According to Wikipedia, “Burning Man is a festival based on community, art, self-expression and self-reliance held annually in the western United States.”
Serious Burners, however, will beg to differ. As the official Burning Man website for first timers reminds us: “Burning Man is not a festival. It is a community. A temporary city. A global culture movement based on 10 practical principles; radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy.”
Whatever you choose to call it, one thing is clear; Burning Man is not your typical event. Everything about it stands and falls based on the participation of its citizens. Once a year, thousands of people make their way deep into Nevada’s Black Rock desert and a temporary city is formed. Art, music and human connections take to the forefront as for just over a week (or several for those helping to set up and clear the event), participants live, work and party together, sharing a unique experience.
Money has no place at Burning Man. You cannot purchase anything (except for two exceptions; ice and coffee) and this means that you must go fully prepared. You can either pay to join a camp, which will cater for most of what you need, or fly solo and take with you all the food, water and equipment you think you will consume. It involves quite a bit of planning ahead and for a festival that doesn’t recognize money, the costs undoubtedly add up. Tickets, vehicle passes, bicycles, food, drink and costumes are just a few of the basics to keep in mind. It can be stressful trying to make sure you have everything prepared. But once you’re finally there and you see that first sunrise come up over the Playa, few would argue that it was all worth it -as most old-time Burners will tell you – “Welcome Home!”