Evolution Centercamp, Burning Man 2009

This is Centercamp at Burning Man 2009, shown on Saturday night. Burning Man is an annual event held each year in the high desert of northern Nevada the week before each Labor Day. About 43,000 people attended this year, making the camp (called Black Rock City) the third largest city in Nevada for one week. Black Rock City is equipped with its own post office and ZIP code (89412), the volunteer Black Rock Rangers, and many other basic amenities of civilization, all of which are organized by participants. The theme this year was “Evolution.” Wikipedia explains the nature of the event: “It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening. The event is described by many participants as an experiment in community, radical self-expression, and radical self-reliance.” I’ll have more photos and descriptions of Burning Man this week.