Good Goddess Almighty!! It’s just eight days until Lakes of Fire 2010 (A Spaced Oddity) opens its doors. And the effigy burns in just ten days! Dang! I gotta get my act together! There’s a lot of information here, as usual. Please check all this out as thoroughly as you can! It really is need-to-know stuff.

GATE HOURS:
Only approved volunteers are allowed to come in before the Gate opens. Please don’t show up early. You won’t be able to get in.

Thursday – June 24th, 2010
12:00 Noon – 12:00 Midnight – Gate closes.

Friday – June 25th, 2010
8:00 AM – 12:00 Midnight – Gate does not close!

Saturday – June 26th, 2010
12:00 Midnight – 6:00 PM – Gate closes.
Participants only! No spectators please. You must be on site by 6:00 PM to participate in Lakes of Fire. No admittance will be allowed after this time.

Sunday – June 27th, 2010
All participants except for organizers, DPW, and Earth Guardians must be off the property by 4:00 P.M. No exceptions.

A BRIEF WORD ON TICKETING:
When you bought your ticket, Black Rock Tickets emailed you a link. “http://blackrocktickets.com/buy/purchases/” That link will take you to your ticket(s). There is a login in the upper right corner of the website; type in the email and password you used to buy your tickets, and print your ticket(s). These print outs are what you bring to the gate as your ticket. Adult tickets have barcodes; each of which is unique, will be scanned at the gate, and will admit just one person. Kids tickets (for those aged 12 and unders) do not have bar codes.

Tickets are NOT coming in the mail, as they did last year. If you don’t print out your ticket and remember to bring it with you, you’re going to have way less of a good time, because you will not be allowed in to Lakes of Fire. And that’s no fun at all. Our Gate volunteers are wonderfully pleasant and loving people. And they are also under strict orders, and will become extremely hard-nosed when this situation arises.

No ticket? No entry. No exceptions.

Finally, be sure to bring your ID to the gate. We will be checking ages at the Gate.

On a more sun-shiney note, Lakes of Fire’s crack communications team has put together this awesome Survival Guide that tells you everything you need to know to make your Lakes of Fire 2010 the most amazing experience possible. “http://www.lakesoffire.org/survival-guide/” Read it . . . all of it!!

EFFIGY: YOUR BIG FIRE!
The Effigy is the large wooden sculpture in the open area near the stage area. The burning of the Effigy is the pinnacle of Lakes of Fire; the culminating part of this event. The Effigy team works very hard, long hours to build it for your enjoyment. Please respect it by not smoking, using open flame, intentionally damaging, burning or disrespecting the piece in any way. The Effigy will be burned on the final night of Lakes of Fire (Saturday). Until then, it is there for your enjoyment, reflection, pictures, and happiness. A method of sacrifice/offering/ prayer/memory additions of your own to the Effigy will be detailed at the event.

PARKING: Limited.
Please consider car-pooling with friends, family, camp-mates, or random strangers. Lakes of Fire’s site has parking available, but it is limited. Upon arrival, you may drop off your gear at your location, and then you will be asked-politely, at first-to return your car to the parking lot. Our Parking Team is helpful and rarely abusive. These lovely people will find you a parking place that will ensure that everyone will be able to get their car out in case of an emergency or other urgent need to leave the event. We ask . . . if you do have to leave . . . when you return, please stop back at parking for us to find you another parking spot. The only vehicles that will be allowed in campsites are those that are actually being camped in. These important protocols are in place to prevent a traffic nightmare during Exodus, when everyone is leaving, all at once. There are certain locations on Lakes of Fire’s site that are inaccessible to vehicles.

EXODUS: GET OUTTA HERE!
Lakes of Fire ends at 4:00 PM, Sunday, June 27th. All participants must be packed up (including your trash!) and out of the gate by that time. No exceptions. This allows DPW and EG volunteers to do their job. If you’d like to volunteer, see the volunteers section. Please adhere to Exodus directions from the Gate/Exodus staff. It is vital that the local community be respected as people leave the event. This means that everything you pack out ends up at your own home, NOT on the side of the road or in private dumpsters!

DPW: WORKIN IT!
Lakes of Fire happens in part through the hard work of a few bold soldiers known as the Department of Public Works. The DPW reminds you that if it’s not yours, don’t mess with it. Things put in place by DPW, like safety barriers, are there for a reason. Please respect those things and avoid damaging or altering them, lest you wish to be damaged or altered.

That’s all for now!

Can’t wait to see you at Lakes of Fire!

xo,

We got some crazy storms up here in Great Lakes country this past weekend! The Info-bot knows that flooded basements are no fun, but you can turn that frown upside-down, sweetie, because Lakes of Fire 2010 (A Spaced Oddity) is just two little weeks away!! And guess what!?!? By the time our ticket sales closed on Saturday evening, the event was over 99% sold out! Hot damn!

Before getting down to the nitty gritty, the Info-bot would like to remind you briefly that Lakes of Fire 2010 is an outdoor event at which severe weather – including but not limited to lightning, prolonged heavy rains, high winds, and even hail – is definitely a possibility. Please consider some of the weather you may have witnessed this past weekend and think about how you’re going to come prepared with strong and sturdy shelter that will keep you dry in the most extreme conditions.

As usual, there’s a lot of important information here. Please check this stuff out carefully, or just go to our Survival Guide!

http://www.lakesoffire.org/survival-guide/

TICKETS:
Ticket sales are now closed. No tickets remain for sale through Lakes of Fire and there will be no ticket sales at the gate . . . as in zero. Do NOT show up to Lakes of Fire 2010 expecting to pay cash at the gate. If you missed out, we recommend you join your local Burning Man group — plans change so it’s possible someone will sell their tickets and that’s the best place to look. Tickets sold for $35 & $40 depending on the tier. Be sure to get the printed bar code to bring with you to the event. Find your local Burner communities here: http://regionals.burningman.com/na_index.html

GATE HOURS: (All Times Eastern Time Zone)
Thursday – June 24th, 2010
12:00 Noon – 12:00 Midnight – Gate closes.

Friday – June 25th, 2010
8:00 AM – 12:00 Midnight – Gate does not close!

Saturday – June 26th, 2010
12:00 Midnight – 6:00 PM – Gate closes.
Participants only! No spectators please. You must be on-site by 6:00 P.M. to participate in Lakes of Fire. No admittance will be allowed after this time.

Sunday, June 27th, 2010
All participants except for organizers, DPW, and Earth Guardians must be off the property by 4:00 P.M. No exceptions.

SOUND: PROTOCOLS
Excessive sound is the single most likely reason that law enforcement officers will visit Lakes of Fire and, incidentally, your campsite. The rules are as follows.

1) You must report the sound equipment you have with you at the Greeters’ Station, even if it’s just a boom-box.
2) The Sound Squad (Rangers, Organizers, and Sound Team Volunteers) may ask you to turn your volume down to safer levels, or even completely off. You must respect these requests.
3) You may not use sub-woofers after 11:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 24th; 11:59 P.M. on Friday, June 25th; or 2:00 A.M. on Sunday, June 26th. Sub-woofers can be turned on again at 11:00 A.M. Friday-Sunday.
4) Total decibel output may not be more than 95 dB at 20 paces/40 feet after midnight, and may be no more than 90 dB at 20 paces/40 feet after 2:00 A.M.

The Sound Squad will be monitoring sound-levels with decibel-readers, and what will be considered “reasonable output” as the situation demands, after 2:00 A.M. Failure to comply with their requests will be grounds for your removal from the event. If the police arrive with noise complaints, they may be directed toward specific camps which are suspected of violating our Sound Policies.

Unfortunately, Lakes of Fire 2010 is not blessed with five square miles of open playa. We have a relatively small location, local neighbors on whose good humor this event depends, and hilly terrain that propels sound to relatively distant locations in ways we can’t predict. The Sound Squad asks that all camps and participants respect the needs of our neighbors and keep sound output within reasonable levels. Please protect the safety and success of Lakes of Fire by complying with all sound restrictions when they are in effect. Should you choose otherwise, the Sound Squad, which is tasked with protecting this event, will start making the choices for you.

VOLUNTEERS: WE NEED YOU!
Lakes Of Fire is a 100% volunteer run event. Whether it’s building the mighty effigy, organizing the A-maze-ing parking lot, or even constructing this handy-dandy survival guide everything is done by volunteers exactly like you. So don’t just participate, volunteer-ipate! And become an integral part of Lakes of Fire. We’ve got a place for you no matter what your skill set.

If you think you’d like to join our motley crew of do-ers, moties and super(wo)mans, please sign up at http://Lakesoffire.org/volunteer-ipate/ Or contact Breedlove at Breedlove@lakesoffire.org

LEAVE NO TRACE: THE PRIME DIRECTIVE.
Lakes of Fire is a leave no trace event, that means we pride ourselves on leaving the site even cleaner than we find it. We count on every single participant to pick up after themselves and to pick up other litter they see dropped on the site. There is no dumpster on site; be prepared to take home everything you bring including your garbage and recycling. Smokers, bring a tin for those cig butts. Chose cans for that beer and soda not glass bottles. Everyone must bring garbage bags for your trash and be sure it makes it all the way home with you for proper disposal. Want to be extra helpful? Join our Earth Guardians for during event site cleanups and post event complete sweep. Let’s leave the site even better than we find it! http://www.Lakesoffire.org/volunteer-ipate/

Or, you can contact Breedlove at breedlove@lakesoffire.org.

That’s all for now!

Can’t wait to see you at Lakes of Fire (2010).

xoxo,

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc. is beyond thrilled to announce that tickets for Lakes of Fire 2010 (A Spaced Oddity) will go on sale through the website at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time, this coming Friday, April 9th! Tickets will remain on sale until sold out, or until Saturday, June 5, 2010 11:59 E.S.T., whichever comes first.

Lakes of Fire 2010 (A Spaced Oddity) opens its doors at 12:00 noon E.S.T. on Thursday, June 24th, 2010. The doors close at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, June 26th, and the event continues until 4:00 P.M. on June 27th. But beware! There are no ticket sales at the gate whatsoever . . . as in zero. Tickets MUST be purchased through the website: “http://www.lakesoffire.org/tickets/” via our ticketing company, “http://blackrocktickets.com/”

Ticket prices for Lakes of Fire 2010 (A Spaced Oddity) are the same as they were for your inaugural 2009 event. We accomplish this by enacting a 100% volunteer-run event. “http://www.lakesoffire.org/volunteer-ipate/”

Ticket Tiers
Attendees age 13 and Older:
200 tickets available at $35 / ticket
800 tickets available at $40 / ticket

Attendees age 12 and under – FREE

You will need a Paypal account and a credit or debit card to complete this transaction.

Hosted at the Willow Ranch Arts and Events Center in rural Lacota, Michigan, USA, Lakes of Fire is a collaborative celebration of art, fire, music, and friendship. Lakes of Fire 2010: A Spaced Oddity will be for you, and by you. Like last year, you’ll enjoy outdoor camping, both in theme camps and in open camping settings; music, a glorious effigy, large and small scale art (both fiery and otherwise), a carnival atmosphere, and all of the creative energy and wild spirit that you and hundreds of your closest friends from around the Great Lakes (and the world) can bring! Envision the Great Lakes version of Black Rock City. Lakes of Fire will be smaller than Burning Man, more accessible, and with rolling hills, forests, and fields instead of open playa. You won’t get dust storms or temperature swings. But you’ll surely enjoy the mosquitoes, rain, and toxicodendrons-radicans.

You’ll need to purchase a ticket on-line to enter Lakes of Fire. No ticket? No Entry. No exceptions.

There will be absolutely no ticket sales at the gate. Do not show up to Lakes of Fire expecting to pay cash. Tickets must be purchased on-line, via our website, in advance.

xo,

Get all excited!

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc. is super-stoked to announce that from Thursday, June 24th, through Sunday, June 27th, the mighty Willow Ranch in rural southwest Michigan will again become home to your official Great Lakes Burning Man Regional Event: Lakes of Fire. 2010’s theme is A Spaced Oddity . . . . . of course. So come prepared to make contact!

Hosted at the Willow Ranch Arts and Events Center in rural Lacota, Michigan, USA, Lakes of Fire is a collaborative celebration of art, fire, music, and friendship. Lakes of Fire 2010: A Spaced Oddity will be for you, and by you. Like last year, you’ll enjoy outdoor camping, both in theme camps and in open camping settings; music, a glorious effigy, large and small scale art both fiery and otherwise, a carnival atmosphere, and all of the creative energy and wild spirit that you and hundreds of your closest friends from around the Great Lakes (and around the world) can bring! Envision the Great Lakes version of Black Rock City. Lakes of Fire will be smaller than Burning Man, more accessible, and with rolling hills, forests, and fields instead of open playa. You won’t get dust storms or temperature swings. But you’ll surely enjoy the mosquitoes, rain, and toxicodendrons-radicans.

If you’re driving, Lakes of Fire’s location is roughly two hours from Chicago, four hours from Detroit, Milwaukee, or Indianapolis, six hours from Cleveland or Columbus, and seven hours from Toronto. Our rules, regulations, and binding principles are simple, and can be found here:

If you can live within these guiding principles, you’re beyond welcome to enact the second Lakes of Fire.

Details are still emerging. Tickets will be available in April. We hope you can join us for this celebration of art, fire, and friendship!

Love,