Stories From the City is a project by the Camp Development & Support Team that uses the power of storytelling to support theme camps. We share stories of camps to inspire participation, capture practical methodologies and lessons learned, and document the fascinating community experiments that happen at Black Rock City. If you’re interested in telling your story, email campcouncil@burningman.org.
Stories From the City: Playing With the Wind on the Outer Rim
By Ben Buchholz“We come here to sail and, hey, there’s a party in the neighborhood, too,” says Black Rock Yacht Club co-founder and camp lead Jim (Gym) Pettigrew. Like Gym, the BRYC camp is a bit scruffy, old-school, and different from the average Burning Man camp. For one, they turn their attention outwards, living on the very …Read More
Stories From the City: How Flat Tire Cafe Went From Non-Functioning to Non-Profit
By Ben BuchholzThe following story is about a theme camp that provides playa-critical bike repair services and serves cold brew coffee, but the challenges they faced and the solutions they found could be about any camp. Between the 2016 and 2017 Burns, the crew at Flat Tire Cafe (previously “SNAP Camp”) found itself in an existential dilemma. …Read More
Stories From the City: The First-Year Surprise of Sunrise Diner
During their first year at Burning Man, Nathan McKinley (a.k.a “Oncall”) and Zella Henderson (a.k.a. “Lifesaver”) would wake to mimosas as far as the eye could see. Every morning, they would adventure around their neighborhood hoping to find something to eat, but only found sparkling beverages and quiet streets. “We were unplaced, we were virgins …Read More