Free Spirits and Festivals

Every year, festivals happen all over the globe.

People coming together in the spirit of music, of arts, of being free. Each festival has a purpose, a mission, a feeling of its very own.
And each person attending forms their very own perspective, has a unique experience of their own, and takes from the festivities memories and stories to be cherished for a lifetime.

During every summer since 1998, Utah celebrates their own Burning Man sanctioned event, Element 11. There has been much growth and expansion since its first year of a whopping 8 attendees. Now thousands are beckoned by the call to support and become art. Empowering peoples’ collaborations to create actions more powerful than any individual alone could dream has been one of the core beliefs of the burner mentality, and is present in much of the events theme camps, featured structures, and attendees alike.

The monotony of ‘every-day life’ takes leave from this temporary city. Built, lived and loved, and deconstructed in mere days, Element 11 has been a safe place where many folks feel free to be their true selves. Relieved from the stipulations within our modern-day world, people can truly let their light shine brightly. Allowed to create and be art of all shapes and sizes, this festival is among Utah’s more liberal events, and will continue to stretch boundaries of the human spirit and mind as long as it flourishes. Among the activities and hoopla are live music performances, a plethora of art structures to be appreciated from near and afar and interact with, events such as a daily naked parade, and even banana blow-job and peach eating competitions! It is a place to always expect the unexpected and anticipate absolutely anything as possible.

This year’s theme was ‘Trip to the Moon’ and displayed a great lot of stellar creations, moon and space themed sculptures, and cosmic festival goers. The festivities were as filled with shenanigans and mischief as ever, and I was fortunate to be able to attend, with of course, my camera in hand snap snapping away. Drawn to the many various arts, I found my way to a most incredible kaleidoscope taller than me! Met the sculptor and experienced an intimate displaying of it’s many ways to be used, as well as the plans for its expansion through time.

Deep in the playa an illuminated moon brought brilliance to the dark desert eves, as the festival was held in Utah’s northern desert with the faintest glisten of the Great Salt Lake upon the distant horizon. Center Camp is a place for gathering on the festive grounds, and is home to an array of activities, music and community throughout the event. From meditation and acro-yoga to stilt-walking and live music. Center Camp had some incredibly talented musicians such as Simply B, a one man funk band from Salt Lake City, whom mesmerized me with his looping magic and diverse musical talent. Music can be found at an array of theme camps that sprawl all over the grounds providing their own unique charm and ambiance. An artistic collective of Utah, the SophistaPirates, constructed and brought a pirate ship complete with an immensely cozy couch clad lounge and a fully functioning sound stage that beckoned peoples all throughout this summer solstice weekend. Barista Beats gifted coffee and music every morning, and all sorts of climbing and interactive camps provided a never-ending amount of activity and fun to be had!
This year’s celebration even featured a rocket-ship temple erect and poised for taking off to join the stars and our moon, and had a most illuminate take off as it burned to ember marking the nearing end of our Trip to the Moon.

As a person, and an absolute lover of the arts, I recommend checking out your state’s regional burning event if you feel a hankering to really let your true colors shine, get cozy with your local community of burners, be awakened to a unique view of existence, and perhaps even have your whole meaning of life restructured. Having experienced only a few of Utah’s burns and just 1 of the infamous Black Rock City Burning Man festivals, I’m not quite an expert burner just yet, but I am growing to appreciate, more and more, their ideals and ways of bringing peoples together in the name of Art.

#element11 #burningman #blackrockcity #saltlakecity #temple #burnertemple #desert #desertadventures #burners #e11 #regionalburn #utahisrad  #art #buslife #vanlife#wanderlust #buslifeideas#vanlifer #nomad #adventure#tiedye #letsgoeverywhere #adventureisoutthere #exploremore #triptothemoon #burner #festival #love #happy#templeburn #hippie #family #allthelove #utahburners