The Burning Man Festival kicks off Monday, August 27, and some may be wondering what this event is exactly. Why are over 50,000 people expected to gather at a desert for the next week? Although many say you can never understand it until you've gone there yourself, here is a quick guide of what the Burning Man Festival is in general.
The 2012 Burning Man Festival is a week-long event from Monday, August 27 through Monday September 3 as it is always held from the last Monday in August to the first Monday in September. For about 20 years, this event has been held at the Black Rock Desert, also known as "the playa" in northern Nevada. This year's theme is "Fertility 2.0."
Thousands of "burners" as the participants are called gather at this temporary 1.5-square-mile land for a week of self-expression and radical self-reliance. The Burners are there to create all sorts of artwork while dressed up in costumes. Thousands of people dance around, show off their work, make friends, exchange free gifts and hang out for a week in the desert which can reach temperatures up to 110 degrees. After the week is over, everything is dismantled and cleaned up so no trace is left behind.
This isn't your typical festival with vendors and big name artists taking to a stage to perform. It is more of a city than a festival as everyone creates everything around them. Participants create everything that becomes Black Rock City from giant art installations, to theme camps, to special vehicles, to performances that entertain all that attend.
Participants must bring their own food, shelter, and especially water. As conditions can be brutal, it is advised that participants wear lots of sunscreen and drink at least a gallon of water a day.
The first Burning Man Festival started in 1986 on San Francisco's Baker Beach. Artist Larry Harvey and his friend Jerry James created an eight-foot wooden man, which they then lit on fire. Only 20 people attended the event. By 1989, news of the event grew and over 300 people came to watch the Burning Man, but the event was moved to the desert after police attempted to break up the gathering.
Now, the event brings in people from all over the country for the massive gathering of close to 60,000 people. In 2011, the festival sold out for the first time in history. Over 53,000 people attended. This year's event is also sold out.
On the Saturday before Labor Day, the Man is burned as a tribute to the festival's beginnings.
Generally, there are no rules for this event. Participants are free to express themselves however they want, even if that means strutting around naked. However, there are some restrictions to the event. Driving is banned, except for approved "mutant" vehicles which must be limited to a speed limit of five miles per hour. Participants who wish to burn their own art must do it on an approved burn platform. Fireworks, firearms and dogs are not allowed at this event.
Burning Man isn't cheap. Tickets for this year's event range from $240 to $420. Students and those with low incomes can get a discount. Children under 12 are free with a parent. The money goes towards things such as fees, rental equipment, toilets, security and more.
Here are some videos of past Burning Man Festivals:
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
