{"id":503,"date":"2025-09-23T10:20:29","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T10:20:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenville-nc.com\/?p=503"},"modified":"2025-09-23T10:34:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T10:34:27","slug":"burning-man-a-bizarre-tradition-of-the-west-is-global-reunion-of-hope-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.greenville-nc.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/23\/burning-man-a-bizarre-tradition-of-the-west-is-global-reunion-of-hope-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Burning Man, a bizarre tradition of the West, is global reunion of hope (Opinion)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Going into my 26th\u00a0Burning Man, I admit I was crestfallen at the news that \u201cMidnight Poutine\u201d was not returning. The Canadian dish is a funny mix of fries, gravy and cheese curds, and it was always comforting to know that this culinary option was available, starting back in 2009. No matter how peculiar, everything tastes great at midnight in the desert.<\/p>\n

Because my mind lives in a spiral of political doom, it sped to: \u201cCanadians hate America and they\u2019re giving up on Burning Man.\u201d Even worse, I thought, \u201cThe next thing you know, there won\u2019t be a Swedish Meatball Camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, this past August, 80,000 people converged in the Nevada desert<\/a> to set up what aspires to be a peaceful global village. The hardest part of my years of being part of this temporary city is answering the question on my return: \u201cHow was it?\u201d<\/p>\n

All I can say is that it\u2019s reunion for some, tribal for others. It would be a long voyage just to get intoxicated, dance and see some art. Perhaps there\u2019s something hopeful to it that brings together thousands of people from all over the world.<\/p>\n

In general, it is hot, dusty and increasingly rainy. The cheapest admission price is $550. Getting in and out of the instant town involves long waits and scary driving on Nevada State Route 447. Once there, you could feel right at home — or not.<\/p>\n

Its origin story is that of founders Larry Harvey and Jerry James burning an effigy on San Francisco\u2019s Baker Beach in 1986. That spontaneous whimsy outgrew the beach and ended up being planted in the dust of Nevada\u2019s Black Rock Desert. Then, like a rhizomatous plant, its tentacles have spread, producing clones around the world. Smaller regional burns now mimic the original.<\/p>\n