, and reminds us we’re a part of a broader community of people,” Tull said.

IVCRC members emphasized the importance of making the event a family-friendly event open to both UCSB students and local residents in Isla Vista, since long-term residents can go overlooked in the chaos of the college town. 

The Pardall Carnival is an event to create unity in this small town for college students and families alike, they said.