Burning Man's First Year In The Desert

In 1990, on Memorial Day weekend, Larry Harvey and friends, which by now included a number of members of the Cacophony Society, gathered to burn the Man once again on Baker Beach. However, by now, the annual burning of a large wooden man was on the Golden Gate Park Police's radar. An officer showed up and permitted them to erect the Man, but not to burn it.

The crowd grew unruly, but this was perhaps the single best thing that ever happened to Burning Man.

Kevin Evans, one of the Cacophonists in attendance had, the previous year, been out to the Black Rock Desert for a wind sculpture event over Labor Day Weekend. On coming home, he "rallied a few friends and schoolmates around the idea of planning a Labor Day weekend trip to the Black Rock Desert."

The rest is history. He and the other Cacophonists invited Larry and company to bring the Man with them on what would be known as Zone Trip #4 - Bad Day at Black Rock.
All photos from C. Nick Lynch unless otherwise noted.  

First Burn at the desert had RVs!

And kids!

This is the first raising of the Man during Zone Trip #4. Most of the people who attended are in this pic.

Photo: Stewart Harvey