Has Burning Man Become Commercialized? The Evolution of the Wild Festival in the Nevada Desert

What started as a bonfire party among friends in 1986 in San Francisco has become an annual festival held in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada over 9 days where tens of thousands of attendees participate in art, self-expression, and nudity, culminating in the burning of a large wooden effigy of a man. This year's event faced extreme weather conditions from rain and mud that trapped attendees and challenged the usual free-spirited environment. There was also one reported death. Longtime attendees have noted the festival has become more commercialized and expensive as it has grown in popularity, losing some of its original do-it-yourself counter-culture roots.