Reno's Arts Economy Dries Up Without Burning Man

If this was a normal year, right now, thousands of people would be flocking to the middle of the northern Nevada desert to watch “The Man” burn. But it’s not a normal year, and this year’s Burning Man counterculture outdoor festival has been canceled along with many, many live events across the region. That’s taking its toll on the arts, the community and the economy.

If you drive about a hundred miles north of Reno, you'll eventually stumble onto a dry lake bed. Every Labor Day weekend, this barren stretch of alkali dust is the home of Black Rock City – the temporary metropolis that springs up from nothing for Burning Man.

Most people, at this point, have heard of Burning Man, but it's a little tricky defining exactly what it is. Some see it as an excuse for a drug-fueled week of debauchery in the desert. Others use it as a chance to get more in touch with their spirituality. For most people though, it's something else.

“The whole thing is a big piece of art,” said Jerry Snyder, a Reno-based lawyer who's gone to every Burn for the better part of two decades.

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