Buning Van Update.
- finkchopper
- Feb 20, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 21, 2022
As you may know the Council of Councils meeting for 2022 was called off. We would usually be there with details about the upcoming National Truck-in. So, I am going to update you here with the latest on the 2022 Van Nationals, aka Burning Van.
We have finally acquired a limited number of golf carts for rent. We also have porta johns for those who want to rent private units. You can sign up for either or both at the store here on the web site. We have several bands lined up and are working on several more. There will be a fire show performance by a cool troupe called the Amazing Giants on Friday night, and of course the fabulous finale on Saturday. We have been selling a fundraiser shirt and poster to raise funds to help make all of this as great as possible. A big thank you to those of you who have supported our efforts so far.
There will be a cruise out into the countryside again this year. The route has yet to be finalized. There are plans in the works for van drag racing possibly on Wednesday at National Trail Raceway. More on that later. A number of van-oriented games are planned as well. Van-kana, slow drags, etc. We have a number of vendors lined up already and more pending.
There will be a meet and greet on Wednesday evening. We will be serving grilled hot dogs, slaw and baked beans. Free of charge. Sponsored by the National Truck-in Board.
We have 200+ entries already. A quick fact, we had 220 pre-entries when we did the Nats in 2017. We are almost at that point already. We could be looking at a number of vans we haven't seen since the last century.
You need to be pre-registered to enter the grounds early. (For details click the flyer on the home page). We are asked what happens when someone comes early (before Wednesday) that isn't pre entered? We are handling that the same as early arrivals in the past. You can line up in a staging area at the front gate and wait till 10am on Wednesday when the official gate opening takes place. It would be beneficial to pre-enter early. Just remember the deadline to pre enter is JUNE 1
We are really excited about the Burning Van Theme. The response so far has been overwhelming. I would like to take a few lines to talk about how this came about. I have a friend that attended Burning Man 20 years ago. I always thought the play on words with Burning Van would be a cool theme for a van-in. 3 years ago Matchstick/ Rose and I were talking about the possibility of doing a Nationals together and Burning Van came up. Then the ideas started to flow. I started doing some research on Burning Man and was surprised to see so many similarities to a van-in.
Burning Man is not just a big party in the desert. It is an art festival. Attendees camp for a week. Artists display their projects. From the smallest to full blown huge installations. The event is run mostly by volunteers.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in some way. There are theme camps. Performances by many participants. Art in some form in nearly every camp. Gifting is encouraged. Some "Burners" make some object to give to others. Some serve food to the other Burners. Others put on skits or play live music. Set up a bar. Serve drinks each night or afternoon. Teach others to do a craft of some kind. One group brings costumes for people to wear and gives them to whoever wants them. Another organizes a parade where everyone is dressed in bee suits. It is fun, creative and there is a huge sense of community. Burning Man, as well as Van-ins have been described as a family reunion by many since we get together every year with the same friends. This is what we hope to foster at Burning Van.
Another aspect we want to emulate is 2 traditions of Burning Man. One is the obvious burning of the "Man". We will be constructing a large wood replica of a custom van. There will be the ceremonial burn Saturday night. We have some surprises that promise to be something you will long remember. Another tradition at Burning Man is the Temple. It is a place for reflection. An emotional place to shed grief, commune, share love for others alive or those that have left us. They write notes on the walls to others. Post pictures of friends and family they want to honor. Then there is a separate burn ceremony for the temple.
We will be combining the burn van and the temple into one structure. We will be displaying the Vanner memorial inside the van structure and encourage everyone to bring pictures or a remembrance of the Vanners who are no longer with us.
There is one other parallel to vanning. When you ask people what the burning of the "Man" represents, you will get any number of answers. The same as when you ask a vanner what 2% means. The reality is it means what you want it to. There is no one answer. There is no wrong answer.
SEE YOU IN JULY. Coop
Check out these videos about Burning Man. They will spark ideas and get you thinking what you can do to add to the experience.
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