An estimated 80,000 people are set to reunite at Burning Man this month in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The "temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance" is taking place from August 28 through September 5 and is the first official gathering since the pandemic started.

This year's theme is Waking Dreams, officially described as a chance to explore the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative, and celebrate the dreamers who channel this potent energy in eye-opening, often surrealistic, sometimes life-changing ways. According to the organizers of Burning Man, “After a long hazy blur of pandemic insomnia, unanchored in time and adrift between sleeping and waking, it's time to start imagining the future again."

One of the most outrageous and entertaining displays of futuristic thinking is the spectacular arrival of Mutant Vehicles and Art Cars, created and built by some of the world's most talented designers and artists. Since vehicles are banned in Black Rock City, an approved amount of mutant vehicles are allowed on the playa if they are registered with Burning Man's Department of Mutant Vehicles.

Burning Man has stringent regulations for Mutant Vehicles. According to their website, "A Mutant Vehicle is a unique, motorized creation that either shows little or no resemblance to their original form or to any standard street vehicle or is out of context from its normal setting (a pirate ship or space ship on the desert, for example). Mutant Vehicles can be built from scratch or are radically, stunningly, and safely modified from their base vehicle." This year 829 applications were received, an enormous upswing from previous years.

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