For those Isla Vista residents planning to eat Freebirds for Thanksgiving dinner, think again – the burrito bar is one of many I.V. businesses that are closing their doors for part of the holiday week.

The Santa Barbara Airport is gearing up for the highly traveled Thanksgiving holiday, and airport personnel expect large crowds and long lines. For those residents who will remain in I.V. for the week, many businesses in I.V. will close for at least a portion of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Most local businesses, including Freebirds, will shut down on Thanksgiving Day. According to Freebirds Manager Cameron Halstead, the eatery will close at 3 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 22 and reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 23.

Halstead said the 24-hour burrito restaurant is closing for Thanksgiving because most of the employees at Freebirds are students who want to go home for the holiday.

DejaVu co-owner John Jamali said the I.V. eatery will close on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and reopen on Friday. The reason for the temporary closing, he said, is because of the lack of customers on Thanksgiving.

“There’s no reason to stay open, because there is just nobody here,” Jamali said.

The Santa Barbara Airport expects roughly 25,000 to 30,000 people to pass through its facilities on the days before and after the holiday, but Airport Operations Manager Tracy Lincoln said the staff is not anticipating flight delays due to crowds.

Passengers should expect longer lines than usual, Lincoln said, and one way for commuters to cut down on congestion is to remember what is allowed through security.

“Understanding what they can and can’t bring on an airplane is the most important thing,” Lincoln said.

Lincoln said he recommends that travelers check with the airline before leaving home to find out if the flight will take off on time, and also check the Transportation Security Administration Web site, www.tsa.gov, to look for any regulation changes.

Lincoln said that the airport will have extra employees working to help passengers move through security and to ease some of the holiday travel frustration. He said although this will help speed things up, passengers should arrive at the airport at least an hour and a half before their flight.

For travelers, Lincoln said that delays due to other circumstances could affect flights. He added that this year, fog has the potential to play a role in whether a flight will take off on time.

“Sometimes mother nature rolls in and takes things into her own hands,” Lincoln said.

Meanwhile, other I.V. businesses will also close or have modified hours this week. Woodstock’s, Bagel Cafe, Pita Pit and I.V. Market will shut down all day Thursday and Friday.

Starbucks will close for the entire break, shutting its doors on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and reopening on Monday. Java Jones will remain open for the break, except on Thursday, when it will close early at 3 p.m.