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black rock city - With all 50,000 tickets apparently used, the 25th Burning Man event geared up Saturday for the big shot: the burning of the 40-foot effigy of the Man himself, right in the middle of the Black Rock Desert playa.
Like the mythical Phoenix, the weeklong event was to end Sunday night with the burning of the Temple of Transcendence, out on the Playa, wrapping up seven days of celebrating a different, alternate kind of lifestyle from what is usually seen on American streets. But it will be back next year, organizers say.
When the Temple goes up - it's an impressive structure with six minarets, ramps and alcoves - it will send thousands of sentiments scrawled on bare wood with pens and pencils into the air. For many Burners (the informal name visitors adopt), the Temple is the most important structure on the Playa. They see it as a chance to send messages to loved ones, wherever they are.
Never mind all the columnists and bloggers trumpeting tales of widespread drug use, nudity all around and wild revelry on all sides. Burning Man is actually a largely quiet celebration - sharing, enjoying art and music, even quiet hours of chanting and cymbals clashing and trumpets snarling in the Temple.
Talk is that Burning Man is going to switch from a limited-liability corporation to a nonprofit over the next three years. Many details remain to be worked out, says chief executive and co-founder Larry Harvey. Running the nonprofit will be the original six LLC board members with 11 new members. No date has been set for the switch, and decisions on how much money the original six will take with them is unknown.
But change is already taking place at Burning Man. "Burnerpreneurs," those who have experience at BM, now offer deluxe tours to the Man, flying guests in and having RVs, meals and drinks waiting. Levels go from $10,000 per person, which includes tickets, transportation and serving staff. Cheaper tours start at around $3,000.
No one quite knows what the federal Bureau of Land Management, which owns the land, plans to do next year, as this year's 50,000-ticket cap came as a surprise to many. It remains to be seen what other BLM changes may be in store.
BLM officials are joined by sheriffs' deputies from Washoe and Pershing counties in policing the city of 50,000 people. Burning Man "Rangers" also help. Burning Man pays for law enforcement.
Saturday afternoon was clear with mild winds creating frequent dust devils, but there was no indication of the strong winds that in the past have delayed the Burning of the Man.