Burn2 Summer Event: Circus of Fire And Fun

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

Time to visit a Circus! The next fun event now that the SL22B is over and only a wonderful memory is the Burn2 Burning Man Virtual Regional summer event, Conception. The theme this summer is ‘Circus of Fire and Fun’. 

I stopped over to see if the Playa is ready and it sure is. Outside in the town of Gerlach all is in place. 

If you are new to Second Life in town are tips to help you on moving around, getting outfits, and lots of gifts. If you are new to Burn2 there are information booths to check out that will link you to the websites that will tell you all about it. Stop and see them. Click Language help to read the 10 Principles if Burning Man in any language you choose.

The entrance itself is spectacular as are the gorgeous installations inside the gate. Those I will leave you to explore over the weekend and a few days after they will remain in place. The lamplighters will open the event at 5pm slt “Friday 25 July 2025 at 5:00PM SLT. Join the Lamplighters on a walk-on for a little tour of the Playa, ending up at the Circus Main Stage to kick off the event!” Saturday morning at 8:45am slt there will be a short parade of the event participants and again at 5:45pm slt. I recommend getting there to see the parade a little early.

I ran into Jeff Olhoeft (jolhoeft Resident) , who built the effigy that will burn Sunday at noon slt and again at 6pm slt to close the event. He was working on and testing the burn which you will have to come see for yourself. There will be parties at the stages over the weekend and notices will go out to the BurningMan2.0 group. Join the group and you will not miss the fun! There are several ways to get around the Playa once you enter the gate. Look for art car rezzers and choose one to use. I have a feeling we will have a running train. Riding a horse is always a great way tp get around.

I am a Ranger at Burn2 . You can learn more about what Rangers do by stopping over at the Ranger Station on the playa while you are visiting. Take an ice cream cone or a glass of lemonade and click the wall of our portable station to learn about us. The manual that we train by is on the table . Check that out and see our work to be able to help everyone who visits and needs information or assistance. I don’t usually dress for work like this but wanted to " feel in" the circus atmosphere.

Here is your landing point. See you on the Playa! 

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/146/30/24

Gemma Cleanslate 

 

Winter Burn Aurora

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

Winter Burn Aurora opened at 5 Friday and will be open until after the Effigy burn and dancing on Sunday at 12:00 . Be sure to visit to see the spectacular builds , and attend the fun parties on the ice at the glowing stage by Ben Tenk. Saturday the stage event begins at 10 am slt.

Outside the gate before you enter check the gifting table. Also near by you can learn more about Burning Man and Burn2 , a regional in Second Life. Then enter the majestic entrance and see the Burn Effigy in the distance. Inside Cuga Ragal has some fun sleds to rezz and slide on around the regions, or stop and grab an art car to travel.

There is a massive skating pond where you will also find the lovely crystal stage for parties. The pond winds over the playa which is usually dust. All the builds fit the winter scene but with twists, There is a lovely half globe containing a winter lounge with comfortable seating around a fire where visitors can warm up and have a hot drink and converse. Under another half globe I found a steaming hot tub so it is not all cold thought I suggest one dress for the frigid weather outside. I saw a few avatars that looked like they were on a sunny beach and shivered. Get there early to enjoy the skating and more.


Burning Man- Deep Hole

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/147/31/24

 

Gemma Cleanslate

(Editors Note, this article was supposed to be up Friday, but somehow I missed it until later, our apologies for the delay)

Burn2 Continues

 
From Gemma Cleanslate

The Burn2 event continues with gusto. There are a few more days to get over to the 12 regions and look at the marvelous builds that fill the place. They are amazing, and some mysterious, because of the event name, The Great Unknown. https://www.burn2.org/

Parties go on at the several stages day and night and if you look at the calendar on the website you can see the place and time. There is a huge billboard at the entrance to the playa with the time and stage. There are little posters in the barrels at the entrance with landmarks not only to the stages but to other points of interest on the playa.

Take a  look at this lively party at the Transcendence stage. Djs are spinning tunes, mostly forms of trance and the audience is loving it! Dj Puddles has a live camera showing the playa above the stage . Just enable media when you get there and click the screen to get the view of builds around in the regions.

On the Main Stage one day a favorite of mine, Steve Who, performed. He is a sax player in real life and in Secnd Life from Scotland and plays every week at SLEA. Another performance there was the charming Angelicus Boy’s Choir that is much loved as shown by the attendance.

Tempest Rosca has this delightful forward thinking installation . Look into the globe to see what that robot may be thinking.

Everyday at 12 noon and 6pm slt the Lamplighters gather to have a procession to the temple lighting the hanging lanterns along the way. There is room for the community visitors to join the procession at the end of the line so jump on. When the procession reaches the temple they dance in the circle . It is a lovely experience so try to attend one some day . You have until Sunday when the temple will burn . The Man will burn on Saturday.

Here is the calendar of events at the playa until that time. Enjoy your time there and say hello to me if I am Ranger at that time. Say hello to any Ranger you see . We are there to assist in anyway you can. https://www.burn2.org/event-calendar/

Gemma Cleanslate
 

Preparing For The Burn

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

I took a tour of the 11  regions of the October Burn2 which is “The Great Unknown."  There is a lot of building going on and some fun already. 

I started out on the balloon tour to see if it was working and, yes it is. But it still under construction. Bar Tenk always does a wonderful job with his tours of the playa. It is a great way to get an overview of the playa. One can hop off at any time if something catches your eye. 

 

At this point trucks and cranes are parked everywhere with materials for many builds as the creators get ready to fill their parcels.

Early creators already have their installations in place. Minka Angel (Saraminka Nova)has so many activities she is involved in on the playa she has her Kid’s camp all set, kids of all ages that is. She allowed me to take a picture so you can look for it to go have some fun! It is filled with games you will love.

I ran into an artist friend of mine, elan (Ineffable Mote)  standing by his trailer examining his installation. 

He is almost ready for visitors and has his porto potty at the corner of his plot for them annd for passersby .

Not only did Shimada Yoshikawa  finish his gorgeous stage but he and and Gwenn Yoshikawa (bubbles1724) were already were enjoying a dance under the arches. Shimada also created the main stage that I will leave for you to discover.

In the town of Gerlach which houses offices , saloons and the entrance to the playa there are aids for new avatars and loads of gifts so don’t miss them when you visit the playa.  

The opening is less than a week away!!

Gemma Cleanslate
 

A Look At Burn2 Conception

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

What a great event the Conception event of Burn2 turned out to be . The playa was busy 24/7 with djs, shows, and roaming the builds . I took some photos of some of the events.

 CHANGHIGH SISTERS FIRESHOW of Light is always a huge draw .

A large crowd arrived to see the dancers perform . Yman Juran always brings her stage with her.

Another group that provides their own staging is Angelicus. The large contingent of singers arrived  with their choir singing chorus music from  all over the world . It was a perfect show for Sunday morning.

Lunna Kiyori (Lunna Darwinian) played her set of progressive trance before a large audience of admirers . She is a well known long time DJ in Second Life . Many other DJs were at the stage over the entire event.

Here are some of the creative installation that graced the playa . They will remain there until July 17 incase you missed the event. The entrance is here.   http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/172/34/24

Gemma Cleanslate

Editor's note: Burn2's spinoff events have always been worth stopping by to me. With just one sim though, the place could be a bit packed, so I had to keep the lag in mind. What got my attention this year was that "The Man" was a woman. For the first time, the wooden effigy was a female shape. I went ahead and took a miniature wooden woman from the gift shop as a souvenir.

As someone taking part in both the Relay Weekend and the Second Life Birthday, and missing the excitement of both, Conception was a reminder that if you know where to look, the fun never stops for long here in Second Life. And for fans of the Burn, they can look forward to more fun when Burning Man takes place online later this summer, and of course the "Octoburn" in November.
 

Scenes From Burn2

By Gemma Cleanslate

The Burn2 is open and welcoming all visitors ...”Home” as is the tradition. Getting ready for the big week is a very busy time for all the staff of the Playa. There are schedules to be made for Performances on the several stages, Stage Managers and Hosts to train , builders assigned their plots and so much more.

As a Ranger I had to attend several training sessions to review the Principles and playa rules and get ready to help anyone who needs help during the event. Then out to the playa we went to see if the builders were all set up or needed assistance. It was quite a time before the opening.

Now the roadways are full of fun and awe as visitors enter by the greeters, gathering gifts as they move through the entrance. One of the principles, decommodification , means many gifts and no pay . Builders and staff donate fun items that sit next to the entrance and some place more on their own plots.  

The playa is six regions with a riot of color and charm. Rustic camps much like the real Burning Man playa are scattered about mixed in with massive art installations. There are surprises everywhere.
The people who visit are full of surprises too in their garb and their sense of fun. 

I ride my own horse around the roads but there are two horse rezzers there, one in Deep Hole before the entrance and one out on the playa. Art Cars created for the event are available in Rezzers you will find here and there, one more strange and enticing then the other .. try them!   

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/170/50/25

Here are some visitors and scenes from the event so far. Make sure you save time to visit and don’t forget the gifts! More to come!!

Gemma Cleanslate

Going About Burn2

By Gemma Cleanslate

Sunday, my first visit to Burn2 was to roam and see what was going on. The greeter at the gate looked festive in her outfit and dancing around gleefully. I picked up a bag of gifts from her back pack that I knew would be helpful for the week. My next trip was to wait for the bunny tour that took us over the sims for a wonderful view of the layout and all the marvelous builds.

  
Great start to seeing the vibrance and color of all the installations below and locating The Man and The Temple. At the drop off I skated over to the entrance again to pick up all the gifts left by creators and staff of the event. As a retired Ranger, greeter, host, Lamp Lighter and sort of builder-helper I knew many of the staff and was glad to see them around again.

I stopped to check out the Man of this year, built by Pygar Bu and Mariannne McCann. I then walked  down the road to the spectacular Temple, by Daark Gothly. The vibrance of the colors make it very fitting for the surrounding playa. I left some messages in the censer on the upper level. These messages will be read out across the playa when the Temple burns next week. 

I made my way over to the vehicle rezz area to check out the types of transport created by Department of Mutant Vehicles members involved in the Burn2. They are always cute and fun to ride especially when lag is at a minimum.  

I meandered across the sims on the ground admiring the work of the creators who worked there.  One build where I spent some time resting while I cammed around is  the lovely Wind-Song Orbs.There are 25 orbs suspended in the air in the center of large rocks that are the walls of the site.They are lead to chime , each with a unique sound,by a conductor located below where you can start the orbs playing in accordance with the direction and speed of the wind. It is a restful sound and fits so well with the desert around. 

I also stopped to talk with Leroy Horton who has a cute fun build with a riot of robots and color. He was dressed in his robot avatar to walk around the roadways. 

I checked in at the Ranger station to say hello to the two on duty Rangers, Jezzie and Radioactive  who were enjoying the quiet after the storm of the opening. I plan to spend some time visiting again to see the builds scattered across the regions and stop in at some  of the parties . There will be activities every day and here is the schedule. - http://www.burn2.org/calendar

The entrance at Deep Hole is here and just follow the well marked road to the gate. This annual event is not to be missed!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/117/18/25

Gemma Cleanslate

Burn2 Radical Ritual Gets Off To A Firey Start

By Klaus Bereznyak

Saturday at 10AM, the five sims of radical self expression that makes up this years main Burn2 festival opened to the public with the usual ceremony. As darkness fell on the baking dust of the playa, the lamplighters emerged like the sun at midnight to lead the procession. 

 

The event was hearteningly well attended, to the point where the Deep Hole sim was full at times. The lamplighters rode a truck, haltingly navigated iSkye Silverweb, passing significant landmarks, and followed by an array of burners on bicycles, on foot and in other random vehicles. The pomp and high jinx culminated in the 'blessing' of the Temple with lamplighter fire at 10:30am.

 

In the pervading atmosphere of anarchic fun, avs scooted around, test driving freebie vehicles, greeting strangers and exploring the builds from magnificent to homely. Burn2 fosters a "gift  economy" so any visitors would be well advised to take along a big sack in which to stuff freebies. 

 

 

 It felt like everyone was letting their hair down a bit after the huge amount of planning and building in recent weeks. When the lag got too much, I retired to Sojourner's Outpost, the camp I co-built with a friend, where we chilled, drank moonshine and entertained a couple of guests and some wandering visitors. 

 

Being a participant this year has given me an insight into the back-story of Burn2 festivals, which begins for builders with the pre-sale of plots back in July. Particular attention is given to ensuring that builds minimize lag in order to give a range of visitors the best experience possible. For instance, most of the textures used are limited to 512x512 pixels, particles are kept down and prim building is favored over mesh. Once building starts, creators move in on the playa and many put up tents and make sure their basic needs are supplied while building goes on. This is an enjoyable time, when it's possible to get something of the authentic feeling of  participating in a Burning Man festival. Of course, some builds go up very quickly at the last minute, and even during the opening there were a few random things the organizers had to see to, such as porta potties popping up in the middle of a roadway.

 

 

This year's theme of "Radical Ritual" has inspired a range of interpretations and exploded in a  wealth of 'temples' reflecting dimensions of spirituality and the mundane, and constructed with spades of the humor and creativity that tends to characterize Burn2. In kinship with the real-life Burn this year, builders were invited to consider "reinventing ritual in our post post-modern world - disregarding assertions of belief and focus on the immediate experience of play. Play can free us to envision truths of which we have no proof or warrant, and breaks down the distinction that divides belief from make-believe. Whole-hearted, creative play induces self-surrender to experience that is beyond the scope of reasoned thought.” 

 

 

This year's festival is spread across five sims and will probably take more than a single visit to explore fully. On the fourth sim, Alkali, building rules have been more relaxed and creators have had the opportunity to take their 'radical expression' a little further while ensuring that their fun doesn't interfere with anyone else's. In addition to the main stage, there's a second big stage for live events on this sim. 

 

 

Kicking off events at the main stage following the opening procession was the one-man-band Al Hofmann with his Burning Guitar, playing his laid-back style of jazz fusion. The Alkali stage was baptized at noon with the explosive beauty of Yman Juran and the ChangHigh Sisters' fireshow of light, life and love. Both sets of performers can be seen again during the week as part of the stuffed program of events running until Sunday 29 October and ending with the final Temple Burn at 5pm.

 

 

 It's going to be a blast. See you there!

Main Entrance SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/117/18/25

Events Program: http://www.burn2.org/calendar

Flickr Group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/burn2/pool/

 

Klaus Bereznyak