Burning Man May Get a Sister City in Nevada

THE UNION
By Christoper Rosacker

Courtesy Web Urbanist 2007

NEVADA - Just back from a trip to the week-long Burning Man festivities in Nevada's Black Rock desert, Nevada City Clerk Niel Locke asked the council to pass a resolution declaring the city a “sister city” to Black Rock during next year's event. Black Rock City isn't an incorporated town, because no one actually lives there except during the Burning Man festivities, when tents, cars, vans, RVs, buses and other transportable structures set park to form the temporary town.  During the festivities, Black Rock City becomes one of Nevada's largest cities. This year's attendance was capped at 50,000.  Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance, notes the official website. At the end of the week, a giant wooden effigy is set ablaze, which is where the event draws its name. For some it's a social gathering, for others it is a chance to express through art, music and everything in between [Watch video]. And for others, it is even a religious experience. [link]