For one week every year, tens of thousands of people gather in the vast Black Rock Desert for a mind-blowing festival of art, community, self-expression and utter self-reliance. They form a makeshift city that temporarily becomes the most populous in the entire county. And within weeks of the festival’s finale, there is no trace of its existence. This is the phenomenon known as Burning Man.
The annual event on the playa is always held during the week leading up to Labor Day Weekend. It began as an experiment in temporary community and has blossomed into something truly unexplainable. Nearly 50,000 people gather to create Black Rock City, which follows a different theme every year. Art is the cornerstone of the Burning Man project, and participants are encouraged to express themselves. Exactly how they choose to do so is entirely up to them, which is what makes every festival so unique. From theme camps to large-scale art installations to gift exchanges, costumes, body paint and everything else under the hot desert sun, there is no limit to self-expression here. It’s all about the experience, and it culminates with the ritual burning of a colossal wooden effigy on the Saturday of the festival.
With the exception of coffee and ice, both of which are sold in Center Camp, there are no services in Black Rock City. Participants must bring everything they need to survive. Beyond that, the sky is the limit. And that’s the magic of Burning Man.
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