It’s October now! So, what are we to do with the energy, momentum, and creativity born out of Black Rock City? How do we put our learnings from BRC into action? Community gatherings and events are one pathway, and a very popular one this season. With over 80 annual Official Regional Events taking place across five continents, it’s fair to say that the global community is alive and well!
For those that ventured to Black Rock City this summer, the change of seasons and arrival of fall is often met by the responsibility and privilege of unpacking. Unpacking not only dusty gear and boxes, but experiences. The work of processing your Burning Man experience and embodying the ups and downs of your personal decompression can be hard work. For some, returning to daily routines and responsibilities may come easily; others may experience waves of disorientation and flashbacks to life in Black Rock City. If you’re missing the dust, there are a myriad of ways to connect with fellow Burners this fall!
Official Regional Events range from one day urban burns, to week long gatherings in the mountains, to beach cleanups, and civic art events. While there’s an array of events taking place across the Burner diaspora, right now is undoubtedly Decompression season. When I asked $teven Ra$pa, Burning Man’s Community Events Producer and artist extraordinaire, why we host Decompressions, he said:
“Decompressions started as a way for us to celebrate and cope with challenges of re-entry. Along the way they have become cultural showcases and a way to bring what we love about our culture to our year-round cities and unite “Home” with where we live. For me, they offer proof that we can bring some of what we love about our temporary cities to our year-round lives and communities.”
Last month there were Decompression events held in Chicago, Denver, Venice Beach, Victoria, BC., and Wales. October and November will host another handful of official Decom events, including:
Reno Decompression– October 7, 2017 in Reno, Nevada
BurnOut– October 7, 2017 in Portland, Oregon
Idaho Decompression– October 5-8, 2017 in Twin Springs, Idaho
AZ Decompression– October 12-15, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona
LA Decompression– October 14, 2017 in Los Angeles, California
San Francisco Decompression– October 14, 2017 in San Francisco, California
SeaCompression– October 14 and 15, 2017 in Burien, Washington
Boulder DustOff– October 21, 2017 in Boulder, Colorado
Radical Ritual- Second Life– October 21-29, 2017 in the virtual world
Utah Decompression– October 28, 2017 in South Salt Lake, Utah
London Decompression– November 10, 2017 in London, England
Dustcovery– November 11, 2017 in Vancouver, Canada
taBURNak! 8– November 11, 2017 in Montreal, Canada
Lithuania Decom– November 18, 2017 in Vilnius, Lithuania
Moscow Decompression– November 25, 2017 in Moscow, Russia
You can visit Burning Man’s Global Network page to see a full listing of events around the world and find out how you can create community year-round.
If you’d like to work on planning a local event to bring Burners together, we encourage you to reach out to your local Regional Contact and get things started!
Enjoy the change of seasons (and self), and happy Decompression!
Top photo by Andrey Frazão
November 18th: Dutch Decompression! Check http://www.burningman.nl !
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