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(A list For those travelling into our region for local Burns, those holding those local burns, and for those in our area travelling to Burning Man, part of the Alternative Burning Man List Network) Why do we do it? That question would seem to present itself with particular force when we speak of the large festival so many of us go to out in Nevada. About the only good thing to be said for the Playa as a physical environment is that we're not about to run out of parking. Here is one explanation of the event:
" Burning Man is, at once, the simplest and most complex of things. What is out on the Playa, the desert where the festival occurs? Nothing, nothing at all in a manner that is starkly unimaginable to most. When one stands out on a warm windy summer day, one strains to hear the cicadas ... and is greeted with silence. The cicadas, like almost all life larger than a microbe, have been extinct in this desert for about 10,000 years. One doesn't even hear the howling wind of a movie director's imagination because there are no barriers for the wind to blow past. Not yet. Not even cactus or sagebrush. Just a blank slate waiting to be filled, in land even the desert dwellers view as being inhospitable.
That's the point. It is so empty that it opens up infinite possibilities. For whatever you can create, there is space and among the 30,000 very open-minded visitors, an audience, and nobody to tell you that you may not do it. The environment is a challenging one and more than a little ingenuity must go into making these creations work, but here it is man vs. nature, not man vs. man."
Naturally, this all changes when we stay in our region, for both good reasons and bad. The summertime environment in the Midwest is far more hospitable than that of Nevada. Camping in a cool dark patch of woods vs. camping on a shadeless dry lake bed in 100 degree heat - which sounds more comfortable to you? The downside is that we don't have anything like the same amount of space to work with. Out on the Playa, that table top desert (with all of its infinite possibilities) stretches for tens of miles in all directions. In the Midwest, it's usually an acre or two in the middle of a park or (more likely) somebody's farm, and usually not the incredibly RV friendly affair the big festival is.
This does mean that our local burns aren't the spectacular, miles wide affairs seen out west, with mechanized fire-breathing dragon shaped vehicles taking people out to tour the sculpture gardens before parking at small jazz clubs made in the form of a pair of enormous fuzzy dice. In place of the hard-edged surrealism of the Western events, one sees something a little more friendly, cozy and personal, more of a gentle whimsy than aggressive strangeness. Something, in a word, more Midwestern. But the notion of interactivity remains. This isn't a show put on for an audience that passively watches, this is an event where all who come are invited to take part.
In what? In whatever strikes the fancy of those who come. People bring out their interests to share with others. Actors will put on plays where the audience participates; scientists bring their toys and amaze the crowds; cooks will prepare meals as musicians lead drum circles and teach those present a little about their art. It's creative pot luck, in which each shares just for the pleasure of sharing. There is no vending at these events. This is not about money or business. This is more like having a really big living room (the whole outdoors) for a day or two, and greeting your guests.
We're not about to deny that there have been problems, both on this list and off. We've written a policy page and explanation of some regrettable past history in response to that. But such is the nature of personal relationships - open your doors and a few unfriendly people will walk in. What has been remarkable about burning as a phenomenon (offline) is how very few unfriendly people have done so. Many travel experiences will give you a chance to meet people who you will spend a pleasant time with - but then never see again. Burners, however, as far as they may be scattered, tend to make friendships that last for years and give them more than a few stories to tell. That's a nice thing to walk away from a camping trip with, I think, and certainly something that has kept many coming back for more.
We hope that you enjoy our list, but remember - Burning is about participation. You can only get out of this list what you're willing to put into it. So, above all else, please speak up and be heard. It's the only way people can get to know you. Let's continue on to the list, now.
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