Burning Man is an annual event, a large gathering of creative people in the deep desert of northwest Nevada, lasting the week up to and including Labor Day. In 1997 there were roughly 12,000 participants from all over the world. It takes its name from the dramatic event held the last night of the festival, when a 50-foot-tall wooden human figure is set ablaze.

A primary focus of Burning Man is to enable free and creative expression in all its forms. Because of this, it is unpredictable and very different every year. Burning Man is by its very nature difficult to describe, but you can begin to get a sense of it by browsing some Burning Man-related Web sites .

An important aspect of Burning Man is that there are no spectators, only participants. While there is a group of people (mostly volunteers) who arrange for the land to be available, the vast majority of everything at Burning Man is put on by attendees such as yourself. Attendees put on many performances, including the likes of circuses, music on stages, wandering music, plays, large-scale operas with massive structures and a cast of hundreds, motorized furniture or even entire living rooms, giant Twister games involving 50 people and non-traditional rules, and many interactive sculptures and installations of all kinds on the desert floor. This partial list barely scratches the surface. In addition, wild costumes are in great abundance throughout the entire festival.

The type of desert Burning Man takes place on is called the playa. It is a vast dry mud flat of an ancient lake bed, and is extremely flat for many miles in every direction. There is no life at all except for the occasional lost fly. This surreal, planar geometry provides a perfect blank slate on which to create a community of artists and art. (And, of course, it's fireproof.)

Participants must take the issue of survival very seriously. The playa is a hostile environment, with temperature extremes, high wind, brief but intense thunderstorms, and extreme sun exposure. All participants must bring everything needed for survival, including all water, food, shelter, and even shade. The playa is no place for people without a clear head and a lot of common sense.

In addition, EVERYTHING must be removed when a participant leaves. We must LEAVE NO TRACE on the land when we leave, or we will not be able to return next year.

Burning Man is infused with a strong sense of community. Like any camping event, people find they have a lot more fun if they help each other and get to know the people around them, who may be from anywhere in the world. Burning Man is not the place for people who can't get along with their neighbors.

Besides the main festival on the playa, there are many Burning Man-related events in many cities throughout the year. If you're interested in learning more and meeting like-minded people, try going to a nearby event -- they're usually great parties with a bunch of really fun and friendly people. It's a good way to plug into the local Burning Man community.

-- James Marshall