when does it all kick off?

jaycatski · Post by **jaycatski** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:07 pm

hey, two newbie guys flying over from england doing two weeks in and around nevada wandering whether burning man slowly builds from the monday and whether its worth turning up then or more around mid week?

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:13 pm

I try to get there the *second* they start letting people in.

It's pretty cool to watch the city grow.

If I had to pick a half of the week to attend, I'd pick the first half.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:18 pm

Ditto what Lydia says. Get there at the beginning and find a project to help out with if you can.

It does build slowly in terms of the number of people and amount of artwork, but seeing things build and making friends during that process is much of the fun.

jaycatski · Post by **jaycatski** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:26 pm

cool, so think that we lend our hand to someone elses projects as its going to be hard for us to try to bring project ideas from the uk it might seem abit suspicious going thro customs!!

ronski · Post by **ronski** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 1:30 pm

ditto three. And get there early so you can physically and mentally acclimate. You body takes a couple of days to get used to the heat etc and your mind will generally need a couple of days to unwind and deprogram itself from the outside reality, even if you're doing nothing but sitting on your butt drinking water.

A lot of the participation can be in helping others set up their camps (extra hands to hold that tent pole etc) which takes place earlier in the week. If you arrive when it's all built it's easier to slip into spectator frame of mind.

headquarters · Post by **headquarters** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 2:42 pm

each time i've went i have gotten there VERY early monday morning, usually right before dawn. You get to adjust to the enviornment over the whole week and by wed/thurs/fri it's the best time. getting coffee in the morning and seeing the gazette and seeing how many people came in over night each day on how everything changes.

shitmouse · Post by **shitmouse** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 8:13 pm

"If I had to pick a half of the week to attend, I'd pick the first half."

we used to get there early on, only because we had a fire team member with us for camp reasons.

and i agree with lydia, earlier is better than later. -(wfb)
it's a great evolution of days from the early start to fin.
-b

- take pictures around your space through the week and chem them out later. respectable population growth.

awibs · Post by **awibs** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:21 pm

when do they actually start letting people in to set up? i've been able to discern "monday" in general, but i mean.... do people arrive a day or two early to set up large art displays? or is there a specific time monday when the gates open, so to speak? from my renn faire experience, i've become the kind of person who wants to get there and sit outside, meeting people and helping others get ready, two hours before the gates open...... is that an acceptable behavior at bm or would i just be underfoot?

III · Post by **III** » Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:34 pm

theme camps and art installations are allowed to show up two days before the event starts. some individual exceptions may be made for vey large art projects, though nothing more than a week. the survey isn't done until two weeks before the event starts.

Jordan 10-E · Post by **Jordan 10-E** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:07 pm

Arrive as early as possible in the week. That is part of the magic of Burning Man, watching it grow (and disappear). I'd never miss the end of the week though because that, of course, is when they burn the Man. Don't cut yourself short by any means.

Tiara · Post by **Tiara** » Wed Apr 07, 2004 1:20 pm

get there and sit outside, meeting people and helping others get ready, two hours before the gates open...... is that an acceptable behavior at bm or would i just be underfoot?

Arriving before the gates open is not kosher. There's really nowhere to wait where you wouldn't be in someone's way. I'm sure that hanging out at rest stops, fast food joints, and Home Depot stores along the route between the Bay Area and Reno would enable you to meet a lot of folks bound for BRC though.

awibs · Post by **awibs** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 10:30 pm

so what time on monday then, do the gates open?

Piper · Post by **Piper** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 11:08 pm

jaycatski wrote:hey, two newbie guys flying over from england doing two weeks in and around nevada wandering whether burning man slowly builds from the monday and whether its worth turning up then or more around mid week?

As soon as you can. I seem to be promoting Freds gift but I got to help out and it is a blast. Hagey (Fred) runs the International Burner Hostel out of his house in Sparks(next to Reno) and will help you get last second stuff and get out to the playa. A lot of people do show up a week or so early. Last year we sent the first non-theam camp load out on sunday night so they went in like 3 in the morning on monday

http://www.blackrockburnerhostel.com/

PurpleKoosh · Post by **PurpleKoosh** » Sat Apr 10, 2004 11:38 pm

awibs wrote:so what time on monday then, do the gates open?

Last year, they opened at 12:01 am - and there was a line, from what I could tell (the playa was still sufficiently unoccupied at that point that I could hear people honking horns and cheering from where I was camped at 5:15 and Gospel).

dingo · Post by **dingo** » Sun Apr 11, 2004 12:56 pm

If you had to choose between the first or second half of the week, I would come for the latter. Especially if this is your first year. Watching the city build is a great thing, but not as meaningful if you are not there to see fully transform. If you have the means, stay for the entire week. I usually go from Sat. to Monday (or Tues.) That just may be for theme camps though, I'm not sure anymore.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:27 am

Tiara wrote: Arriving before the gates open is not kosher. There's really nowhere to wait where you wouldn't be in someone's way. I'm sure that hanging out at rest stops, fast food joints, and Home Depot stores along the route between the Bay Area and Reno would enable you to meet a lot of folks bound for BRC though.

I had lots of fun on the drive up last year (from the San Francisco bay Area) picking out which cars were on thier way to BM. (Those "Going Home" and "BRC or Bust" signs were dead giveaways.) Yeah, rest stops are good places to meet. If you were to design a small project and buy the goods at a home despot you might go around the customs thing. If that's an idea that calls to you. Or you could get into the gifting spirit by spending a few hours in the lot, helping people load gear and getting to know where they might be camping and what they might be up to.

Release Me · Post by **Release Me** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:50 am

Last year I was with a camp who started setting up the week prior to the official opening. This year I was planning to come out Sunday afternoon to set up with some other campmates. I know at least one of them will have to work Monday and Tuesday before heading back out on the playa. He's intending to set up his trailer with mine and help establish our camp Sunday. Will we be able to even get in on Sun.? We have kind of a suedo-theme that we were't going to bother registering, should we if it'll help get us in a little early? Any suggestions would be helpful.

Ivy · Post by **Ivy** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:52 am

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall that you can;t get in early unless youa re with a registered thme camp, and even then you ahve to be on pre-submitted early arrivals list.

Release Me · Post by **Release Me** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:01 pm

Thanks Ivy, if you or anyone else finds out some more info on this please pass it along...

Tiara · Post by **Tiara** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:04 pm

Ivy,

I think you're exactly right. Last year, anyone who said they were helping set up a registered theme camp could enter early (the weekend before the event began). This year, I've heard talk that registered theme camps will have to submit a list of specific names for their early arrival set up crews.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:04 pm

last year, if you wanted in before saturday, you needed to be on a theme camp advanced gaurd list. This year, I am told it will be much the same. Obviously, anyone can show up (with a ticket or cash) at 12:01 a.m. on monday. Anything before that requires the grace of the org.

headquarters · Post by **headquarters** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:39 pm

i'll be there 5am monday morning. ticket in hand.

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:24 pm

> If you had to choose between the first or second half of the week, I
> would come for the latter

I disagree wholeheartedly. The beginning of the week is when all the
relationships are formed. The beginning of the week is when all the people
who've decided to do something are actually doing it (well, except
for those who misjudged and are still doing it at the end of the week).
The beginning of the week is when you'll be able to meet people and
forge relationships and feel like you're a part of the city.

Of course, if all you want to do is take drugs, see naked chi/ucks and enjoy
the fruits of others' labor, come Friday.

It's not that you can't do all of the good stuff later in the week. You can.
But it's harder, and feels, to me at least, a lot less natural. If I'm
restricted by vacation time, I'll definitely come earlier than later. The
weekend gets a bit too touristy for me. Then again, if it's your first year,
you probably won't be able to tell the difference, so do whatever.

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:27 pm

Um. And yeah, I'm a complete fucking idiot. Even with[/] preview.

Replace latter with former in dingo's post and I'm good.

Going to bed now, thankyouverymuch.

when does it all kick off?

when does it all kick off?

Re: when does it all kick off?