Burning Man. We're going to go a little off book for this one. This event is more than just a festival, it is a celebration and an experience. 99% of the time when you ask a person, "How was burning man?" they tend to just laugh and say it was great. They laugh because it is so difficult to depict how this experience went without actually being there. So for the duration of this blog I will do my best to explain other's experiences that I've heard and to simply cover the basics.
According to
Burning Man, the event happens at the end of August/beginning of September, so basically the week prior too and Labor Day weekend. The dates for 2018 event are August 26th to September 3rd. The event is built every year in Black Rock Desert which is around 120 miles away from Reno, Nevada. Usually the general population is 0 for the desert but once the event begins the population spikes to over 70,000 people.
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| From YourEDM |
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| From USA Today |
The word 'built' may have caught your attention, but the meaning is quite literal. The make-shift community know as, Black Rock City, in which burning man resides is built in two months prior to the event by the attendees themselves. The process starts with one gold stake that marks the spot of the infamous burning man, which is always built in the center of the city. From there, fences are placed for two to three miles to establish the outer structure of the city. The community is then built inwards, making a semi-circle like shape. (see image below) Each section is labeled by times, semi-correpsoning to the sun. Then additionally, each strip of the circle is labeled by a name, making it easy to navigate to something like "5:30 - Esplanade" (inner most circle). However this map is from 2010 and the names of the 'streets' are changed each year to correspond to the overall theme.
The one thing that all community members are collectively responsible for is making sure that there is absolutely not one trace of the city left after the event is over. That means every speck of glitter, pine needle and piece of trash that the eye can see must be removed. In the image below it says "MOOP MAP", moop is: matter out of place. Burning Man's most important rule is to leave no trace, which is why there is a MOOP map for the days following the festival so attendees can be conscious of where the most trash unintentionally accumulates.
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| From Burning Man |
Each attendee is completely responsible for themselves. That includes building their own shelters, bringing their own water and figuring out their way of transportation for those two weeks. A lot of people ride bikes due to the fact that the city spans around two to three miles. No vehicles are allowed except for the art cars which are very slow moving, small, glowing cars that drive around the city at night for decoration and light. One very interesting aspect of the community is that there is no money. Everything that you receive and give, except for coffee and ice, are free. But even in the case of having to buy coffee or ice, people leave money for others to use! Burning Man doesn't like to say that their way of commerce is trading, they call it 'gifting'. It is a one way exchange with no intention of receiving anything back. Many people prepare gifts before they come to the festival but are mistaken because not all gifts have to solely include physical items, they can be a shoulder to cry on or advice.
Burning man is an arts festival that encompasses the meaning of self expression whether it be through physical works or mental ones. There are numerous life size art pieces designed for the theme that is chosen for that year scattered across the city grounds. (Check out the pictures below to get a feel for the art.) There are numerous stages for artists but no one really knows who is going to be performing until they get there. During the two week period anyone is free to do whatever they want, (apart from any kind of destruction) whether that be stay in your tent, look at the art, listen to the music or ride your bike and make new friends. It is a community that completely built itself with no regulations or expectations.
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| From Time |
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| From Curbed SF |
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| From The Fresh Toast |
It is not necessary to cover the fashion choices for this event because everyone differs so much. Most of the time people wear very light clothing due to the extremely hot weather and potent dust. Hats, sunglasses, tank top and shorts are the basis for the best fashion choices for all years of Burning Man.
Burning Man is a very unconventional place, so if you're looking for a judge-free, rule-free, guilt-free experience, Black Rock City is for you. If interested, read Burning Man's
10 principles.
Festival Tip: Go in with an open mind and no expectations to ensure you will encompass the true aura of the experience.
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