Michiganders at Burning Man say it was the "best year yet"
(CBS DETROIT) - The driving ban in Black Rock City, home to Burning Man, has been lifted, allowing festival-goers the option to leave after being stuck after heavy rainfall caused muddy, undrivable conditions.
The "playa," which is the name for the grounds where Burning Man is held, spent most of the 2023 festival as a muddy mess. However, most "Burners," like Ann Arbor native Mark "Mars" Zimmerman, didn't let that hinder a good time.
"We built some fun art and have a little party with our friends, come together to have a meaningful experience this week with each other. We got a little bit of rain, but didn't stop us," Zimmerman told CBS News Detroit.
Syncytium is the camp a group of Detroit, Ann Arbor and Canton natives stayed at this year. They say they planned on being there the duration of the gathering before the rain and had no issues with food or water but made sure the people around them were taken care of if they were in need.
"There's a reason why we throw a party in the most inhospitable place on the planet because the adversity breeds connection and it breeds meaningful experiences, and the difficulty is just part of the fun," Zimmerman said.
Syncytium members say they'll be back next year to rep their city on the playa.
"It's great to bring a little bit of our Detroit, Michigan, out here to the playa. You know, there's a lot of folks from California, a lot of folks from the West Coast, Australia. I think we bring a little bit of a different flavor, a little bit of heartiness, resilience, authenticity," Zimmerman said.