Burning Man is an event that occurs annually in the Nevada desert.  We have never gone.  😎 

But we have attended Burning Man After Parties!

Now, you are probably wondering, “How can you attend an after party if you didn’t attend the event?”  Well, the Burning Man event has a lot of rules, and so do their after parties.  However, each after party is unique: for some after parties, you must know someone so you can name-drop at the entrance; for other after parties, you show up and pay a fee.  We’ve been to both, and we are sharing one with you now.

This particular event is in the San Francisco area, most famous for Rice-a-Roni, fires, prisons, and, of course, bad weather.  However, when you are photographing outdoor events, the thick clouds eliminate shadows, which is a blessing.

Activities

Burning Man After Parties are not (only) sit-around-and-drink events, there are numerous activities.

In this case, being tired is fun!

In this case, being tired is fun!

For me, this would be a method to induce vomiting, but other folks seemed to find it enjoyable.

He seems to have problems keeping his paint on the canvas.

He seems to have problems keeping his paint on the canvas.

If you are so inclined, you can paint.  This fellow explores a dichromatic motif to its fullest.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

Smoke ’em if you got ’em.

We don’t know what they are smoking, but since this is in the San Francisco area, we can assume it’s a healthy mixture of gluten-free, organically grown and harvested fruits, grains, and vegetables, right.  Nah, it’s probably ganja.  A healthy mixture of gluten-free, organically grown and harvested ganja.

We have included a few more activities for you to enjoy.  Enjoy!

Eating and Drinking

Or course, all those fun activities need to be fueled by something.

What is more "Burning Man" than bacon?

What is more “Burning Man” than bacon?

And what better fuel to feed hungry people than bacon, the healthiest food in the world!  But that fellow should probably wait until the results come in; don’t want a greasy fetus, do we?

Bacon is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.  --Benjamin Franklin

Bacon is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. –Benjamin Franklin

A plate of greasy food is the path to nirvana.

A pirate and his first mate keep a lonely vigil.

A pirate and his first mate keep a lonely vigil.

And the only practical way to wash down all that grease is with beer.  Note that you do not have to drink your beer on a rooftop.  You can, of course, but you don’t have to.

Seeing all these folks eating and drinking just makes you feel hungry, right?

Performances

You can’t have a good party without entertainment, and after parties are no exception.

A local garage band takes to the stage.

A local garage band takes to the stage.

We are not sure what the theme of this band is.  The singer looks futuristic, while the two men-in-hat look like the arrived on the short bus.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Beat it!

Beat it!

A lone drummer beats out a sad melody.  Well, someone has to sing the songs of the sad people, right?

You can't go wrong with vaudeville!

You can’t go wrong with vaudeville!

There are also classic acts, such as this vaudeville troupe who entertained us.

Check out some of the other performances and performers in attendance.

People Posing

At Burning Man After Parties, people wear their best duds and are more than happy to pose for photographs.

These two folks should hook-up with the painter guy.

These two folks should hook-up with the painter guy.

They match each other and they are proud of it…but what do they match with?  There is a theme here that eludes me.

It looks like a selfie, but it's a cuppie.

It looks like a selfie, but it’s a cuppie.

We asked if they would stand up for a photograph, but they refused.  Hmmmmm.

Present arms!

Present arms!

At least these two ladies were willing to stand at attention!

We’ve posted more posing people for your pleasure.

People Watching

People watching is a hobby of ours, and Burning Man After Parties have enough interesting people to keep us entertained.

She nose she looks cute.

She nose she looks cute.

This girl put on her best red jacket and red nose and traveled to the after party to sit in a lotus position.  Because, of course she did.  We think she has a secret crush on someone and is trying to get their attention. “Buy me a drink and I’ll take off my nose.”

He has a monopoly on style.

He has a monopoly on style.

When you are wearing a top hat and bow tie, you can look good, even at an after party.  Note the chain-link fence keeping out non-after-partiers.  We think this chap is waiting for his race car to bring his boots, and maybe his iron.

Forty lashes with a rainbow!

Forty lashes with a rainbow!

The beautiful eyelashes of this girls are no-doubt an attempt to distract from her facial scars, which probably resulted from a cooking accident involving pasta, hot peppers, and razor wire.

Check out some of the other people worth watching, and make up your own story.  😀 

People Watching from the Rear

People come and people go, and it’s often useful to look both ways.

Suspect is pantless. Repeat, pantless.

Suspect is pantless. Repeat, pantless.

I suspect that this guy realized the amount of bacon to be consumed at an after party, and is just trying to save time in the porta potty.  However, my wife asserts that, this being San Francisco and Burning Man, perhaps he lives on a two-way street.

Pretty in pink.

Pretty in pink.

She probably rode to the event on a motorcycle and burned her bottom.  Wearing the short skirt helps keep it cool.

You can get to the bottom of things by watching our slide show.  (‿ˠ‿)

Renewing our Vows

Burning Man and Burning Man After Parties are not just about wacky people doing wacky things…oh, wait.  Yes, they are.  So, let’s renew our wedding vows at Rosa’s!

The happy couple declare their undying love.

The happy couple declare their undying love.

My wife looks like she’s thinking, “If I say ‘No’, can I really get out of this mess?”  But that’s not what she’s thinking at all.  She’s thinking something else entirely, like, “Did I leave the oven on?”

With this fake ring, I thee wed.

With this fake ring, I thee wed.

And so, our vows are renewed, and we continue to live in wedded bliss.

This is where Dead Pool got the idea for his wedding ring.

This is where Dead Pool got the idea for his wedding ring.

If you look closely, you can see a political slogan on the blushing bride’s thigh.  🙂

Burning Man

Burning Man: your roadmap to somewhere.

Burning Man: your roadmap to somewhere.

Even if you don’t want to endure the crowds, heat, dust, traffic, lines, 200 degrees inside porta potties,  etc., you can have a lot of fun at an after party.  Enjoy!!

One last thing: here are a few photographs from an after party we attended in San Diego a long time ago.  😛 

awa Travels Tip: If you search online, you’ll see that the Burning Man event is described as everything from an individual spiritual journey to a lice-covered heat stroke. Decide for yourself if you want to be part of the mainstream masses who descend upon the desert. But don’t let that stop you from attending the After Party. You can’t help but have fun.