While the original Burners tended to be at least relatively environmentally considerate, the current iterations are extravaganzas of wasteful use of precious resources as well as trashing a pristine landscape. Whatever ethos of involved group cleanup that may have ever existed certainly seems to no longer.

I went ‘01, ‘03, ‘04.

The last year I went was the first time it seemed like LA people and startup CEOs were starting to show up in numbers, which was changing the vibe.

Also, there started to be a lot more photos and videos posted online. I wasn’t trying to have my employees find video of me four days into smoking crystal and candy-flipping, dancing at a rave camp.

There are smaller regional events that have the same original spirit without many of the issues the original event is facing that might be a good introduction for you.

I haven’t been yet personally, but I have a lot of friends who go every year. Some of the things that they love about going are the big cultures around consent, the random awesome and unique things that you find everywhere, spending time with friends, a lack of money economy, being your completely human self w/o any judgement, and basically stepping into a world that’s separate from the rest of society. You’ll find a lot of these things at local burns as well. If you are getting curious, I would really encourage the latter. Regional or local burns are like mini burning men with a similar vibe, but a lot more conscientious and tight-knit. The best way to get into one is to find a facebook group for the one closest to you. Sometimes they’ll meet up outside the events, and you can go to ask questions and to coordinate. Since there’s a lack of money economy, everything is done either with trades or with shared responsibility. There’s something at burning man called “radical responsibility” where each person is responsible for their own wellness and contributions. So you can’t go expecting there to be vendors or other people with food or water or what have you – it’s important to figure those things out ahead of time so that way you’re not a burden on others (which allows you to be a contributing member of the community and show up fully). Like I said I haven’t actually been, so I don’t know the full details, but that’s most of what I do know! Most people I’ve met that go are some of the most interesting people I know and really know how to party and what life’s about for themselves, so I recommend finding out more :)

Mom shamed for bringing her son to Burning Man insists the festival is ‘definitely a place for kids’