Rainstorms forced organizers of the popular Burning Man counter-culture festival to cancel the opening day on Monday. Who would have guessed that the closest (and safest) place to wait out the storm would be in a Wal-Mart parking lot?
That's exactly what happened on Monday night as thousands of people who were expecting to get their free-for-all week started were sadly sidelined until at least "Tuesday morning" according to the Burning Man organizers.
The festival -- which is well known for drugs, music, and wild arts and crafts -- is described by the event organizers as such:
Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert (also known as "the playa") to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever.
Even considering going to Burning Man for the first time can be daunting. And while it's true that Burning Man is not for the faint of heart, with some research, preparation, and planning, an experience -- and opportunity -- beyond your wildest dreams awaits you. In Black Rock City, you're guaranteed not to be the weirdest kid in the classroom. And you'll become a part of the growing community of Burners who are active year-round, around the world... ensuring that the fire of Burning Man culture never goes out.
The rural roads themselves (the Burning Man festival is literally in the middle of an expansive desert in Nevada) were deemed "un-drivable", adding to the already complicated logistical problem of turning around tens of thousands of attendees who had spent days on the road already.
But like other temporary minor inconveniences, all that the Burners needed to do was wait it out. Around midday on Tuesday, the Burning Man organizers announced that the show would go on and people were free to turn back to the slowly-drying-out desert. Although sadly, those who forked over $300 for the one-day Monday tickets would not be issued a refund due to the terms and conditions.
In the case that you aren't at Burning Man this year, the organizers have set up a live streaming straight from Black Rock City. While it is generally a birds-eye view of the general festival environment and probably won't be terribly exciting to watch, you can watch the actual burning of the man this Saturday, August 30th, at 9PM PT:
