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StumbleBurning Man crowd size exceeds limit set by BLM
Andy Barron / Reno Gazette-Journal
People gather around the Trojan Horse as it is pulled across the “playa” at the Burning Man festival in Gerlach, Nev., on Friday, Sept. 2, 2011.
Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 | 5:51 p.m.
The annual Burning Man festival on the northern Nevada desert drew a record crowd of nearly 54,000 people -- more than the 50,000 allowed under a permit with federal land managers.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials said Sunday that they'll address the issue with organizers after the dust clears from the weeklong celebration of art and radical self-expression, which ends Monday on the Black Rock Desert, about 120 miles north of Reno.
A peak crowd of 53,735 was reported late Saturday afternoon, which was nearly 4,000 people more than the maximum limit set by the agency and roughly a 9 percent increase over last year, said BLM spokeswoman Lisa Ross.
She said she thinks organizers sell over 50,000 tickets on the premise that not everyone will show, and BLM officials will talk to them about the matter. The agency imposes limits on the crowd size in an effort to protect the sprawling desert's environment.
"They're permitted for up to 50,000 participants, and this year's crowd was definitely over the amount that's permitted," Ross told The Associated Press. "I think they've increased in population almost every year."
A phone call to Burning Man spokeswoman Marian Goodell was not immediately returned.
Ticket sales were cut off in late July after the festival sold out for the first time in its 25-year history.
Thousands of participants began leaving the gathering after its traditional climax late Saturday night with the torching of its 40-foot signature effigy.
On Sunday night, remaining revelers planned to torch the Temple of Transition, which was billed as the tallest installation art structure ever erected at Burning Man.
The structure, which covers more than 45,000 square feet, features a 120-foot tiered, hexagonal central tower, surrounded by five 58-foot tiered, hexagonal towers. Inside, participants meditated, chanted or wrote notes to late loved ones.
BLM officials on Sunday reported no major problems during the gathering. As of Friday night, they had made three arrests and issued 42 citations, mostly for drug-related offenses. Total arrest and citation figures for the event will be released later.
A small plane took off from Burning Man and crashed upon its return Friday night, but the pilot and passenger walked away from the accident. The festival has a landing strip on the desert.
One participant died of unknown natural causes on Wednesday, Ross said, and the festival's medical center assisted many revelers for dehydration and other health problems.
"It's been a successful year as far as things going pretty smoothly, especially with that many people," Ross said.
Discussion: 5 comments so far…
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Tie dye and drugs a plenty, the majority of the crowd is in thier twenties.
Sorry Kenny, the demographics of the event are much more wide ranging than just a bunch of 20 somethings. I'm over 40 and I go...and the only "drug" I enjoy is caffeine. And I'm far from being the only one like that.
Until you go...you really don't know what it's all about. If you are interested in learning more there's a great regional group here in Las Vegas that's quite a diverse bunch...you're always welcome to look them up and come out to one of their weekly get togethers. You'll see a wide range of ages there too!
BURNING MAN draws a diverse global community, whose interests and ages range just as diversely. Most of the folks attending, are professionals from the work world, oddly enough. This is their "sand box" of desert and time to free range in thoughts, ideas, and generate conversations that are "out of the box" and not the usual that goes on during the rest of the year of their lives!
Many who attend are deeply spiritual, respectful of other's belief systems. There is "SPACE" here to FREELY PRACTICE LIFE!!!!
Being alive, awake, living. They "GET IT".
This is an ADULT space for practicing their mind space and interacting freely. There are rare opportunities anymore that are "risk free" where you can do such.
So please try NOT to compare the long established BURNING MAN to the recent ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL! They are very distinctly different. It is real easy for those who love to JUDGE OTHERS to start going there here by what you see in pictures and briefly read. Try visiting a local group and/or going to an actual BURNING MAN for your own experience and live it for yourself and own it.
oops , apologies to all, was just quoting someone who had been there when it first started. I'm sure it's much more meaning and spiritual now.
Go to Burning Man IF you:
*want to see old dudes walking around naked
*not shower for days
*lets face it, after the 1st day YOU WILL NEED DRUGS
*and then finally, after ripening in the desert, all dirty and oily, you will find a "hook-up" and by then it really wont matter how UGLY
The only smart person at burning man was the one who left early and crashed his plane (and walked away!)
Don't go to Burning Man if you:
* hate art
* can't stand people
* are uncomfortable within your own skin
* feel you need to maintain antiseptic cleanliness to accept yourself
* prefer the isolation of A/C and loneliness over life itself
* equate dirt, fire and humanity with ugly