For the ultimate hippie gathering meets survivalist meets art show, the Burning Man festival definitely takes the cake. The entire point of Burning Man is for thousands of participants from around the globe to meet in the desert in Nevada and create a utopian city from scratch. 

 Every single item must be packed in, from food to toilet paper to the toilets themselves. Participants live in tents or RVs, operate on a cashless barter system and spend a lot of time simply getting to know themselves and one another. Art, both visual and performing, provides much of the backdrop of participation. At the end of the week, the entire city must be deconstructed.

Burning Man operates on the principle of Leave No Trace and takes this admonition very seriously. Unlike many festivals, which leave the grounds trashed and even damaged, Burning Man participants go out of their way to remove every stray napkin or cigarette butt from the grounds. Outsiders say that Burning Man is a leftover hippie hangout, rife with drugs and sex. Insiders say that Burning Man is a chance to create a new world, a better way of living, and that the lessons learned in the annual weeklong desert trek stay with them for a lifetime. All agree that Burning Man is yearlong community as much as it is a yearly festival. 

So what is Burning Man really? The only true way to understand Burning Man is to attend the festival for yourself. However, if you are unable to attend or not sure that you want to, you can get a good idea of Burning Man’s essence at the website: burningman.com. Prepare to be amazed. Whether good or bad, Burning Man tends to elicit strong emotions in everyone.

Posted by Lisa.

Lisa writes for Quality Dating Resources.