Official starting and ending times?

[cryptohex]

Howdy all,

I hope this is the correct place to ask, but after scouring the burning man website, I can't seem to find an official starting and ending time for the festival, or any kind of agenda other than the man burns on Saturday night. After my group and I got tickets this year, we need to get time off for the 30 hour drive from Chicago! So here's my questions, mostly to do with how much time off work to get:

Arrival:
Can you arrive at BRC on Sunday afternoon/night, or do you have to wait til Monday Morning? Does that mean that opens 1 min after midnight Sunday night?

I've read that if you arrive after dark, you can't let you drive in until daylight (and you have to camp on the border of the city), Is that true?

Departure:
Obviously, the man burns Saturday night, what happens Sunday night? More likely than not, we'll be leaving early Sunday morning, what will we miss?

I've read references to the temple burn being Sunday night. Is that the case? Is there a temple every year?

Thanks,

Doug

[Bounce530]

Howdy all,

I hope this is the correct place to ask, but after scouring the burning man website, I can't seem to find an official starting and ending time for the festival, or any kind of agenda other than the man burns on Saturday night. After my group and I got tickets this year, we need to get time off for the 30 hour drive from Chicago! So here's my questions, mostly to do with how much time off work to get:

Arrival:
Can you arrive at BRC on Sunday afternoon/night, or do you have to wait til Monday Morning? Does that mean that opens 1 min after midnight Sunday night?
Gates are officially open at 12:01am Monday, but do open earlier in the night to allow traffic flow. Plus if you want to hit the gate at midnight, you'll want to roll in to the line about two+ hours earlier.

I've read that if you arrive after dark, you can't let you drive in until daylight (and you have to camp on the border of the city), Is that true?
You can drive when dark, although if you do not know where you are going to camp, it's better to wait till daylight.
Departure:
Obviously, the man burns Saturday night, what happens Sunday night? More likely than not, we'll be leaving early Sunday morning, what will we miss?

I've read references to the temple burn being Sunday night. Is that the case? Is there a temple every year?
Yes, there is a Sunday night temple burn that happens every year.
Thanks,

Doug

[illy dilly]

Well, Bounce was quicker! This is pretty much the exact same thing as what Bounce said.

Howdy all,

Arrival:
Can you arrive at BRC on Sunday afternoon/night, or do you have to wait til Monday Morning? Does that mean that opens 1 min after midnight Sunday night?

I've read that if you arrive after dark, you can't let you drive in until daylight (and you have to camp on the border of the city), Is that true?

Departure:
Obviously, the man burns Saturday night, what happens Sunday night? More likely than not, we'll be leaving early Sunday morning, what will we miss?

Hey Doug,
Welcome to eplaya.

As for Arrival, I think they announce when Gates will open in Mid-Summer. Up until last year, Gates officially opened at Midnight. In 2011, Gates opened about 6pm, but that was due to there being too many people on highway 447- Gates were scheduled to open at Midnight. In 2012, Gates Officially opened at 6pm.
As far as I know, the Official event start time for 2013 has not yet be announced. But, for safe measure I'd assume they wont open the Gates until 12:01am August 26th.

As for not being allowed in at night, that is not the rule. There are times that Gate stops letting people in temporarily. Some of the reasons include extremely bad dust storms and bad accidents between Gate and the city.

The Temple burns Sunday evening. Most of the city leaves Sunday morning or Monday morning.

[Rice]

Howdy all,

I hope this is the correct place to ask, but after scouring the burning man website, I can't seem to find an official starting and ending time for the festival, or any kind of agenda other than the man burns on Saturday night. After my group and I got tickets this year, we need to get time off for the 30 hour drive from Chicago! So here's my questions, mostly to do with how much time off work to get:

Arrival:
Can you arrive at BRC on Sunday afternoon/night, or do you have to wait til Monday Morning? Does that mean that opens 1 min after midnight Sunday night?

I've read that if you arrive after dark, you can't let you drive in until daylight (and you have to camp on the border of the city), Is that true?

Departure:
Obviously, the man burns Saturday night, what happens Sunday night? More likely than not, we'll be leaving early Sunday morning, what will we miss?

I've read references to the temple burn being Sunday night. Is that the case? Is there a temple every year?

Thanks,

Doug

Officially, the gates open one minute after Midnight - on Monday morning (00:01). Some people here will claim that you can get in earlier than that (without an early entry pass), but there is no guarantee. It is best to plan your arrival into BRC (Black Rock City) at midnight. Burning Man ends on Monday a week after opening. (From Monday August 26 to Monday, Sept 2)

If you arrive in the dark, you can certainly drive in BRC after dark. It is more challenging to find a camp spot, but my no means impossible. When you find a spot that you like, check with your neighbors before starting to set your camp up (it sucks, having to move).

In late July or early August - there will be a Who-What-When published online, which will have the plans of some theme camps and some events in it. When you arrive in BRC, after you have gone through the gate, you will end up at the Greeter's station - You will be given a guide at that point which includes a map of BRC

The Man does burn a couple hours after dark on Saturday (no exact time, weather can and does affect when it happens). Sunday night the Temple burns, there is still lots going on Sunday. So far, since I started going in 2007, there has been a Temple. It is safe to assume that there will probably be a temple this year as well.

I understand your concern about driving times and wondering what exactly happens when. Since Burning Man is a participant driven event, things are happening 24/7 from the second the gates open until the Monday after the temple burns. Some things are posted as an event and others are awesome discoveries.

My 1st three burns I drove down from Canada (only a 24 hour highway drive in comparison). I will give you this advice: Your drive to burning man will be pretty easy - the excitement of going, the cross-country adventure, etc... However, your drive home will be exhausting. The desert is extremely hard on one's body. You will not sleep properly, your endurance will be tested to the limits... I suggest you add a driving day to your return trip. Even with multiple drivers, it is a harsh drive. (I am sure other long-distance burners will pipe up in confirmation of what I am saying.) It was the same for me each of the three years I drove!!!

Please read the Survival Guide, make sure your buddies do as well - it may save your life (or at least make your experience lass harsh)..

Carry a dust mask & goggles, some water, a cup, etc - any time you are away from your camp!! Burning Man is a gifting community but one of the principles of Burning Man is Self Reliance. (If you make the effort to be self reliant and it looks like it, you are more likely to get what you need without getting a lecture. ) You will not make lots of friends showing up to random camps begging for water when you are only carrying a cup

[cryptohex]

Thanks all!

That answered my questions! The wheels have been spinning for a while now and this really helped! My old scouting "be prepared" mentality has kicked in, and I already have planning lists out the wazoo and various iterations of shade shelters designed!

[Ugly Dougly]

Looks like you already have a flame-thrower!

[BurnerBunny]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am, plus as the sun comes up I can scout out where I want to setup camp, and then be able to setup in the calm and cool of the morning. hopefully my timing works out perfect to minimize waiting, getting my tickets in the mail this year no will call waiting

Another added benefit is I'm setting up a hexayurt this year, and usually the winds are very mild or non-existant early morning.

[junglesmacks]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am

You're kidding, right?


That's absolute peak time. Prepare yourself for a 4-8 hour wait.

[AbundantChoice]

I will give you this advice: Your drive to burning man will be pretty easy - the excitement of going, the cross-country adventure, etc... However, your drive home will be exhausting. The desert is extremely hard on one's body. You will not sleep properly, your endurance will be tested to the limits... I suggest you add a driving day to your return trip. Even with multiple drivers, it is a harsh drive. (I am sure other long-distance burners will pipe up in confirmation of what I am saying.) It was the same for me each of the three years I drove!!!

I can't support this enough; don't worry about the drive there; worry about the drive *back*. If there is any possible way to schedule a day in Reno after the burn, or in somewhere else 3-6 hours out from Burning Man, do it before attempting the rest of the drive home. The exhaustion you will feel after Burning Man is profound. I'd really strongly recommend a "re-entry" day in Reno or somewhere where you can take a nice shower, eat some real food, and (most importantly) get a good 8-10 hours of uninterrupted quality sleep before attempting the marathon drive back to Chicago, even if you're splitting the time amongst two or three drivers. Exodus only compounds this; you might get out of BRC in 30 minutes... or you might get out of BRC in 6 hours, and hit the road already completely frazzled. All it takes is one microsleep burst or lapse of judgement to create a catastrophic accident.

[trilobyte]

I'll echo what others have said. Historically the event has begun at 12:01AM on Monday (in this case that would be August 26th), and it runs until the US Labor Day holiday (in this case, September 2nd). For the last few years the BLM has kindly allowed the gates to open at 6pm on Sunday evening (a soft opening, if you will), and in 2012 they even granted us permission to make that official and post it publicly in advance.

The specific gate times for this year's event have not been posted yet. It's still relatively early in the season, and the BLM hasn't yet specified whether or not they'll let us open things up early again this year. My advice would be to stay tuned to the boards - should Burning Man get official permission we'll certainly make that known here. Then make your travel plans to arrive in Reno on Sunday afternoon (to get those last minute supplies, grab a meal, etc) and prepare to head for the playa on Sunday evening. If you've got a smartphone you should also follow the official @burningman Twitter account - when the gates actually open they'll post the news.

For departure, yes the temple burn (while not yet announced, a temple structure has been a fixture of the event for more than a decade) will take place on Sunday evening (shortly after dusk).

[unjonharley]

Just go in early and park in D camp till opening time.

Gives you time to get your pants out of your ass crack..

[some seeing eye]

AbundantChoice speaks the truth. I have friends who were severely injured in an outbound accident. Sure many eplayans know others. Every year we have many more deaths and injuries on the road to and fro than at the event. I'm sure you have well thought out reasons for your plan, but with work-related time constraints, many fly in and out and some take the train. Camping with a camp with some shared infrastructure simplifies Reno shopping. You can parcel ship in and out costumes and camp supplies.

[Eric]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am {snip}

As Junglesmacks said - you're kidding, right? There will be endless lines all day Monday. One year I volunteered to stay up to help guide people arriving on Monday into camp & get them set up in our tight space (I had early entry) - we had people who left Reno at 11pm getting to our camp at 8am or later. Monday is the day people want to show up.

As for the OP's "scheduled events" - the only "official" events are the CORE burn on Thurs, Man burn on Sat, and Temple burn on Sunday. Everything else is pretty much free-form, and changes year to year. My first year was the only time I ever came up with a "to do" list, when I realized that I never used it I stopped making it. Now I have in my head some things that would be nice to see or attend, but don't make hard plans.

Another vote for making sure you rest on the way home - we're only in SF & we always stay at least one night in Reno (we've done up to 3). Your body will thank you.

[Nipple]

Looks like you already have a flame-thrower!

And a Costco Carport!

[BurnerBunny]

No I wasn't kidding, it's been several years since I've been. I had no idea it had gotten that bad.

gulp, well I have to rethink my strategy then, maybe sitting in line all night is worth it to setup my hexayurt while the wind is calm in the morning.

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am {snip}

As Junglesmacks said - you're kidding, right? There will be endless lines all day Monday. One year I volunteered to stay up to help guide people arriving on Monday into camp & get them set up in our tight space (I had early entry) - we had people who left Reno at 11pm getting to our camp at 8am or later. Monday is the day people want to show up.

As for the OP's "scheduled events" - the only "official" events are the CORE burn on Thurs, Man burn on Sat, and Temple burn on Sunday. Everything else is pretty much free-form, and changes year to year. My first year was the only time I ever came up with a "to do" list, when I realized that I never used it I stopped making it. Now I have in my head some things that would be nice to see or attend, but don't make hard plans.

Another vote for making sure you rest on the way home - we're only in SF & we always stay at least one night in Reno (we've done up to 3). Your body will thank you.

[cryptohex]

Looks like you already have a flame-thrower!

Unfortunately, that wasn't my flame thrower At my first burning event, I was talking to the man who did own the flamethrower and he offered to let me try it out, it was awesome!

Thanks for all the advice!

[BBadger]

I'm curious about when the line was ever good.

[Eric]

I'm curious about when the line was ever good.

Last year we left right as the Man was Burning and there wasn't anyone waiting to get in.

[PhantomGreen]

Last year, we got there at about sometime around 830 AM on Monday morning, and pretty much cruised right in. There was not a line at all, really. We were shocked. I'll be doubly shocked if it happens that way again, but here's hoping...

[DrYes]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am {snip}

As Junglesmacks said - you're kidding, right? There will be endless lines all day Monday. One year I volunteered to stay up to help guide people arriving on Monday into camp & get them set up in our tight space (I had early entry) - we had people who left Reno at 11pm getting to our camp at 8am or later. Monday is the day people want to show up.

That advice is a bit out of date I think, as PhantomGreen notes.

Whatever they changed last year seemed to have fixed the entry problem. I arrived early entry on Saturday and then watched as campmates came in. Folks coming into our camp on Monday and Tuesday waited as little as half an hour. Nobody waited in 4+ hour lines.

[Rice]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am {snip}

As Junglesmacks said - you're kidding, right? There will be endless lines all day Monday. One year I volunteered to stay up to help guide people arriving on Monday into camp & get them set up in our tight space (I had early entry) - we had people who left Reno at 11pm getting to our camp at 8am or later. Monday is the day people want to show up.

That advice is a bit out of date I think, as PhantomGreen notes.

Whatever they changed last year seemed to have fixed the entry problem. I arrived early entry on Saturday and then watched as campmates came in. Folks coming into our camp on Monday and Tuesday waited as little as half an hour. Nobody waited in 4+ hour lines.

It is only possible to say what happened in past entries int BRC... I believe 2012 was an anomaly on waiting times! (I would like to believe it will be better, but I know it is completely dependent on when people arrive at the gate. The more people that arrive at the same time, the longer the waiting to get in.)

[Hondovious]

This year I'm planning on showing up very early Monday morning, but well after midnight. My reasoning is any lines at midnight will hopefully be non-existant around 5am {snip}

As Junglesmacks said - you're kidding, right? There will be endless lines all day Monday. One year I volunteered to stay up to help guide people arriving on Monday into camp & get them set up in our tight space (I had early entry) - we had people who left Reno at 11pm getting to our camp at 8am or later. Monday is the day people want to show up.

That advice is a bit out of date I think, as PhantomGreen notes.

Whatever they changed last year seemed to have fixed the entry problem. I arrived early entry on Saturday and then watched as campmates came in. Folks coming into our camp on Monday and Tuesday waited as little as half an hour. Nobody waited in 4+ hour lines.

My camp was pretty much the same. I got there the Thursday before, but we had people coming in on Sunday and Monday with little wait. I think a big reason is that it seemed like 20% of the city had early entry. I was pretty shocked over the weekend before the event how many people were already there and set up.

[FIGJAM]

It starts when you leave your drive way....

and it never fucking ENDS!!!!!

[Nipple]

I hit the line this year Monday at 1am.

(Aimed for 12, but D = R x T begins to stop working once you add people. So it's more like D = R x T + "I gotta pee, are those the brakes I smell?")

Rolled right on into the city in a matter of no time. Set up and in bed by 5.

[BBadger]

Last year, we got there at about sometime around 830 AM on Monday morning, and pretty much cruised right in. There was not a line at all, really. We were shocked. I'll be doubly shocked if it happens that way again, but here's hoping...

Actually, now that I think about it, it was really quick to get in last year, but that was a weird year.