Burning Man. How does one describe this week long arts/hardcore party event held every year in Nevada’s Black Rock City desert? Truly, it cannot be contained or explained by words and pictures alone. It’s truly something you have to experience to understand…or believe. For one week, some 50,000 costume-clad visitors travel from all over the world to celebrate humanity, creativity, music, nudity, charity and chemically induced happiness celebrated to the beat of throbbing techno. This inhabitable desert wasteland devoid of all animal and plant life, is transformed into Nevada’s third largest city. It has it’s own post office, medical center, coffee shop and, in this gift-based economy, the neon city functions like a bizarro, Mad Max version of the real world.
Burning Man is a playground for adults with booze, boobs, fire jugglers, mutant art cars, six-floor tall installations, vibrating saddles and life sized games of Jenga. Beyond the X-rated naughtiness and rampant drug use, it’s home to an ethereal warmth, a place where you can’t help but be nice to everyone you meet; greeting strangers with smiles, hugs and gifts. It’s a place where families, the elderly, hippies and ravers happily co-exist.
It’s a sensory overload, a magical city, an exercise in desert survival and one helluva party.
I just returned from my first time at Burning Man. I camped for a week with friends in a tent, brought in my own food, used porta-potties, and followed the ‘leave no trace’ policy of environmental protection. Covered in dust, overwhelmed by scene, it took me a few days to get into the groove of things, but by day three, I loved it! Burning Man is a totally amazing, unique, out-of-this-world experience…In an attempt to share some of what I saw, here are some of my favorite photos.
Have you been to Burning Man? What are your impressions, thoughts, advice for other first-timers? Thinking of going to Burning Man? Feel free to comment….
