What is BURNING MAN

Medium Answer

Several thousand of people gather together over the course of a week on a dry lake bed desert north of Reno, Nevada near the town of Gerlach . They bring with them everything they think they will need as there is NO WATER, NO FOOD, NO SHELTER, NO ELECTRICITY, NO PHONE SERVICE, NO CELLULAR SERVICE. Being able to be self-reliant and living in extreme conditions is a big part of the Burning Man mystique. In addition they bring things to share as there is NO MONEY !!!!! There is (almost) nothing for sale at this event. There are no T-shirts or souvenirs. There are no food stands. The ONLY two things you can buy at Burning Man are ICE and COFFE, and the profits from these are donated to local schools.

They all come to share things. The things people bring to share can be literal things (from small trinkets to huge buildings), services (from foot massage to palm reading), entertainment (from indivual poetry recitations, to stage shows to huge rave parties) or "experiences" (like a haunted house or a becoming a citizen of a fictious community). During the week, people wander around, enjoying the things that others have brought to share, and sharing the things they have brought. At the end of the week (Saturday) a large effigy of a man is burned. On Sunday other things/structures are burned. Both of these burnings enjoy large enthusiastic attendance. After the scheduled events have been completed, everyone cleans up the desert, with a special crew of volunteers who remain behind to be sure that absolutely no trace is left of the third largest city in Nevada.