Playa del Fuego

Last updated
Playa del Fuego
FrequencyOnce annually (Memorial Day Weekend) Was twice annually until Spring 2017 (Spring and Fall)
Location(s) Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, U.S.
InauguratedAugust 1998
Most recentMay 23-27, 2024
Participants1200
Website playadelfuego.org

Playa del Fuego, also known as PDF, is a regional event held annually in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. It is inspired by the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada. The event is held in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. twice annually. The spring event is held over Memorial Day and the fall event is held over Columbus Day weekend. The event draws national participation from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states. The 2024 event is scheduled for May 23 to May 27 in Tamaqua.

Contents

Playa del Fuego is a camping event that celebrates art for art's sake and espouses a gift economy where no vending, sales or barter are permitted. [1] Visual and performance artists from all over the mid-atlantic region and the East Coast create a temporary community for the weekend. Participants share a wide range of talents from sculpting, painting, music, theatre, and DJing, to alternative forms of expression such as games, performance art, and circus talents such as juggling and fire spinning.

The event adheres to the ten principles of the Burning Man event in Nevada. Among these are the LNT (Leave No Trace) philosophy, an environmental policy whereby participants are obligated to remove every piece of refuse that they generate while at the event, taking it with them when they leave. [2] The themes of radical self-expression and radical self-reliance are also borrowed from Burning Man. In addition, the event is considered a "no spectators" event, meaning that all attendees are expected to actively participate in its creation, staffing, and general philosophy.

According to the official website, it is "a celebration of the spirit of radical self-expression, community, and participation". The event is planned and run completely by volunteers. The volunteer areas include: the PDF Rangers, First Aid, Gate Crew, DPW, LNT, Participation Station, Lamp Lighters, and Sound Patrol.

Gates open for Playa del Fuego Thursday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend. Playa del Fuego culminates with a bonfire on Saturday night; however, instead of a human effigy as at Burning Man, a wooden pony is burned in honor of the event's origins on Assateague Island in Maryland. [3] A Fire Conclave and Drum Circle directly precede the main burn. In recent festivals, a secondary burn has taken place the following night, during which other works of "burnable art" are burned. The event ends on Monday at noon.

History

PDF began with a small group in 1998 on a beach at Assateague Island. Eventually, the event grew too large for that location and moved to private property in the Odessa/Townsend area of Delaware to accommodate the hundreds of participants who were attending the event. In 2018, the event moved to Tamaqua, Pennsylvania

Timeline of the Assateague Beach Burn

The Assateague Beach Burn was the progenitor event of Playa Del Fuego.

Season/YearDates of EventLocationParticipantsDescription of EffigyHistorical Notes
iSummer 19988/1 to 8/2/1998Assateague Island~20The first effigy was a "Burning Man," facing and pointing west toward the Black Rock Playa.First ever Assateague Beach Burn.
iiFall 199810/24 to 10/25/1998Assateague Island~30Burning Woman effigy with square breasts. Artists: Glenn and Ursula.
iiiSpring 19995/22 to 5/23/1999Assateague Island~30Burning Man effigy; medium: cardboard. Artist: Lizard. Burning Man effigy; medium: popsicle sticks, scrap wood. Artist: Andy Wing.
ivSummer 19997/24 to 7/25/1999Assateague Islandn/aBurning Man effigy supported by tripod; medium: solid wood blocks.
vFall 199910/23 to 10/24/1999Assateague Island~60Burning Man effigy, arms raised. Artist: Kevin.

Timeline of Playa Del Fuego (since 2000)

Season/ YearDates of EventLocationTicket PriceParticipantsRegistered Theme CampsDescription of EffigyHistorical Notes
ISpring 20005/11 to 5/13/2000Assateague IslandNo tickets70+n/aBurning Man effigy, arms raised, fire shooting from each hand. Artist: Kevin. Also 5 popsicle stick men. Artist: Andy Wing.Regarded as the first "Playa Del Fuego" by event historian Andy Wing because this was the first time that the Assateague Beach Burn was extended to a 3-day event.
IISummer 20008/4 to 8/6/2000Assateague IslandNo ticketsn/an/aUnknown
IIIFall 200010/13 to 10/15/2000Assateague IslandNo ticketsn/an/aBurning Man effigy.
IVSpring 20014/27 to 4/29/2001Assateague IslandNo tickets150+n/a"Leaning Man" effigy, 20 ft tall. Artist: Fred. Also 5 popsicle stick men, each 6 ft tall. Artist: Andy Wing.Last Playa Del Fuego held on the beach at Assateague Island.
VFall 200110/19 to 10/21/2001Odessa, DEUnknown230+n/aFirst time that a "Burning Pony" was placed atop the ceremonial bonfire in honor of the event's historical roots on Assateague Island.First time Playa Del Fuego held in Odessa, DE. First time tickets are sold and event is insured.
VISpring 20025/24 to 5/27/2002Odessa, DEUnknown382n/an/a
VIIFall 200210/11 to 10/14/2002Odessa, DEUnknownn/an/an/a
VIIISpring 20035/23 to 5/26/03Odessa, DEUnknownn/an/an/aThis was the legendary "Mud Burn."
IXFall 200310/10 to 10/13/03Odessa, DEUnknownn/an/an/a
XSpring 20045/28 to 5/31/2004Odessa, DEUnknownn/a (sold out)n/an/aFirst time tickets were sold out.
XIFall 200410/8 to 10/11/2004Odessa, DEUnknownn/an/an/a
XIISpring 20055/27 to 5/30/2005Odessa, DEUnknown625 (sold out)n/an/a
XIIIFall 200510/7 to 10/10/2005Odessa, DEUnknownn/an/an/a
XIVSpring 20065/25 to 5/29/2006Odessa, DEUnknown800+n/an/aFirst time event was extended from 4 to 5 days (beginning on Thursday).

pyramid of exotic hardwood (aka pyramid of porn) burned on Friday

XVFall 200610/5 to 10/9/2006Odessa, DE$35~800n/aSculpture of horse bucking back, lit with giant zippo light and fuse. major pyrotechnics. mounted on shipping container with the 3 wise monkeys made of steel, revealed as it burnt down. artist monk e burnswell; medium: natural wood and plywood.Rain and mud Friday and Saturday, beautiful sunshine Sunday.
XVISpring 20075/24 to 5/28/2007Odessa, DE$35800 (sold out)n/aPegasus taking flight; medium: natural wood and wicker.Burn took place during a fantastic night time electrical storm which surrounded the playa with lightning strikes. fall of the house of burner burned on Saturday night with a fire so bright you could "see it from space"
XVIIFall 200710/4 to 10/8/2007Odessa, DE$35800 (sold out)n/a7 pony head totem minor pyrotechnics also lit with single match; medium: natural wood, plywood and paper mache'. artist monk e burnswell
XVIIISpring 20085/22 to 5/26/2008Odessa, DE$351000 (sold out)n/aSilhouette cut-out of a horse head; medium: plywood.Ticket cap increased by 25%, and still sold out. First Totem Burn on Sunday night.
XIXFall 200810/9 to 10/13/2008Odessa, DE$351000 (sold out)n/aSeahorse; medium: natural wood and driftwood; minor pyrotechnics.
XXSpring 20095/21 to 5/25/2009Odessa, DE$351000 (sold out)n/aSilhouette cut-out of a horse rearing up; medium: painted plywood and wood scales.Second Totem Burn on Sunday night.
XXIFall 200910/8 to 10/12/2009Odessa, DE$351000 (sold out)n/aHuge rocking horse (multicolored); fully interactive prior to burn; medium: painted wood; pyrotechnics. Artists: Amira and The Wineman.
XXIISpring 20105/27 to 5/31/2010Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)n/aExterior: My Little Pony (pink); Interior: Skeletal demon dark horse (black); medium: painted wood effigy and pedestal; ignited by flaming arrows; pyrotechnics. Artist: The Connecticut OakburnersTicket cap increased by 27.5%, and still sold out. Ticket price increased nearly 43% to help create a fund for future purchase of land. New ticket purchasing system used. First year that the back gate was staffed for entire event.
XXIIIFall 201010/7 to 10/11/2010Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)n/aLarge Pegasus with Movable wings created by Barrel of FunTBD
XXIVSpring 20115/26 to 5/30/2011Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)40Two story "pony tower" with a pony on both the first and second stories; artist Gordon B. McCracken medium: thick beam construction for tower, plywood ponies.Tallest effigy in PDF history.
XXVFall 201110/6 to 10/10/2011Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)42Rocking Pony by Fogie Camp.Muddiest site conditions since Spring 2003. For the first time, a temple was built for the festival and burned on Sunday evening.
XXVISpring 20125/24 to 5/28/2012Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)21+Kissing ponies; two wicker ponies, rearing up on hind legs and nuzzling noses.New sound policy enforced. Beautiful secondary burn on Sunday night.
XXVIIFall 201210/4 to 10/8/2012Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)40"Single Carousel Horse on a Pole" by Reginald Conyard Jr. Painted carousel horse with zebra stripes; layered plywood with a weighted rope an pulley system; pony shifted into 3 different poses as specific ropes burned.Fairly muddy conditions.
XXVIIISpring 20135/23 to 5/27/2012Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)40Built by Camp Buffalo, an interactive pony with a slide that allowed participants to be "reborn a buffalo."Rainy, windy, and muddy.
XXIXFall 201310/10 to 10/14/2013Odessa, DE$501275 (sold out)57Multiple tiers with a central platform with a pony statue.Rainy, muddy, and windy. That burn we had a "lake".
XXXSpring 20145/22 to 5/26/2014Odessa, DE$50~1375 (sold out) ??Pallet pile with wire-wrap pony sculpture hidden inside.Muddy Thursday. Sunny, warm and dry for the rest.
XXXIFall 201410/10 to 10/13/2014Odessa, DE$50~1400 (sold out) ??Wooden Pegasus with flapping connected to a pulley system.
XXXIISpring 20155/21 to 5/25/2015Odessa, DE$50????
XXXIIIFall 201510/8 to 10/12/2015Odessa, DE$50????
XXXIVSpring 20165/26 to 5/30/2016Odessa, DE$50????
XXXVFall 201610/6 to 10/10/2016Odessa, DE$50????"Everything is Awesome" Pony - Participants were invited to play with collection of oversized modular blocks which were later assembled into a large, colorful pony effigy.Muddy exodus. Cars stuck in field.
XXXVSpring 20175/25 to 5/29/2017Odessa, DE$50????"Sleipnir" - a rearing 8-legged horse effigy built with a heavy timber skeleton then clad with wood.Muddiest event to occur on the land in Odessa, DE. Eventually became the last event to occur on that particular site.
XXXVIFall 201709/28 to 10/01Elkins, West Virginia$50??35Fall event renamed "Constellation"
XXXVII201805/24 to 05/28 Tamaqua, PA, PA$50??26"Free Biscuit" - a geometric pony effigy with a central structure of lumber intersected by triangular planes of plywood. Fireworks.Hot and dry weather
XXXVIII201905/23 to 05/27 Tamaqua, PA, PA500 Tier 1 tickets at $65 each / 250 Tier 2 at $80759 attendees of 811 tickets sold26An elevated platform with a pony cutout topped with a circular table supporting a rearing pony effigy. Fireworks.
--2020CancelledN/AN/AN/AN/AN/ADue to COVID-19 Pandemic event was cancelled.
--2021CancelledN/AN/AN/AN/AN/ADue to COVID-19 Pandemic event was cancelled.

Event size and ticketing

As of spring 2010, the ticket cap was raised to 1,275. Tickets offered for sale on the PDF website generally sell out quickly. The primary factor which prevents the ticket cap from being increased to meet demand is the number of volunteers available to staff various aspects of the event. Over the years, as the volume of volunteers (people x shifts covered) has increased, the ticket cap was increased. Other factors taken into account when raising the ticket cap are the availability of space for parking and the impact of noise on surrounding residents.

Tickets cost US$90 each (though a few hardship ticket scholarships are available by application), and are sold in two releases, with about half the event tickets sold in the first release, and the remaining half sold in the second release. Tickets sales for the spring PDF usually begin mid-March on the event website, and ticket sales for the fall event usually begin in mid-August.

Ethics

Several themes and/or ethics are encouraged during the event, based on the ten principles of Burning Man. [4] These include:

See also

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References

  1. "Playa Del Fuego - About Us" . Retrieved 2022-12-19.
  2. "BiG TeA PaRtY Sustainable LivingSustainable Living at Playa del Fuego 2009". Archived from the original on 2010-05-02. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
  3. "BiG TeA PaRtY Sustainable LivingPlaya del Fuego, an East Coast Burning Man". Archived from the original on 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
  4. "The Burning Man Network's Ten Principles". Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2009-09-25.

40°46′39″N76°01′22″W / 40.777480°N 76.02282°W / 40.777480; -76.02282