The official Burning Man Decompression for the Los Angeles community will feature seven stages of art and performance when it takes place Saturday, October 3rd. The annual event will capture the feel and creativity of Burning Man, as it brings out burners from throughout Southern California and beyond. It will be held at the Los Angeles State Historical Park (yes, the cornfield) 1245 N. Spring Street, 90012.
�You will have people fresh from the desert, and people who didn�t make it to Black Rock City this year,� said Decompression producer Athena Demos. �Calling it a �decompression� is accurate, but it�s also an expression of who we are as a community. It is like a giant family reunion where everyone who attends feels like part of the family.�
Burning Man is an event at the end of every summer that draws up to 50,000 participants from around the world for a week of radical self expression and radical self reliance in the desert two hours north of Reno. The climax of each event is the burning of a 70 foot effigy called �The Man�, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. It features a �gift economy�, and an explosion of art takes place with no intention of sales. Burners bring all they need to survive in the harsh environment of Black Rock Desert. It has spawned a wide range of artistic styles that have become part of the fabric of popular culture.
�From Noon to Midnight on October 3rd, it will all be out there. From interactive art installations to creative dance spaces that will get everyone grooving together, we will have it all,� Demos said.
Seven different Burning Man project teams are producing the stages. They include:
The Lightning Temple (www.lightningtemple.net)
Bouncy Bounce
Green Sector (www.greensector.com)
Mystical Misfits
Disorient
Kundalini Lounge
Eco Stage�Green themed lectures alongside live music.
There will be both a cocktail garden and a separate �mocktail� garden, giving participants a choice between cocktails in a garden setting and doing just the opposite.
Spread throughout the sprawling, colorful event will be approximately 7,000 burners, many in full, distinctive burner fashions. There is even a lower ticket price for people who dress creatively.
�Even if you�ve only heard of Burning Man, this will be the place to be. Our practice is also �Radical Inclusion�. Everyone is welcome,� Demos said.
LA Decompression will also reflect a commitment to Green values.
�Last year, 76% of all trash was diverted from the landfill. Not only do we encourage attendees to ride the Metro Rail Gold Line to the event, but we also only use bio-diesel generators for our power. We have a full in-house recycling program and practice �Leave No Trace� throughout the park. There will be a stage devoted to permaculture and greening your home,� said Demos.
LA Decompression is being produced by the Los Angeles League of Arts (LALA), a local organization of burners. The event doubles as a fundraiser for Burners Without Borders, a broad set (and organization) of civic engagements that take the values of Burning Man from the desert into home communities.
LA Decompression. Saturday, October 3rd. Noon to Midnight. Los Angeles State Historical Park (yes, the cornfield) 1245 N. Spring Street, 90012 $10 pre-sale (http://decom.beticketing.com), $15 at door in costume, $20 in plain clothes (children under 12 free)
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