BURNING Man has officially gone virtual for 2021 — but that hasn't stopped some diehard fans of the festival from flocking to the Nevada desert.
Local officials estimate as many as 10,000 people will travel to the Black Rock Desert this weekend, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
According to reports from some of the partiers at the unofficial festival, one man is lucky to be alive after being thrown from a dune buggy at high speeds.
"A passenger got ejected. Almost a death, but survived. Be careful out here, be safe," one person posted, according to a local report.
Another allegedly claimed: "Spoke to a volunteer medical responder who was at the scene last night… They told me the patient was a 70-year-old male driving a customized dune buggy. It rolled over 3+ times."
Meanwhile, the official Burning Man festival has gone virtual with VR headsets, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Read our Burning Man live blog for the latest news and updates…
- Julia Fields
REASON FOR CANCELLATION
Speaking about why they decided to cancel the festival, which was set to take place at the end of August, they wrote: "After much listening, discussion, and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to build Black Rock City in 2020.
"Given the painful reality of COVID-19, one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, we believe this is the right thing to do.
"Yes, we are heartbroken. We know you are too.
"In 2020 we need human connection and Immediacy more than ever.
"But public health and the well-being of our participants, staff, and neighbors in Nevada are our highest priorities."
- Julia Fields
CANCELLATION ANNOUNCEMENT
The Burning Man Project made an announcement on Twitter in April that they will "not build Black Rock City this year".
The post read: "In the interest of the health & wellbeing of our community, we have decided not to build Black Rock City this year.
"Burning Man, however, is alive & well, and we look forward to seeing you in the Multiverse."
The organizers also linked to a journal, which explained that the festival will take place in the "Multiverse".
- Julia Fields
IF YOU WANT TO VISIT
The Burning Man Twitter account does not condone attending the festival, but provded a guide for safely and respectfully attending the desert.
- Julia Fields
LAND MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District, which has jurisdiction over the area, told SFist that "There are currently no restrictions around the Black Rock playa at this time.
"The area is expecting high visitation over the summer months and public safety is a priority while managing our resources."
- Julia Fields
RISK TO NATIVE TRIBE
The Black Rock Desert is near the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.
When Burning Man was cancelled in April, the tribe’s chairperson Janet Davis told NPR, "For us it is a sigh of relief," and told the Reno Gazette Journal “that influx of people would be a risk to our tribe."
- Julia Fields
WASHOE COUNTY IN HIGH ALERT COVID ZONE
Washoe County in Nevada, which attendants would have to travel through to get to the desert, is in the red high-transmission Covid zone, according to the CDC.
- Julia Fields
TICKET PAGE
Someone has set up an Eventbrite ticket page for the event titled “Renegade Man / Plan B / Free Burn.”
They are not charging money, but asking for registration in a likely email collection scam.
- Julia Fields
ONLINE CHAT ROOMS
Attendees for the festival have organized online with Facebook groups, one even gathering over 11k members.
There is also a reddit page called RenegadeBurn with 1,500 members with frequent posts in the BurningMan subreddit with 55k members.
- Julia Fields
350 CAMPS
There are already 350 camps set up in Black Rock Desert with people planning to attend.
- Julia Fields
WITNESS STATEMENTS
"A passenger got ejected. Almost a death, but survived. Be careful out here, be safe," one person posted, according to a local report.
Another allegedly claimed: "Spoke to a volunteer medical responder who was at the scene last night… They told me the patient was a 70-year-old male driving a customized dune buggy. It rolled over 3+ times."
- Julia Fields
DUNE BUGGY INCIDENT
A 70-year-old man was ejected from a dune buggy and injured, but will likely survive.
- Julia Fields
10K ATTENDEES
Local officials estimate that 10k people are attending the rogue festival to replace the virtual supplement.
- Julia Fields
WHERE DOES BURNING MAN TAKE PLACE?
Burning Man takes places in the Black Rock Desert outside of Reno, Nevada.
- Julia Fields
'RENEGADE' BURNING MAN
A rogue replacement for the popular festival began on August 29 this year.
- Julia Fields
VIRTUAL BURNING MAN
Burning Man has gone virtual for 2021, but people are still flocking to the desert.
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