The festival's finale is on Saturday night, as the attendees observe and participate in a drama which celebrates the knowledge that they will all one day enter hell. The crowd follows the actors from one huge structure to another, simulating their descent into the abyss. Towers are then set ablaze to join with the flames of Burning Man, while the celebrants rejoice that souls have been captured and imprisoned for all eternity. When daylight arrived and the dissipation of the Burning Man attendees had finally been exhausted, Otis reflected on the festival. From American Family Association Journal September 1997.
Nothing lives in the Black Rock Desert.
For one week every year, this wasteland transforms into the largest city in the county. Yes, a city. This year 10,000 people, two newspapers, six radio stations, one TV station, an airport, restaurants, clubs, galleries, concerts, events, all set the stage for the community and culture that blossoms for a brief moment. Something magical happens out there on the alkaline playa. If you are willing to let go of social conditioning and suspend your disbelief for a while, you can set foot into a surreal existence.