I have never been to Burning Man… but I want to go! I missed it again this year, but I tried to follow a lot of it on Twitter. Granted, it’s not the same. Based on what I have heard of this festival, a city is pretty much just erected in the middle of the desert for a week of music, art, and nonsense. Since I have never been, and I hear about it all the time, I wanted to research it a little bit. I found out a LOT of interesting things about this party in the desert. Maybe I will make it out there one year… because this just looks fun. I mean, come on… burning things on purpose. Count me in!
Burning Man takes place in Black Rock Desert. A lot of people say this is a music festival, but it’s more than that. This is a week of experimental art, self-expression (to the fullest capacity), creativity, and more. Just look this up on Google… the photos will blow your mind. I wouldn’t take kids to this, that’s for sure. The festival has actually grown from a small bonfire to a desert party playing host to 50,000 people every year. (That original bonfire that started it all was in San Francisco.)
The weather in Black Rock is HOT. This year temperatures exceeded 100 degrees every day. Maybe that explains the lack of clothing in most of the pictures from the event. Below are some facts and figured about this growing desert in the middle of nowhere:
- The festival changes each year based on a theme determined by the founder Larry Harvey. People then build everything from art installations to theme camps to art cars… yeah, art cars! Some even attend the event in costume.
- The event takes place in late summer/early fall on The Playa, an ancient lake bed situations in a 400-square mile expanse.
- Beginning in 1993, volunteers stared to place small kerosene lanterns on lampposts each night illuminating the pathway toward The Man.
- Attendees are to leave no trace. Even when attendees take everything with them, it takes a month to return the desert to it’s original state.
- It takes more than 2,000 volunteers to build, run, and to clean up the city during the event. Most of these volunteers work year round.
- You can’t buy or sell anything at Burning Man. Black Rock City is a place of sharing and free exchange, or gifting. There is one cafe that sells espressos and a few other beverages. A permit is needed to gift food to the public.
I don’t know about you, but this festival sounds sweet! Have you ever been to Burning Man? I am curious to hear what you think about it.
