Ticketing

Lakes Letter – March 23rd, 2023

Attention Theme Camps || Need-Based Tickets Closing Soon || Check Your Volunteer Hours || Volunteering: Get Into Gate! || Volunteering: Fire Safety Team

 


Attention Theme Camps

The Theme Camp Placement Registration form will open on April 1st, 2023 and remain open until April 30th, 2023. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss it.

If you blink though, you might miss the window to apply for the Directed Theme Camp Ticket program. The form closes March 25th, so if you intend to register your theme camp, don’t wait until then to apply to this special program. Get your name in the hat!

 


Need-Based Tickets Closing Soon

person-with-wristbandThe Need-Based Ticket Application will close March 25th. Please apply if you’re even considering picking up a ticket in April. If you wait ’til then it’ll be too late. If you’re curious about the program, read more on our website.

 


Check Your Volunteer Hours

Last month we announced Volunteeripate, our new volunteer hour and ticketing platform. If you want to tiptoe thru the tulips with us come July, register! Our Ticketing page has a detailed step-by-step guide to get you all set up. Especially if you volunteered in 2022, please get yourself signed up before April 1st. You can verify your 2022 hours and we’ll be so much nicer if you need help fixing them before the ticketing stampede begins. Help us and we’ll help you for helping out. Hanks!

 


Volunteering: Get Into Gate!

lakes-of-fire-gate
As Friar Tuck passes the torch of leadership, we LOFers are happy to welcome Meow back to the role of Gate Department Co-Lead. Meow is looking forward to collaborating with Violet to shape the Gate department and they’re looking for some new recruits. If you’ve thought about getting involved at Gate, now is an excellent time to learn, brainstorm, and help the department grow. Contact Gate directly or read all about the Shift Lead and Day Manager roles on our website.

 


Volunteering: Fire Safety Team

Have you ever wanted to volunteer for ESD but didn’t know if you could?
We have two volunteer classifications for our Fire Team alone, Fire I and Fire II. We have spots available for both. Read all about it, and if playing nice with fire sounds like your game, apply today.

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You can’t stand over the flowers and will them to grow. I’ve tried it. I’ve played them music, I’ve talked to them, I’ve discouraged the chipmunk next door from digging them out of the ground. Just because I’m in a hurry doesn’t mean they are. So I suppose I’ll bide my time and let them surprise me with their little faces on their time table. When they are ready.

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – Feb 26th, 2023

Our Official 2023 Dates || Ticket Prices and Sale Dates || Meet Volunteeripate || Directed Theme Camp Ticket Program 2023 || Need Based Ticket Program 2023 || ESD Call for Fire Safety Volunteers
 


Our Official 2023 Dates

We are happy to report that the dates we announced before are indeed our official dates. Lakes of Fire will take place July 12-16th, 2023 at Lucky Lake in Rothbury, MI.
 


Ticket Prices and Sale Dates

Happy Trees by NehaWe are pleased to share our Ticketing timeline and official prices with you. These same dates are on our Key Dates and Forms page, where you’ll find the form links as they open.

  • March 1st: Ticket Programs Open
    • Theme Camp Directed Ticket Application opens (closes March 25th)
    • Theme Camp Ticket Jury Application opens (closes March 25th)
    • Need Based Ticket Application opens (closes March 25th)
  • April 1st: Sales Begin
    • Ticket offers to 2022 volunteer appreciation ticket holders
    • Ticket offers to Theme Camps
  • April 15th: Lottery Begins
    • Ticket lottery for remaining unsold tickets

How much is a full-priced ticket in 2023? $180. Which is more than they cost in 2022.

Why? The reasons are all practical and lame. Inflation is the driving factor, either directly on our supplies or indirectly through our vendors. To a lesser extent we added supplies and rentals to increase our event’s safety, but many departments trimmed back to try and offset these expenses. Our Finance Team determined, after reviewing the total event budget, that we could not afford the event in 2023 at 2022’s ticket price. And because we do not fund-raise or take any other income, ticket prices are the only tool we really have to fix that.
 


Meet Volunteeripate

Starting this year, GLEA will use Volunteeripate as our ticket platform. Volunteeripate is a long-time, in-house project of a handful of Lakes of Fire leads. It’s a website built to address the privacy, ticketing, permitting, and volunteer shift management needs of the Lakes of Fire leads.

What does Volunteeripate do for you? Our goal is to simplify our bureaucracy as much as possible for all community members. Volunteeripate tracks your volunteer hours and handles the ticket lottery. You’ll use Volunteeripate to pay for your ticket and receive your ticket. And, as the name implies, ticket-holders will be able to browse for shifts and sign up with your favorite departments.

You can get started right away with Volunteeripate. Read up on our Ticketing page for all the details you need. It takes five minutes to register, get into this year’s ticket lottery, and/or verify your volunteer hours from 2022. Ticket sales begin April 1st, so do yourself a favor and register now.
 


Directed Theme Camp Ticket Program 2023

The Directed Theme Camp Ticket Program is back in 2023. The forms to apply for tickets and to join the jury will both open on March 1st. Click the link to learn how you can request critical support tickets for your TC’s critical support people!
 


Need Based Ticket Program 2023

The Need Based Ticket Program (formerly the Discount Ticket Program and Low Income Ticket program) is also back in 2023. Are you a first-timer to Lakes? You’re eligible. Have you been a bunch of times and just need help this year? You’re eligible. Do you expect a volunteer ticket offer and have a need? You’re eligible too.

The discount is here for you, but you have to apply before March 25th. This is because we have to know how many tickets to set aside for this program before ticket sales start on April 1st.

Please apply if a discount is the difference between you coming and staying home. Learn more about the program and keep an eye on the Key Dates and Forms page for the application link.
 


ESD Call for Fire Safety Volunteers

The Emergency Services Dept is looking for volunteers who want to specialize in fire safety. Have you ever wanted to volunteer for ESD but didn’t know if you could? We want to hear from you! Read all about it on our Become a Leader volunteer recruitment page.

 


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Just like that, February is nearly over – and I didn’t even get a chance buy discount candy. But even chocolate chunks can’t compare with all the announcement nuggets we’re bringing this month. Go on and sign up, put in that time off notice, and get your gardening gear out because you’ll be coming home before you know it.

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – Jan 20th, 2023

Dates: So Close, Yet So Far | Art Grant Applications Due TODAY! | Effigy Applications Due January 22nd | Call for Finance Team Members


Dates: So Close, Yet So Far

Maybe you’ve been looking forward to your first Lakes of Fire in 2023; maybe you’re a veteran who is used to taking off Father’s Day to come home to Lucky Lake. No matter where you’re coming from, you want to know when you will be back in Rothbury.

We are in the ides of January. This is an unusual delay for us at GLEA. And as a result we hope this announcement, if unusual, will help: We have almost-dates.

Out of respect for all the artists, theme camps, participants, sparkle-ponies, and other ne’er-do-wells we can’t wait to see again – you know, you – we’re deciding to share what we have with you about our event dates as transparently as we can.

As of today, GLEA is preparing to have Lakes of Fire: Garden of Wonder from July 12 to July 16.

And: Our agreement is still being finalized, so this is not the official date announcement.

Sharing this won’t help everybody, but it will help at least somebody in the community. It’s up to you to decide if you want to plan around those dates now for your own reasons or wait for the official word. Either way, we are not selling any tickets until the agreement is final.

We look forward to sharing that news with you very much.

 


Art Grant Applications Due TODAY!

Good morning beautiful people. Foxy here from Art Grants. TODAY is the day. Your last chance to submit your art grant application to our team for consideration for the 2023 event. There is no closing time since I am going to honor pretty much any US timezone. Get them in our email before I take my coffee tomorrow morning and you are good to go. At that point, I am going to sit down and close the public form.

So, don’t stress on midnight CST, EST, MST…whatever. It needs to be in our inbox by the morning. Don’t delay because our team starts working right away. Email your submission to artgrants@lakesoffire.org.

The Art Grant webpage with the application, list of do’s and don’ts and sample applications is at this link. If you have sent us an application, make sure I responded to your email. If I did NOT, follow up with me. If I did not respond, a file has NOT been created and will not be considered. Email us with any questions.

 


Effigy Applications Due January 22nd

Effigy burn of The Life Star, photograph by Christopher Moeller.

The moment of truth approacheth. What effigy will burn at the center of this year’s Garden of Wonder?

To build an Effigy is truly a singular experience, and our goal is to put that power in the hands of new artists each year. Take it from Leta, who helped keep the dream of the 2022 Life Star Effigy alive: “This could be the idea that changes your life.” (Do you want to build your effigy with the help of those who waited out a pandemic and still built theirs? I know I would.)

Check out our Effigy Build Info and Application page – this is where we’ll publish the full application form and some pointers for filling it out. You have two more days – the application period closes at midnight on January 22nd. Whatever you’re growing for the garden, we can help it bloom, but only if you apply.

Contact effigy@lakesoffire.org if you have any questions about the process.

 


Call for Finance Team Members

Are you good at (ac)counting? Do you know someone who enjoys crunching numbers in Excel? Do you have the skills to juggle money, artists, and timelines? Then we want you!

We have an opening in our organization for Financial Reporting. If you know someone, or you yourself are interested, please reach out, or have them reach out to us at board@lakesoffire.org. We are a volunteer run organization, and our success truly depends on the participation of you, our wonderful community members.

Qualifications: Knowledge of basic accounting procedures. Proficiency with Quickbooks, Excel, and Google Docs. Good communication skills. Availability for at least one LOF production cycle (1 year). You will be a member of a financial team who are responsible for preparing draft and final versions of our annual budget, and you will work with a variety of artists, Burners, and vendors – so having good soft skills will set you apart.

Please tell us about yourself. Feel free to forward any documents that may help us learn more about you, and any experience you have that may be beneficial to our organization. A resume is not mandatory but you are welcome to send one if you like.

Can’t wait to burn with you!

Board of Directors

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc.

 


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Ah yes, the depths of January, when the garden is asleep. When the Burn is a but a twinkle in the eye of a woodland nymph, and – oh, wait, no, here are some budding deadlines. Yep. Like crocuses. They’re all over the place. Wowsers, it’s time to get busy. No rest for the wicked!

xoxo,

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Update on Event Dates – Jan 5th, 2023

Update on Event Dates || Art Grants Deadline Extended to Jan 20th


Update on Event Dates


If you’ve been looking forward to Lakes of Fire 2023 then probably you’ve been patiently waiting to hear our official event dates. Sadly, we have to ask you for more patience. Long-timers in our community know the dates of Electric Forest have been a consideration for our event. This year Electric Forest is expanding to Lucky Lake. Their pre-event setup will be occurring during the Father’s Day weekend, which has been the traditional time frame of Lakes of Fire. Father’s Day weekend will not be the date we return home to Lucky Lake in 2023.

You can trust that your Board of Directors is working hard to finalize our contract and secure a new date. In talking to our core volunteers and Department leads, we identified two options: move to early June or later to mid-July. We decided against moving the date earlier in June. Many teachers, parents, and families who help make our Burn possible would not be able to join. Thus we are looking ahead to July.

Moving our dates out means our overall timeline will move back accordingly. You can expect Ticket sales may begin later in 2023 than they did in 2022. We’ll continue to keep you updated as we get more information.

 


Art Grants Deadline Extended to Jan 20th

With our change in dates it is important to give our art grant applicants additional time to apply, and to make sure they will be able to bring their art to Lucky Lake in July rather than June. The Art Grants deadline has been extended from January 6th to January 20th. If you have any questions about your art grant or your application, please contact arthub@lakesoffire.org.

 


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On the sunny side, the odds that Lucky Lake will have a hailstorm in July are much lower. Theoretically. Fingers crossed…

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – December 30th, 2022

End of Year Donations || Art Grant Applications Coming Due || Submit Your Effigy Ideas!


End of Year Donations

Volunteeripate Logo
Did you know? GLEA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our focus is on arts education and community development rather than making a buck off of ticket prices. It also means that US-based burners can write off a donation to GLEA on their taxes. If you’d like to donate to us, please visit our new Donation page and follow the instructions there. Any gifts of money we receive before January 1st can be deducted from your 2022 taxes.

So if you have a ducket to spare, send it our way and we’ll spread it around. Speaking of…

 


Art Grant Applications Are Coming Due

For Lakes of Fire 2023, we’ve earmarked up to $35,000 for Art Grants, and we want to give ALL that money away. There are only 8 days left to apply! The application window closes on January 6, 2023. Get the application form, example applications, FAQs, and more at the Art Grants page on our website.

 


Calling All Effigy Ideas

Effigy Napkin Sketch 2023

Send us your Effigy napkin sketches by January 6th, 2023. We can’t wait to see what you have to share!

What’s your idea for the Garden of Wonder effigy?!? After all, it must be built before it can be burned.

How do you submit an Effigy idea? Every effigy starts with a sketch. We don’t care what kind of paper you use (do you use paper?), a napkin will do. Have fun with it!

  • Have an idea, but not sure how it’ll come together as an effigy? SEND A SKETCH!
  • Have an idea and a plan? SEND A SKETCH!
  • Have an idea and a build team and loads of experience making amazing burnable art? SEND A SKETCH!

Send your sketch to effigy@lakesoffire.org by Jan 6, 11:59 PM CST to get your idea in the running. Include your name, playa name and a picture of your sketch in the email, and be sure to put “Napkin” in the subject line.

Keep an eye on our Effigy Build Info and Application page – this is where we’ll publish the full application form and some pointers for filling it out. The full application is due January 22nd, 11:59 PM CST.

Go get lost in the beauty of the world outside, bring your favorite stylus, and get sketching. … Or a sharpie and plywood! As you like it.

 


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Talk about the winter of our discontent. When comes the springtime of our amusement? The summer of our garden of wonder!? Yes, I know you’re wondering about our event dates. So are we. Come back in the new year and I’ll tell you what I know. Until then – have fun and don’t die.

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – November 22nd, 2022

Fall Retreat 2022 || Theme Announcement || Calling All Effigy Ideas || Art Grants Are Open || Art Grants on Facebook Live 12/7 || Board Announcements || Dates for Lakes of Fire 2023


Fall Retreat 2022

Lakes of Fire Fall Retreat 2022
Recently the volunteers with Great Lakes Experimental Arts converged on their traditional meeting place to kick off the next year’s production cycle. A little fun with fire, a lot of snowfall, and many discussions later have launched us into the next year of planning the Burn. Let’s get to it!

 


Theme Announcement

A big thank-you to everyone who submitted a theme idea for Lakes of Fire 2023. The community sent in over 40 concepts in the first round of the process, and voted 413 times in the second round. The top 12 ideas from the community went to the org at the GLEA 2022 Fall Retreat for a vote.

We are pleased to announce that your theme for Lakes of Fire 2023 is Garden of Wonder!

Run wild and free with your imaginings, and stay tuned for the rest of this Lakes Letter, as we will immediately call on you to bring those imaginings to life.

 


Calling All Effigy Ideas

Effigy Napkin Sketch 2023

What’s your idea for the Garden of Wonder effigy?!? After all, it must be built before it can be burned.

How do you submit an Effigy idea? Every effigy starts with a sketch. We don’t care what kind of paper you use (do you use paper?), a napkin will do. Have fun with it!

  • Have an idea, but not sure how it’ll come together as an effigy? SEND A SKETCH!
  • Have an idea and a plan? SEND A SKETCH!
  • Have an idea and a build team and loads of experience making amazing burnable art? SEND A SKETCH!

Send your sketch to effigy@lakesoffire.org by Jan 6, 11:59 PM CST to get your idea in the running. Include your name, playa name and a picture of your sketch in the email, and be sure to put “Napkin” in the subject line.

Keep an eye on our Effigy Build Info and Application page – this is where we’ll publish the full application form and some pointers for filling it out. The full application is due January 22nd, 11:59 PM CST.

Go get lost in the beauty of the world outside, bring your favorite stylus, and get sketching. … Or a sharpie and plywood! As you like it.

 


Art Grants Are Open

The Art Grants team is welcoming your art grant submissions today! The application process in fact opened on November 21st, 2022. For Lakes of Fire 2023, we’ve earmarked up to $35,000 for Art Grants. You have time to submit, but don’t linger: the application window closes on January 6, 2023. Get the application form, example applications, FAQs, and more at the Art Grants page on our website.

 


Art Grants on Facebook Live 12/7


Did you know? The Art Grant program funds new pieces of art or additions/upgrades to existing art. Because supporting the arts is our core mission at GLEA, it’s important for everyone to know how to apply and get funds to make the work you’re itching to create.
Maybe you’ve wanted to apply for an Art Grant but aren’t sure where to begin. Maybe you think your project is too large or too small to consider. Now you can find out. Join us LIVE on Facebook, as Foxy and TrashPanda hash out the specifics and field your questions. The live event is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7th at 6:00 PM CST. See you there!

 


Board Announcements

We are excited to tell you about the newest members to the GLEA Board of Directors. Starting in January 2023, our Board will welcome the following wonderful beings (human and otherwise) to the Board of Great Lakes Experimental Arts:

  • Jen “Tastic” McCommons (’23, ’24, ’25)
  • Jr “Uno” Garza (’23, ’24, ’25)
  • Nicholas “Brace” Farr (’23, ’24, ’25)
  • Emily Ifverson (’23)
  • Robert “Rocket” Kolb (’23)

Come January 1st, they will join Just Ben, LoveWarrior, Moni, and Neha, as we say thank you to Pirate for serving a one-year term over 2022.

About the Expansion of the Board

Going into 2023, the GLEA Board of Directors will grow to nine members. This will be the first year we made the decision to have more than seven. We feel they will contribute to the long-term sustainability of our organization, and to plan ahead for that stability, we have also planned with each Board member the length of their current appointment. Three of the new Board Members have accepted full three-year terms, and two have accepted one-year terms with the invitation to re-apply for a full term at the end of next year. We expect these staggered terms will help the transfer of knowledge and values with this larger team.

 


Dates for Lakes of Fire 2023

Lakes of Fire 2023 does not have dates yet – that all depends on a series of complex star charts and infernal contracts. We can’t tell you exactly when we’re coming home! But, all the same, I will tell you that Lakes of Fire usually happens on the Father’s Day weekend in June. Don’t call in your time off work yet. We’ll have actual dates for you early in 2023.

 



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Creamed corn is still the answer. Where else but a garden of wonder would I find such a fabulous delicacy, ripe on the stalk?? Don’t judge me, I haven’t been sleeping.

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – October 17th, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Theme Ballot is Open


Gifting Cheese gift stand with hand taking a sticker, Photo Credit: Crispy

Theme Ballot is Open

Our three-week period for submitting ideas for Lakes of Fire 2023 is officially closed. Now for Round 2!

This ballot contains a list of the submitted theme names. Pick your top 3 from the list. The form will stay open for 3 more weeks and close on November 6th. After that, we take roughly the top 10 chosen theme ideas and bring those to the Great Lakes Experimental Arts Fall Retreat for the Leads to choose among.

You have three weeks to get out the vote. I’ll see you at the ballot box.


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Theme suggestions are like a good, soft cheese. Fragrant, milky, good for gifting, sometimes offensive to the GI tract… Wait, am I thinking of creamed corn? I think the answer is creamed corn.

xoxo,

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Lakes Letter – September 26th, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Dates For 2023? Settle Down | Send Us Your Theme Ideas


Great Lakes Mini-Municipal Golf Course: Burner Time, Photo Credit: Crispy

Dates for 2023? Settle Down

We’ve been receiving many inquiries about the dates for Lakes of Fire 2023. When will tickets go on sale? Which weekend will it be?

To this we say: easy, tiger. Great enthusiasm, and also, we are so early in the production cycle for our Burn. It’s understandable – we all want to go back, especially when we skipped two years (thanks, Covid). But we don’t usually know the dates for the event or the ticket sales until January at the earliest.

As long as you are subscribed to our newsletter you will be in the loop with plenty of advance notice. We gotchoo.

 


Send Us Your Theme Ideas

It may not be time to get your tickets, but it is time to brainstorm. We need a theme for 2023, and it may as well be yours!

Choosing the Lakes of Fire 2023 theme will be a three-round process:

  1. September 26th – October 15th: Submit Your Ideas. Starting today, the Theme Idea Submission Form is open to accept your theme ideas. Submit as many as you like. We just ask you to describe how you think the community will play around with it. Pitch it!
  2. October 16th – November 6th: Vote. On the morning of October 16th, this form will close and we will begin Round 2. A new form will open with all your insane ideas laid out and you get to vote on them. Pick your top 3 from the list. That form will stay open for 3 more weeks. (You only get to vote once, thanks to the magic of Google.) We’ll shout that new form link from the rooftops, don’t you worry – you’ll know when it’s open.
  3. The Decidening. Once we have all your ideas collated neatly, we take roughly the top 10 theme ideas and bring those to the Great Lakes Experimental Arts Fall Retreat. There, the Lakes of Fire department leads and Board of Directors will participate in a GRAND AND SECRETIVE RITUAL to decide, among your top picks, the theme for Lakes of Fire 2023. Yes, obviously, fire is involved.

Send us your best brainstorms. Let the games begin!


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You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve waited to change out that effigy picture. That roasting Summerween watermelon haunts my dreams. And that fire tornado is SIIICK

xoxo,

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BREAKING: Propane at Lakes of Fire 2022

6/15/22, 11:25 AM UPDATE

The original information release was incorrect – 40 LB tanks will be refillable on site. You can bring your 40 LB tanks and have the option to top-off without leaving.

GLEA Board and Info_Bot Here with a Propane Update

Our propane vendor has changed their policy and we are sharing this information to the community as early as possible. If you aren’t bringing any propane, you can skip this. If you are only bringing propane for a little cooking and don’t need to refill your tank on-site, you can skip this.

Our on-site propane vendor is only refilling tanks LARGER THAN 40 LBS 40 LBS OR LARGER this year. For reference, this is a picture of a 40 LB tank. It’s about 30″ tall and has a capacity of about 9 and a half gallons. Propane tanks smaller than 40 LBs are not eligible for refills on the property.

Why? Michigan law treats propane tanks larger than this size differently (effectively as commercial tanks), and our vendor is only refilling tanks bigger than the one shown.

Who does this affect? Anybody who needs to refill on propane during the Burn, most obviously participants with flame effects.

What do we do now?

  • If you have a flame effect, bring cylinders and BRING THEM FULL. Fill up your propane before you begin your drive if at all possible. You should go on the assumption that refilling your tank will not be as easy as past Burns at Lucky Lake. If you can bring extra tanks, it may be worth your while.
  • If you NEED to be able to refuel on-site, get cylinders 40 lbs or bigger. If you have some to bring, excellent – you will be able to refuel them on site. If you don’t have larger cylinders, consider buying them on your drive up. Names of vendors outside Chicago, Toledo, and around Michigan on the drive up are given below. Please don’t wait to look for them around Rothbury – the Board of Directors at GLEA have already scoured the area.
  • Refill on-site at select theme camps. To refill on-site, you must bring your 40+ LB propane tank to Capn Nemo’s, Valhalla, or the Den. These camps have accounts with the vendor. You will need to settle up the cost with the theme camp runners. We highly suggest you bring cash and a variety of bills so that you can give exact change.

Large Propane Tank Suppliers

  • Menard’s chain of stores (Chicago, IL and Toledo, Jackson, Lansing, and Bellville, MI)
  • Tractor Supply Co (Toledo, Jackson, and Lansing MI)

Lakes Letter – June 13th, 2022

LAKES LETTER || WhatWhereWhen and Map for 2022 | Ticket Transfer Deadline | Before You Leave for Lucky Lake… | After You Arrive | Packing Dos and Don’ts

WhatWhereWhen and Map for 2022

We’re pleased to give you the PRINT WhatWhereWhen for Lakes of Fire 2022! Weighing in at 84 pages, this is perhaps the largest WWW we’ve ever produced. Thank you to everyone who put in the time to bring a theme camp, finish an art project, tool up a mutant vehicle or prepare a music set and plan an event to share with everyone. It’s because of you that we have so much to share.

If you only want the map, here is the full-color version and a printable grayscale version. Big thanks to Mare Mare and the Placement Team for this year’s gorgeous map!

And last but not least: we are delighted to give you the digital, mobile WhatWhereWhen at 2022.lakesoffire.org. The digital edition has a full events list, art projects, mutant vehicles, and theme camps. Favorite the events that catch your eye and view them on your agenda. Your phone will have a “Save to Home Screen” or similar option – this will make an icon that launches the app directly and full-screen. Thanks a million to the Info_Bot volunteers who made this happen! Aztpod on UX design, Meph on app infrastructure, Sean on the data platform, and the whole ‘Bot team on their feedback.

 


Ticket Transfer Deadline

The last week of transfers is upon us! A few reminders:

  • Receive ticket first, then send payment. We can reverse a transfer, but not a payment to a scammer.
  • If you are using the Facebook LOF Ticket Info & Exchange group: once your ticket is sold, or your need for a ticket is satisfied, please update your post and close comments. We want to keep the active offers/requests up top of the bookface feed.
  • Transfers end Friday June 17, at 11:59pm Central.

Good luck everyone!

 


Before You Leave for Lucky Lake…

  • Be familiar with the Gate Check-In process, and remember: Lakes of Fire is a no re-entry event.
  • Be ready with your COVID vaxx card or recent test result; see our COVID safety policy.
  • Have your government ID.
  • Are you volunteering? Will you need to use a radio on your shift? Sign the radio waiver
  • Are you bringing a phone? Assume you will lose it. Point of advice: set your lock screen to a picture with your NAME, your CAMP, and a friend’s contact information. You won’t regret it! (May want to turn on “Share My Location” with said friend, while you’re at it.)
  • Don’t plan on getting any deliveries. We are serious about admitting only ticketed participants past Gate, and about being a no re-entry event. Delivery people don’t get in, Gate volunteers don’t deliver packages to the Lake, and stepping out to accept the delivery yourself means exiting the entire event.

 


After You Arrive

What are some things that you can do after you get through Gate, especially if you need assistance?

  • After you are finished unloading, park in the lot outside and plan to leave your vehicle there (unless you have registered your vehicle with the Department of Mutant Vehicles).
  • If you’re an artist, check in with ArtHub at Nexus. They are prepared to give you logistical support.
  • If you haven’t volunteered for a shift yet, check in with Info_Bot at Nexus and ask if there are any shifts open. You will get a guaranteed volunteer ticket offer if you step up for 8 hours, but you definitely won’t get that if you don’t sign up and/or you flake out on your shift.
  • If you do have a volunteer shift, check in with Volunteers at Nexus to make sure you have the right meeting place and time. Ask any questions you have. The Volunteer Dream Team is here to help the helpers.

 


Packing Do’s and Don’ts

DO Pack

We’ve got some pro-tips for you first-timers. This is not an exhaustive list – notably missing are things like “clothes for all weather and temperature”, “food”, and “lighting”. (But to touch on each of those briefly: you won’t regret overpacking clothes, you will regret overpacking food, and the more light you can wear at night, the more stylish you look. Visible is sexy.)

So besides what you’re already packing, here are some gifts to yourself and to others:

  • Cash for ice and firewood. Firewood is $5/bundle, ice is $3/bag. These are for sale by the Nexus. The price for ice may be higher, so have some singles and be ready to pay a couple extra bucks.
  • Lanyards. If you’re a volunteer and you have a lanyard from another event, bring it for the laminate you get on shift! Help us keep down on waste and expense.
  • Canned food for the Greeters Food Drive. All foods go to the Trinity Community Pantry in New Era Michigan, a food bank that helps the community that has one of the highest rates of hunger in the state.
  • Ingredients list for your food gifts. Save someone the use of an epi-pen! Make note of things like dairy, eggs, nuts, shellfish, nightshades/peppers, MSG, etc, etc.
  • A gray water system. Don’t let it scare you – “gray water system” can be as simple as “a bucket with a lid and panythose over the top.” You pour your waste water (from cooking, brushing teeth, making coffee, etc) into the bucket, and the panythose will catch the solids. When you pack up camp, put the lid on the bucket and take the whole thing out with you. Trash the pantyhose and flush the water at home – the service stations outside of Lucky Lake do not want you to dump your gray water on their turf.
  • A MOOP bag. Keep a small, durable bag on your person as you walk around Lucky Lake to stash your occasional bits of plastic and litter. Lakes of Fire is a Leave No Trace, “pack in/pack out” event, and having a MOOP bag on your person is the easiest way to do your part.
  • Earplugs. If loud music bothers you, having good earplugs will extend your wandering range at night, and will make the music camps more fun/less devastating for you. Bonus perk: better sleep.
  • Electrolytes. Stay hydrated.
  • A thin plastic drop sheet for your bed. Crazy, right? If you put this over your bed before you head out for the day (or night), it will keep your bedding from getting damp. The drop cloth stops your sheets from wicking up the humid air, so that when you are ready to crawl in for sleep, you’ll be nice and dry. (It’s also insurance against a roof leak in your tent if it rains.)
  • A set of fresh, dry clothes to wear on Sunday for your exodus from Lucky Lake! No matter how you feel when you get in the car to go, cozy Exodus clothes are a big gift to yourself.

Do NOT Pack

There are some things that just aren’t worth it to bring.

  • Alcohol. We have reports of alcohol being seized during pull-over checks by police – it’s an old law in Michigan still being enforced. Buy your booze in-state!
  • Trampolines. Yes they are fun, no they aren’t allowed; we are forbidden by our event insurance.
  • Besides trampolines, avoid the forbidden items as detailed on our Gate Department/entry procedure page: Fireworks, weapons, glass, illegal substances, handheld lasers, and pets (Please see our Service Animal policy under our ADA Liaison page for service animal exceptions).

Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

Oh my GOD, it’s this week. The temporal disturbances have been accelerating, gravitational anomalies are making everything float into the air, the TV signals are all jammed with alien mind-control waves and everywhere I go ALL I CAN HEAR IS BOOTS AND CATS AND BOOTS AND CATS

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org


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Lakes Letter – May 23rd, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Announcing: the Lakes of Fire Temple Burn in 2022 | Check Your Ticket on Burnertickets.com | Gate Hours Update | Key Dates and Forms For You | Volunteer Drive Update | Apply for the GLEA Board | Greeters Food Drive 2022

 

Announcing: the Lakes of Fire Temple Burn in 2022


The time has finally come to release this exciting announcement to the world! In 2022, Great Lakes Experimental Arts will be proud to present to you: the Temple of Resurrection by Bartek Karas and Lobo (Jason Araujo).

This piece will be burned Sunday Morning, 8 AM, on the peninsula.

Volunteer Opportunities for ticket-holders are available here!

The Temple of Resurrection is made solely of wood. There are no screws or other metal pieces in this temple. This was done intentionally to make the cleanup as easy as possible. If you plan on placing an item into the temple it can not be made of any material listed on this list, including metal and glass. All items that are created with material that can not be burned (see this list of prohibited materials) will be removed Sunday am, prior to burning and disposed of. If you have questions please email liz@lakesoffire.org.


 

Check Your Ticket on Burnertickets.com

Your friendly neighborhood Ticketing Team here. If you are currently planning on going to Lakes of Fire, and think you have a ticket, make sure you have a ticket!! So all y’all, we need you to do this. Right now.

  1. Log in to Burnertickets.com.
  2. Click the My Events/Transfers tab.
  3. If you do not see a ticket labeled “Lakes of Fire 2022” (followed by your ticket type – volunteer, general, OMG, etc.) and a ticket number that starts with 22LOF, you DO NOT HAVE A TICKET TO LAKES OF FIRE.

No matter how many times we yell at folk, someone’s still gon’ fuck it up. There is a small contingent of people who still think that they have a ticket because they had one for the previous event. They didn’t read dozens of our emails, social posts, the Lakes Letter, this new tattoo I got on my ass, etc. and SO DID NOT BUY THE TICKET FOR THIS YEAR. That’s what we’re tryna stop. Better to ask our ticketing team now than to be turned around at Gate – cuz we guarantee it will happen to someone.


 

Gate Hours Update

In our April Lakes Letter, we announced that the Gate would close at 9 PM EST on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Lakes of Fire leads have decided to close at 11 PM EST instead, offering travelers from around the globe (but most probably Chicago) more time to arrive home. Huzzah!

Don’t forget to bring your Covid proof of vaccination or recent negative test! We would hate for you to arrive before 11 PM only to be turned away.


 

Key Dates and Forms For You

As we get closer to the burn, these are time-sensitive forms and volunteer opportunities for your consideration.


 

Volunteer Drive Update

Each year, there is a period of time running up to the Burn when our volunteer numbers are on the low end. We are currently in that period, having filled only 65% of our shifts. If you are attending this year and have not picked up a shift, please read all about our volunteer opportunities and pick a shift that fits your style today. It takes a village to make a Burn.


 

Apply for the GLEA Board

Are you interested in joining the Board of Directors at GLEA? Great! We’re looking to onboard 3 new people in 2023.

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc. is seeking highly-dedicated volunteers to join the Board of Directors. Board members are the legal face of Lakes of Fire and are directly responsible for the long term production and sustainability of our event. There are no prerequisites for joining other than a deep commitment to seeing Lakes of Fire continue to thrive.

If you feel you have the experience and desire to serve the organization, event, and attendees through this vital role, come hang out at site 44 during this year’s event to learn more about what this position entails. We will host an “open house hour” at 2 PM on Friday, June 17th for all of your questions.

Look out for an email from us after this year’s event for information on key dates and the application form. Until then, please reach out to us at board@lakesofire.org with any questions.

Can’t wait to “fire emoji” with you in a few weeks!


 

Greeters Food Drive 2022

Show us your cans !!!

In a few short weeks, you will be frantically working on packing all of the things for Lakes of Fire? Take a moment to grab an extra can or two or ten, for our food donation project. Practice some Civic Responsibility and give back to the community we call home each year. We all know times are tough, but think of those that are really in need.

All food is being donated to the Trinity Community Pantry in New Era Michigan. This food bank provides more than 4,500 lbs of food to more than 180 families every week. This area of Michigan has one of the highest hunger rates and you can help!

In 2019 despite the weather for the week, we collected over 300 pounds of food for the Trinity Community Food Pantry in New Era, Michigan. This is the most we have ever collected, WAY TO GO Lakes of Fire Family!!!

The Greeter station will be accepting the food donations through the whole event up to 7 p.m. on Sunday exodus. We want to see your cans!

Requirements:

  • Unopened
  • Non-perishable
  • Cans are preferred
  • No glass please
  • Also welcome are unopened unused toiletries
  • Shampoos, soap. toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant etc. are also sorely needed

Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

They say it’s the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs… But does it have poofers? Hmmm…

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org


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Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022

LAKES LETTER || Return of the Culture Quiz! | Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022


Return of the Culture Quiz!

In years past, some of you may remember Raptor’s Culture Quiz. If you’re new to Lakes of Fire, this quiz is for you!

As a regional Burning Man event, we strive to observe the 10 Principles. And by “We” I mean GLEA’s Board of Directors, your Department leads, and quite a lot of the people you meet around the Lake. Is this “culture” all just woo-woo hippie stuff? Or is it a transformative way to live generously and joyfully, in the moment, with a snarky community who rejects commodification and prizes free expression? It’s definitely woo-woo hippie stuff *and* the other thing. Test your readiness for the Lake and TAKE THE QUIZ today!

 


Volunteer Drive for Lakes of Fire 2022

To our fellow members of the Lakes of Fire Community:

The folks at Great Lakes Experimental Arts are coming to you once more with a humble request: help us realize the vision of One Burner, One Shift. What is that? Simple – during the Burn, if each participant takes one volunteer shift, we’ll have all the labor and communal effort we need to make the Burn an excellent experience.

Whatever your taste in volunteering, we have a shift for you. Save time during your burn and help out before and after the event – check out the DPW and Effigy build teams! We have roles for burners who love to be social or prefer to be aloof – see Rangers and Perimeter Ninjas. We always want more medical experts in the Emergency Services Department. And if you have low mobility and/or want to help burners with low mobility get around the burn, see the Mobility Initiative and Team Info_Bot, your friendly help desk jockeys at the Nexus.

8 Ways to Get Involved

Click on a department to learn more about volunteering with them in 2022.


Conduct Crew

This year, the Code of Conduct Committee is seeking volunteers to be part of the new Conduct Crew.

What is the Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC)?

The CoCC is a group of year-round volunteers who investigate incidents that happened during the Burn, after the Burn is over. (During the Burn, Rangers are available to help resolve issues as they emerge.) CoCC investigations begin with a report and are carried out in the utmost respect of confidentiality for all parties involved. As part of that respect for confidentiality, CoCC members are anonymous. By following through on investigations, the CoCC’s goal is to help reporters find resolution – and, in some cases, to take disciplinary action against offenders in order to protect the community. In short, the CoCC does difficult, emotional work in the aftermath of an incident at the Burn.

What makes the Conduct Crew different from the Code of Conduct Committee (CoCC)?

The Crew does not handle investigations. These are volunteers whose time will be spent working in advocacy and education regarding safety, consent, and interpretation of our agreed-upon Code of Conduct. They help enrich our culture of consent by being proactive in talking about our CoC and responsive to community questions about it.

Opportunities to advocate, hold space, educate, and even perform skits will be available at Lakes of Fire 2022 and throughout the year. If interested, please write to board@lakesoffire.org with your interest and how you would like to serve. Thank you!

Sign Up with the Conduct Crew

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DPW

What the F@*K is DPW?

We are the Department of Public Works.

We are the stewards of the event grounds. We pride ourselves on WORKING HARD, PLAYING HARD, and GETTING THE JOB DONE – no matter what. DPW is responsible for transporting, setting up, and tearing down event infrastructure; managing offsite-storage, potable water, and the portos; building and maintaining all our signage, lighting, and barriers; and boots-on-the-ground support for all the event departments, the effigy crew, theme camps, and individual participants as appropriate. We keep the event running smoothly by keeping an eye on the nuts and bolts.

WE ARE NOW ALLOWING NEW RECRUITS TO SIGN UP FOR PRE/POST EVENT SHIFTS!

Want to get involved? Fill out our Crew RSVP form. That includes completing of all 4 steps as described (ie: signup.com, golf cart and radio waiver forms) in their entirety. If you have not completed all four steps you are not fully signed up to volunteer with us!

Which leads us to the “DPW WORK WEEKEND”. Work weekend will be held at Lucky Lake the weekend of 5/13-15. Our mission is to prep the site where event infrastructure storage containers will be placed.

Your volunteer hours participating in the DPW WORK WEEKEND will be recorded and allocated towards access to a 2023 LOF Volunteer Ticket!

Our DPW Work Weekend will also happen at the same time as the LOF SAFETY RETREAT. If the project goes well, interested soldiers will have the opportunity to join in on the activities!

Do the thing. Get on our roster and we’ll see ya at the lake, Soldier.

FYD! 💛

Dearie

Sign Up with DPW

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Effigy

Come be a part of the the 2022 Life Star Effigy cycle! From build to burn, we are still in need of volunteers. Off-site build shifts are still open nearly every weekend from now through Memorial Day! And we are still very much in need of some overnight LNT help Saturday evening into Sunday during event.

Build shifts are 10a-6p every Saturday and Sunday in Warren, MI. Can’t make an entire shift? Let us know you want to volunteer for a partial shift by emailing effigyvolunteers@lakesoffire.org and we will absolutely make that happen for you.

To find out more and to get signed up, Pre-Event build shifts and remaining On-Site volunteer shifts can be accessed by filling out the following form below. Thanks!

Sign Up with Effigy

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ESD

Hey my lovely burner beauties! Your ESD Lead here.

Do you have Medical or Fire training? Mental Health or Crisis Intervention experience? Do you have hands and ears and know how to use a pencil? Because ESD needs YOU to volunteer! Get your hours in helping wayward hippies apply bandaids, being a listening ear for those not having their best burn, or taking notes for the medical volunteers while working with an amazing team of intelligent, wildly attractive, and incredibly fun-loving kats.

Perks include: Daily meals, a very clean porto, and DCBBQ bringing you meats.

Email ESD@lakesoffire.org and tell me about yourself.
Can’t wait to see all your smiling faces in a few SHORT weeks!

Sign Up with ESD

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Info_Bot

At Team Info_Bot, you’re in the communications biz, baby. Your job is mostly to be helpful, friendly, and in the same place for a few hours. You will be responsible for helping other volunteers find their shift lead (when such groups are meeting around the Nexus), as well as helping volunteers when they need to drop or change their shift. It helps to be detail-oriented, working with information on paper. ‘Bots also help run the Lost and Found, such as it is at Lakes of Fire. (I hear there are special stickers for the Lost and Found volunteers this year, but THAT is a secret.)

This is a great volunteer role for someone who enjoys being conversational, who may need to be seated for long stretches of time, can track down open and filled shift information in our binders, and who does not mind seeing a lot of strangers on the other side of the desk. Training is available and we’re real easy to get in touch with! Contact us at info@lakesoffire.org if you’re interested, and also, please fill in the SignUp.com link below to guarantee your shift.

Sign Up with Info_Bot

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Mobility

This year, Lakes of Fire is pushing for greater access to Lucky Lake for burners with physical limitations and low mobility. In addition to supporting these burners with our shuttle program, we are seeking them out to help us operate the program. We have shuttle driver and shift leader hours available for anyone with physical limitations.

Shuttle drivers must be sober for their shift and will be doing check ins on burners who have requested it along with regular shuttle rounds.

Shift leaders will be checking drivers in and out and dispatching Hand Jobs to help where needed. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sign Up with the Mobility Initiative

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Perimeter Ninjas

We are looking for a few good Ninjas!

As Lakes of Fire grows more, we get more fire, more sound, and more participants. Unfortunately, this also means that we have an increase in folks that want to crash the party. We have to make a concerted effort to keep out anyone that might sneak in and become injured (or injure others.) To that effect, we have a number of roles available that might suit your unique Burner style:

ROVING NINJAS walk around the event and are REQUIRED to visit Theme Camps, parties, and bars. They are encouraged to “patrol” the dance floors and keep their eyes open for wrist bands. If you would like to volunteer, make a difference, and still experience your Burn, this may be the job for you!

(Partial sobriety required, but Ninjas should mingle with the bartenders, as they are often our first line of defense!)

Is the burn a bit too much for you sometimes?

STATIONARY NINJAS take a peaceful break from the noise and the lights. Stationary Ninjas are limited-mobility friendly, and you are welcome to bring your Little Ones. Star gazing, a quiet break, and even bird spotting are all bonuses for Stationary Ninjas. You are provided a shelter and chairs. We even have a couple of tall towers set up, for those who want to patrol from on high.

Are you good at keeping your cool and managing other people?

SHIFT LEADS are the communication brains of the operation, Shift Leads run our spy operation by radio. They coordinate movement and pass information between our roving and stationary Ninjas, Co-Leads, and Rangers. Moving resources where they are needed, they keep the whole operation running smoothly. Shift Leads with previous experience as Ninjas or in Logistics are preferred. Snacking is highly encouraged. (Snacks provided.)

Volunteers on Burn Night receive bonus hours!

Sign Up with Perimeter Ninjas

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Rangers

Rangers are the stewards of an event. They are intended to be a helping hand, a voice of reason and a source of information. They are the go-to resource for everyone from the participants to the Board of Directors. “I need a Ranger to …” is often heard.

Rangers are called on for conflict resolution, safety perimeters, and emergencies. Most often they are burners with radios, present all around the event building a sense of community, and helping burners to help themselves and each other.

A Ranger is not a security or police force for the event. Rangers “surf the edge of chaos,” appearing when needed and disappearing when all is well. Their art and gift to the event is providing appropriate, creative help – with style.

Why Ranger?

  • You aid participants at the event anything from helping to problem solve to mediating disputes
  • It is a great opportunity to also engage with people you might not normally get to talk to at an event
  • You act as an ambassador for burner culture and the event
  • You get a cool hat
  • Rangers are not the police but we do help in emergencies
  • Rangers do not ranger alone. You always have a partner to work with and a khaki shift lead

Ranger volunteer minimum requirements

  1. Must be at least 18
  2. Must attended training. See dates below for in-person and virtual training dates
  3. Rangers need to be well rested and clear headed for doing their shift
  4. You will need appropriate clothing for shift. Details in the ranger manual and you can always ask if you have questions

The following dates are planned for trainings:

  • Detroit: (EST): May 7 12p-3p; June 4 12p-3p
  • Chicago (CST): May 11th 7-10PM; June 2nd 7-10 PM
  • Virtual: May 18th time 7PM CST

We will be scheduling additional virtual sessions and if we get enough demand for in person training we will setup additional dates.

If interested in attending or if you have questions, please contact Rangers@lakesoffire.org.

Sign Up with Rangers

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As a robot, volunteering is my existence. When I’m turned on, literally all I do is serve. … Wait, that came out wrong…

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org


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Lakes Letter – April 20, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Meet Our 2022 Art Grant Recipients | Key Dates and Forms Update | Gate Hours, Minors, and Covid Safety Info | Timestamps – An Effigy Take-Home Art Project | Car and RV Camping Reminder

 

Meet Our 2022 Art Grant Recipients

We are thrilled to announce our Art Grant recipients and projects for 2022. These projects represent more than $36,000 in funds to our artists, including projects led by young burners. See the Art Grants page on our website to see the full list!

 
 
 
 

Key Dates and Forms Update

You know we love paperwork at GLEA. So much so that we have a whole Key Dates and Forms page to track it all! Here are some upcoming dates that might affect you, dear reader:

 

Gate Hours, Minors, and Covid Safety Info

Suppose you have your ticket and are planning – scheming, let’s say – your exact arrival time at Lucky Lake. First – lucky you. And lucky me, because I get to see you there. Second, there are some things I can tell you right now that you should factor into your plans:

  1. Gate’s Hours. Gate will be prepared to receive on Wednesday, June 15th through Friday, June 17th from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM local time. On Burn Night, being Saturday, June 18th, the hours are 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Nobody gets in on Sunday. Don’t be early and don’t be late.
  2. But wait! What if you need to arrive before Wednesday? Well then, what you need is WAP. That’s right, you need a Work Access Pass. Arriving before Wednesday is strictly for those in possession of WAP. If you don’t have one and you show up on Tuesday, you will not get in. There is no way to apply for one; if you run a Theme Camp or need to arrive early for a volunteer shift, a Lakes of Fire lead should already be talking to you. If they haven’t, go talk to them and ask for WAP in whatever manner you find appropriate.
  3. Minors must be registered with GLEA online. Only if you are bringing a young’un to Lakes of Fire, that is. Lucky for you, the Parents/Adults and Minors form (AKA the Minor Registration Form) is now open. A lot of this information used to be collected right at Gate, but to help save time at entry, we’re now collecting it in advance. If you are bringing kids, don’t wait – tell us before the form closes on June 1st.
  4. COVID Safety. Mask up; if you don’t wear a mask when you’re talking to Gate, then Gate won’t talk to you. Second, in accord with our COVID policy, everyone in your vehicle will need proof of vaccination and/or a recent negative test result (within 72 hours of arrival) provided by a licensed facility. No safety, no entry.

Is all this entry information readily available outside this missive? Why, yes! Check our website here for a feast of instructional content on sailing smoothly through the entry process. Oh, nutritious instructional content!

 

Timestamps – An Effigy Take-Home Art Project

The Effigy Team is pulling out all the stops this year to get our whole community in on the action, whether you have a ticket home or not. Contribute to the burn with this burnable art project called “Timestamps!”

Fun Video Explanation available here.

For the Life Star effigy, any community members who want to contribute a piece of art to hang from the branches of this cosmic tree are welcome to do so!

  • All pieces must be less than 4 inches in width/length/diameter
  • All pieces must have a hole through the top (we will be hanging these with natural hemp twine)
  • All pieces MUST comply with the prohibited materials list available here
  • Anyone can contribute a timestamp, regardless of ticketing status. If you are not attending LOF this year, feel free to send your piece with a fellow burner to the event. If no one you know is attending LOF this year, and you would like to contribute a piece to the Effigy, please contact us at effigy@lakesoffire.org and we will make arrangements.

 

Car and RV Parking Reminder

As a reminder – Lakes of Fire is primarily a tent-camping affair. If you are planning on bringing a vehicle out of the parking lot and out around Lucky Lake, you betta have a reason! Usually we don’t allow it. In past years, cars ended up parked in the street, blocking golf carts and pedestrians. Once the party starts it’s basically impossible to find the owner and get them to move it. You dig?

Still, there are good reasons a person can’t tent camp and needs to bring their vehicle. If that person is you, then you have until May 15th to fill in the Medical Necessity, RV, & Infrastructure Vehicle Registration Application Form. Nobody wants to hear “I towed you, sooooo…”


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

*flips through art grants* VIFOs? Spaceflight simulators?? SPACE HOLES!? Those are illegal in seventeen dimensions! … The boring ones, obviously.

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Fire Sale for 2022 Tickets: April 16th and 18th

Ticketing Team here with an update!

We know many of you who didn’t get ticket offers (or the nearly two dozen of you who missed yours and emailed us after the deadline!!) are waiting with bated breath – so here’s the exciting conclusion (maybe) of the 2022 Ticketing Saga (the virus strikes back).

As of this very point, there are a total of 550 tickets that are ready to be sold. To be as fair as possible, we’re holding two separate sale events on drastically different dates and times to allow for folks that have weird work schedules. We will split the current allocation of tickets between these two sales,… so, quick math, 275 per sale.

Our sale dates and times will be:

  • Sale 1: Saturday, April 16th at High Noon (I’ve always wanted to say that), Central Time
  • Sale 2: Monday, April 18th, at 7pm, Central Time

SET A CALENDAR EVENT RIGHT NOW SO YOU DON’T FORGET!

Maybe even put one of those fancy 15 minute warnings on it. Tell your frens. Maybe have a ticket-getting party or something. In the immortal words of Ru Paul, “Don’t… fuck… it up.”

To prepare for the sale, you must:

  • Have a BurnerTickets account. If you don’t have one, register for one here: https://burnertickets.com/wp-login.php?action=register
  • Make sure you know your password. Log in. Test it before the sale. If you don’t remember your password, reset it so you’re ready to go.

At precisely the second the sale opens – no sooner – visit the following page: http://lb1.burnertickets.com

If you click it too soon, you won’t see the ticket queue for Lakes of Fire; that is not a bug.  That just means our fire sale just hasn’t started yet.  Remember, the sales start right on the hour in Central Time.  Take a breath, then click again.

When you open the page and see the ticket queue for Lakes of Fire, you are in – the queue, that is. If you refresh, if your phone goes to sleep, if your browser crashes – whatever – you’ll remain in queue in the same place. Finish up the steps, make your payment, and you’ll be the proud owner of a ticket. Then, make sure you sign up to volunteer for at least eight hours this year so you don’t have to deal with this stress next year!

Last Minute Reminders:

  • Most tickets (volunteer or GA) are transferable this year, so you may have some luck buying one from someone who can’t go. All of those transactions happen on our ticketing specific Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/962806980413945
  • Don’t pay more than face value $150 – and if someone is trying to sell you one for more than face value, please report them to the ticketing team.
  • Scammers exist. If you buy a ticket from someone, transfers can only happen through BurnerTickets. Make sure you receive and confirm the ticket transfer BEFORE sending payment. If a buyer doesn’t pay, it’s easy for us to reverse the transfer. However, if you send $150 via CashApp or PayPal and the seller disappears, there’s nothing we can do.
  • Earlier on this very day, April 11th, we blocked our first scammer who was trying to get a participant to send them $600 worth of tickets (warning bell #1) and “swearing on their life” that they would send the ticket immediately (warning bell #2). If in doubt, email the ticketing team. We love to help. And don’t be out your hard earned money to some POS scammer.
  • If you have a kiddo you’re bringing but forgot to buy them a ticket (we get it, tickets are exciting) – we’ll have that fix rolled out soon. Don’t worry, unless you forget and leave them at home, they’re coming with you.

The Ticketing Team wishes you good luck in the sales – we’d love to see you at the Lake in just a few short weeks!


Lakes Letter – March 29, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Ticketing | CoCC Volunteers Wanted | Volunteer Interest Form | Key Dates and Forms Update | Effigy Podcast | COVID Policy Is Online | Come to Newbie Orientation | A Message from Your ADA Liaison | New Accessible Role with Greeters


 
 
There is so much going on that this letter needs a Table of Contents:

 
 

Ticketing Update

April 3rd Ticket Offer Deadline

Attention, people with a Lakes of Fire ticket offer on Burnerticktes.com! You have until end of the day, April 3rd, to buy your ticket. Otherwise, it’s legit gone.

If you were expecting a ticket offer and didn’t get it, please fill out this form.

Ticket Sales to Date

With the Ticket Purchase Window closing rapidly, as of 3/28/22, we have sold:

  • 1,351 Tickets sold, of which 73 are children 0-12, and 6 are teens aged 13-17.
  • We have collected $4,833 in Donations for Art
  • 164 out of 230 Directed Theme Camp tickets have been purchased
  • 461 Volunteer Full Priced Tickets have been sold
  • 224 Half Priced Volunteer tickets have been sold

Please purchase your ticket and encourage your friends and neighbors to purchase before the April 3rd almost-midnight deadline. Because we can’t predict sales in the last 10 days, we still do not know if we will release more tickets for Lakes of Fire 2022. Stay tuned for more information in April.

Reminders about Ticket Transfers

Do not pay more than face value of a ticket – that’s $150 on the button, and that number includes all taxes and fees. If someone is asking for anything besides $150, we want to know about it. Send any screenshots to tickets@lakesoffire.org. We take the Principle of Decommodification extremely seriously and we do not tolerate scalping.

If you buy a ticket from someone, transfers can only happen through Burnertickets.com. Printed, emailed, or screenshots or barcodes or whatever are scams. The electronic ticket gets transferred from their account to yours on Burnertickets.com; there’s no other way.

As the buyer, you must receive and confirm the ticket transfer in your account BEFORE sending payment. If a buyer doesn’t pay, it’s easy for the Ticketing Team to reverse the transfer. Seriously. However, if you send $150 via CashApp or Paypal and the seller disappears, there’s nothing we can do.

 
 

Code of Conduct Committee Seeking Volunteers

Looking for a way to get involved with Lakes of Fire year-round? The Code of Conduct Committee is currently seeking volunteers. The Conduct Committee’s role is to provide empathetic support, review conduct incidents, document reports, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. We aim to ensure our participants can report issues without fear of retribution or bias and with confidentiality.

If you are interested in being a part of this anonymous, 5-person panel, please indicate your interest via the Code of Conduct Committee application form.

Please see our Code of Conduct to review what our community standards are and for more information on how to submit a report to the committee.

 
 

Volunteer Interest Form

The Volunteer Interest Form is live! If you are currently holding a ticket for Lakes of Fire 2022, this form is how you show your interest in volunteering your skills. Satisfy your urge to civic responsibility and give us your information! The Volunteer Dream Team will get you routed to the right department.

 
 
 
 

Key Dates and Forms Update

 
 

Effigy Podcast

Attention earthers… I mean earthlings. We need your help. The transmissions will explain everything. The pod crash is imminent. Not sure how much will survive. Burn it all to ash. We can’t let it phase back and interact with your ecosystem. Let’s save your world… together! 💚👽🌳🚀🎋☄️💜

The saga of the 2022 Lakes of Fire Effigy, The Life Star. Listen on anchor.fm or Spotify podcast has new episodes every Wednesday at 12:00 PM EST ‘til June 15.

Much love from your effigy leads,
💚Zack & Leta💜

 
 

COVID Policy Is Online

Read more about the COVID Safety Policy for Lakes of Fire ‘22 on our website. The short version is that you will need to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test from a licensed facility at the gate if you want to get inside. Read the page for the latest updates and details.

 
 

Come to Newbie Orientation

Lakes of Fire 2022 is just around the corner! It’s time to chat with the newbies (and remind vets) about what to expect. What is new in 2022, how to get involved and volunteer, and a whole lot more! Join us at 4103 Cadillac Blvd, Detroit, MI 48214-1406 from 11 AM – 2 PM EST. Join the discussion and get more details on the Facebook event.

 
 

A Message From Your ADA Liaison

“We are excited to launch our new Mobility Program this year! We plan on having dedicated mobility shuttles, as well as providing a team of handy helpers for personal setup and tear down of camp for those who request mobility assistance. Your reasons for requesting Mobility Assistance are not our business, no doctor’s note or explanation is necessary. The purpose of this program is to make Lakes of Fire more inclusive and remove mobility obstacles for our community. If you’d like mobility assistance, or would like to volunteer as a Handy Helper or Mobility Shuttle Driver, please let us know at lofmobility@gmail.com. If you selected Yes to the mobility assistance program when purchasing your ticket, we will be in touch.

“I was gifted a power scooter last summer and it will allow me the freedom to visit individual camps in a way that I haven’t been able to for several years.

“As a gift to the event, I will be evaluating accessibility of theme camps and providing constructive feedback where needed. I’m sure I will be experiencing obstacles that I’ve never considered as this will be my first time navigating Lakes from a wheelchair, so it will be a learning process for everyone. My goal is for Lakes of Fire to lead the way in accessibility and inclusiveness for all attendees, and increase awareness among camps on how to contribute.

“I’m excited to get up close and personal with so many theme camps this year, so prepare to see me rolling through at some point!”

Kelly Bells
Mobility Liaison

 
 

New Accessible Role with Greeters

Hello from your Greeters! We have a new volunteer role for Lakes of Fire ‘22: The Greeter Administrator.

This admin will work hand-in-hand with every Shift Lead, making that particular shift run smoothly. They would be responsible for overseeing volunteer sign-in and sign-out at the start and end of each shift, as well as handing them their swag as a thank-you.

This position was created with our participants that are mobility challenged in mind, so we want to show Radical Inclusion to those that meet this requirement. If this is you, please click here and be the first to sign up for this new position. You can also email the Greeter Leads directly at greeters@lakesoffire.org to show interest in this position.


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

Thank the stars, a flowchart! *lights it on fire, spins it ecstatically in circles* THIS is the paperwork that gets me hot!

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Lakes Letter – February 20, 2022

LAKES LETTER || COVID-19 Safety Information | Call for Bean Counters | Placement Form Open | Back 40 Fires | Ticketing Reminder


 
 

COVID-19 Safety Policy Information

Our policy for COVID-19 is taking shape. We will keep it updated on the COVID-19 Policy page and keep you up-to-date here in the Lakes Letter. Here is our statement from the GLEA Board and Leads regarding our current position:

As we ramp up and prepare for our first event in 2 years, the Leads and Board of Directors are committed to preserving the safety and health of all participants at Lakes of Fire 2022. We will continue to track, discuss, and seek input from local officials. As of February 2022, we have decided to implement a baseline for precautionary measures that will help us all return home this summer. As with everything related to this pandemic, this is not set in stone and we will continue to provide updates and additional details as we get closer to the event. Information about this disease, and how best to manage it, is ever evolving, and as such, so must we.

After consulting with the local health department, our current and general plan will be:

  • Proof of vaccination (at least two weeks after receiving the final dose, and booster required if you are eligible)
  • OR written or electronic documentation of a recent negative test that was administered by a licensed facility

We of course will always encourage everyone to test and practice infection mitigation measures prior to Lakes of Fire. The exact time-frame in which the negative test must be within, as well as what types of testing we will accept, has yet to be determined. This is just the foundation, and it has the possibility of changing and adjusting as time goes on.

We want to assure our community that we will take all reasonable precautions to ensure a safe atmosphere. We strongly recommend that everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and practice all safety precautions.

 
 

Call for Bean Counters!

If you love accounting, have we got a job for you. The GLEA Board and Leads organization are grateful to Weldy for his years of service and are in search of a bean counter to help us keep our finances and accounting organized. If you have an interest in helping Lakes of Fire with this great responsibility, please email the GLEA Board of Directors with your interest. Thank you!

 
 

Placement Form Open

Theme Camp organizers – it’s time to register with Placement! That’s right, the Placement Registration Form is open. If you plan to bring a Theme Camp to Lakes of Fire 2022, you will need to register with the Placement department to find out where around Lucky Lake you’ll be free to put down your tents, your geodesic dome, your fire-breathing unicycle repair shop, your unicorn-themed ball pit, etc. Don’t get stuck with too little space – register today! This form will stay open until April 4th, 11:59 PM EST.

 
 

Back 40 Fire Update

Just in case you want to be placed in the Back 40, we’ve got good news – you can have your own fire there now! This neighborhood was formerly restricted to one communal fire only, this year we offer participants the use of personal wood burning camp/cook fires, and “quiet” flame effects. The Back 40 will continue to be a place for theme camps and open camping participants with no amplified sound louder than a boom box. Sound good to you? Check out the Back 40 page to learn more.

 
 

Ticketing Reminder

Just to recap from January’s Lakes Letter: We will be offering tickets to 2020 ticket holders this year, followed by a general lottery or fire sale afterward. 2020 ticket holders will be able to buy a 2022 ticket starting March 1st and ending April 1st. Watch your email inbox and your BurnerTickets.com accounts, 2020 ticket holders! After April 1st, we will know how many tickets we can still offer within our capacity at Lucky Lake. You may be helped by beholding this, a flowchart by former Boardie and current Ticketing co-lead, Raptor (thanks, Raptor!):


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

Thank the stars, a flowchart! *lights it on fire, spins it ecstatically in circles* THIS is the paperwork that gets me hot!

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Lakes Letter – January 21, 2022

LAKES LETTER || Lakes of Fire Dates for 2022 | New Board of Directors | Lakes of Fire 2022 Ticketing Update | Art Grants Update | Lakes in Space Effigy Announcement


Lakes of Fire Dates for 2022

We are so thrilled to announce official dates for Lakes of Fire 2022, Lakes in Space! Clear your calendars, request time off, and start your engines: our spaceship will be taking off Wednesday June 15th, 2022 and returning back to Earth on Sunday June 19th, 2022.

Be on the lookout for our COVID-19 policy announcement and information about ticket sales these upcoming weeks. Information regarding 2021’s cancellation and rolled-over tickets can be found here.

Ticket Price and Purchase Dates

The 2022 ticket price, including fees, will be $150.00. Because of the 2020 and 2021 cancellations, 2020 ticket holders were given some options for what to do (once more, here is the 2021 cancellation and rolled-over ticket FAQ). We are honoring 2020 ticket holders by giving them the option to buy a 2022 ticket first. This includes volunteers who bought their 2020 ticket and people who bought their ticket in the 2020 lottery. People awarded tickets through the Directed Theme Camp Ticket program will need to re-apply in 2022 (see “Apply for Theme Camp Tickets Now” below for the link).

2020 ticket holders will be able to buy a 2022 ticket starting March 1st and ending April 1st. After April 1st, we will know how many tickets we can still offer within our capacity at Lucky Lake. The number of available tickets will determine how we distribute the rest (such as a lottery or fire sale) this year. Watch this Lakes Letter as we approach April 1st for more information.

Need Based Tickets and Minor Tickets

Your volunteer Lakes of Fire Ticketing Leads are excited to share big updates to the ticket process in 2022. Our hope is that these changes will continue to foster our inclusive community, as well as simplifying the process for our attendees.

Need-Based Ticketing: We are retiring the Low Income Discount Ticketing program, and replacing it with a Need Based Ticketing Program. If you are a burner with financial need, please apply here, as this new program is now open. This form closes February 20th at 11:59 pm (Central). For more information about the program, read on.

We understand that basing a discounted ticket primarily on reported income level is intrusive for our applicants, and that income alone does not accurately reflect financial need. Therefore, we will no longer be asking for any financial information. Instead, the application for a Need Based Ticket will be self-certification of a “significant financial need”. We have set aside the same pool of dollars to supplement our attendees in need, and that pool will be divided equally amongst all applicants. We strongly encourage those attendees who have a significant financial need to apply, and we strongly discourage those who do not have a significant financial need from applying. We trust our community to be honest in their self-declaration and not to try and take advantage of the system.

We plan to supplement the funds for this program in two ways. First, we will begin accepting direct donations to the Need Based Ticket money pool. Second, we will ask those Volunteers who have earned a half-priced ticket if they would like to donate the difference from their reduced price to those in our community with financial need.

Minor Ticketing: We are streamlining the minor ticketing process to make it easier for parents and young burners alike. No longer will each minor have to have their own Burnertickets account, and parents will no longer have to monitor or deal with their minor’s account(s). Instead, parents who receive a ticket offer will be allowed to claim their minor child’s ticket when they purchase their own. There will be a nominal fee of $10 per child to offset our costs with Burnertickets. With this change, a parent will be able to purchase tickets for their child(ren) when they check out, families will know they are ticketed together, and there will be no more stress about ticketing families together. Lakes of Fire is committed to including our younger burners (and perhaps future Volunteer Leads), and keeping our event an experience for all ages.

Apply for Theme Camp Tickets Now

The Directed Theme Camp Ticket Application Form is open! We reserve 10% of our tickets (230) for Theme Camp Critical Personnel who would not otherwise be able to attend Lakes without a Directed Theme Camp Ticket. We’re looking forward to seeing your awesome theme camp at Lakes in Space 2022! Impress our jury, and make sure those critical folks who make your Theme Camp a reality have a ticket this year. If your theme camp already has tickets, you don’t need to fill out this form. This form closes February 13th at 11:59 PM (Central). Please note: THIS IS NOT THE THEME CAMP PLACEMENT APPLICATION. That form is not yet open – check back in the next Lakes Letter!

Directed Tickets are Back – Join the Jury!

Ticketing Needs YOU to join our Theme Camp Directed Ticket Jury! We’re offering four (4) Volunteer Hours for three community members to rate and rank the Theme Camp Applications for Directed Tickets! You must identify and recuse yourself from judging camps with which you are affiliated. We’re looking for jury members who can commit to reviewing and ranking applications February 20th – 27th. Use this form to apply. This form closes February 13th at 11:59 PM (Central).

Art Grants Update

The Art Grants Team is thrilled to announce that the application process for Lakes of Fire 2022 art grants is open! The application, grant guidelines and other helpful information is located on the Art Grants page here.

For 2022, we continue to use “Lakes in Space” as our event theme. We hope this will inspire you to develop some dramatic and interesting proposals to wow us after being away for the past two years. We have set aside $500 of the art grant funds specifically for our young participants. We want our young burners to showcase their creations, and so we are planning a gallery just for youth art at the Nexus. More details to come.

The Art Grants Application Form closes on February 15th at 11:00 PM EST. Our goal as a team is to communicate out to the community the results of our decision making process no later than the week of March 7, 2022.

As far as how much we can offer in grant funds in 2022, we are still finalizing that. We are coordinating with granted artists from 2020 and reviewing the 2022 budget for additional funds. We will be certain to share the total available funds for 2022 with the community as soon as we can.

2020 Art Grant Recipients! If you were awarded an art grant in our 2020 cycle, please make sure you have communicated with your grants facilitators. Our team has sent emails to everyone to confirm participation but have not heard from everyone about whether or not they plan to bring those pieces to the 2022 event. Any 2020 grantee who has not confirmed their participation in the 2022 event by this Sunday, January 23, 2022 will be assumed that their project is no longer viable and the remaining grant funds will be added to the pot of available 2022 grant funds. Please do not delay in communicating with your art grants facilitator.

So get them wheels a turning, designs a drawing, and applications a submitting! All information can be found at http://lakesoffire.org/departments/art-hub/art-grants/.

Our New Board of Directors

We are excited to introduce our 2022 Board of Directors!

We want to commend the seven people who applied for the positions available on the Board of Directors for 2022. The job requires a lot of time, energy, and care for the community and event as a whole. The amount of courage and love it took to apply for this position deserves it’s own moment of recognition.

We decided to extend offers to four of those who applied. They each have an unique experience and skill set, and they inspired us with their own individual brand of enthusiasm and passion. All four have the tools and temperament to serve as Board members and we can’t wait to see how they will contribute to the long-term sustainability of our organization.

Without further ado, we’d like to welcome the following wonderful beings (human and otherwise) to the Board!

We are proud to welcome Neha Singh, Ben “just ben” Gonzales, Eric “Pirate” Branson, and Robert “Scuba” Lawler.

Please help us welcome and congratulate these rock star volunteers!

So many thanks go out to our outgoing Board members, Ila “Jackpot” Coltas, Laura “Jin” Thompson, Megan Smith-Jovanovic, and Scott “Skennedy” Kennedy.

Thank you for all your time and care as we travel again along this path of transition,

just ben, Love Warrior, moni, Neha, Pirate, Scuba

Board of Directors

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc.

Lakes in Space Effigy Announcement

A garbled transmission comes over your headset. Your music is overpowered with static and a frantic message.

(zzzzzchhhh) had to eject (sssshhhhhh) finally broke through warp bubble (ptthhhhhbbbt) impact projected for (brrrrrrrrnn) must be destroyed with fire (zzz zzz zzz) it’s coming be ready!
The Life Star will crash into Lucky Lake June 15, 2022 – will you be ready?

Volunteer info available soon!

<3 Zack & Leta your effigy leads


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

We haven’t flown this contraption in two decades! Or has it been three…? Anyway, time to get out Burning for Dummies and remember the basics.

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Lakes Letter – November 23, 2021

LAKES LETTER || Fall Retreat Recap 2021


Fall Retreat Recap 2021

Your Lakes of Fire Leads conducted our annual Fall Retreat and 2022 event cycle kick-off meeting on November 6-7, 2021. Safety and sustainability of the event were primary topics of discussion. We are pleased to announce that we are moving forward with plans to hold LOF at Lucky Lake in June 2022! The exact dates will be announced as soon as possible.

The Leads and Board of Directors have determined that a COVID-19 entry and safety policy will be in place for LOF’22, although the exact contours are still being worked out. Please give us patience while we talk with experts, event planning peers, and the community as a whole. We will keep the community informed as the processes are solidified over the next few months.

While unpredictable factors could call for changes to LOF’22, we are optimistic that we can hold a safe and legal event as more and more people are vaccinated. Please make sure to sign up for our Lakes Letter, as any announcements will be made here. If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, please consider doing so to protect those you love and the wider community.

If you held a ticket to 2020 and received a refund in 2021, please keep a watchful eye on the email address associated with your Burner Tickets account. Our Ticketing team will be sending out emails to confirm that the address we have on file is correct. Information regarding 2021’s cancellation can be found here.

Please enjoy a snapshot of your event Leads at our Fall Retreat meeting:

We are honored and excited to build an incredible experience with you once again, to live our best lives at the lake, and to tear it right back down again. Our motivation to be safely reunited with you is what is driving everything we do, and we cannot wait to get this rocket ship off to space. Best wishes for the rest of 2021 … according to rumors, it was better next year.

Warmly,
The GLEA Board of Directors and your Lakes of Fire Leads


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

Are we finally going home? I have to pinch myself..!

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Lakes Letter – July 27, 2021

LAKES LETTER || Recruitment for Board of Directors | BoD BIPOC Open House | BoD Virtual Open House | and more


Recruitment for the Board of Directors

Are you interested in joining the Board of Directors at GLEA? Great! We’re looking to onboard some new people in 2022.

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc. is seeking highly-dedicated volunteers to join the Board of Directors. Board members are the legal face of Lakes of Fire and are directly responsible for the long term production and sustainability of our event. There are no prerequisites for joining other than a deep commitment to seeing Lakes of Fire continue to thrive.

If you feel you have the experience and desire to serve the organization, event, and attendees through this vital role, check out our Lakes Leadership page for more resources. We will be posting all virtual open house links and application forms there.


BoD BIPOC Open House

On August 1st at 3 pm ET, members of the GLEA Board of Directors will hold a virtual Open House specifically for BIPOC community members. This event is to allow BIPOC burners an opportunity to speak directly to the GLEA Board about the open Board positions.

The Board of Directors would like to hear the experiences and ideas of burners who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color and answer your questions about leadership and what the future of Lakes of Fire could look like.

If you are interested in applying to be on the Board of Directors or have questions or thoughts about leadership in our community, please join us.

This conversation is intended to open up space for those who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, as their voices often go unheard in majority white spaces. There will be a Board Open House that is open to all on August 17th.

Check out our Lakes Leadership page for the Zoom link and more BoD application resources.


BoD Virtual Open House

On August 17th at 9 pm ET, the GLEA Board of Directors will host a virtual Open House. This event is open to the entire community. During the Open House, the Board will take most of the meeting time to describe the duties of the Board and answer questions from the community.

Check out our Lakes Leadership page for more the Zoom link and more BoD application resources.


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

One day at a time, with each other. That’s how we’ll get through this.

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



2021: Gratitude to the Community

LAKES LETTER || Gratitude to the Community


To our fellow members of the Lakes of Fire Community:

Being a volunteer Lead for GLEA and producing our annual Lakes of Fire event brings us all a profound sense of joy and community.  We grappled with the idea of holding our event during a pandemic, and even with our minds on the principle of Civic Responsibility it broke our hearts to cancel for the second year in a row.  We are committed to holding the safest possible event for all of us, and look forward to making memories with you again in 2022.

We want to thank you for your support with this difficult decision, and we are so profoundly grateful for all the generous donations made to GLEA to support our current and future financial needs. 42% of respondents to the ticket cancellation E-mail donated to our organization—one in five ticket holders overall—raising a total of $25,629.  Not-for-profit organizations of all kinds are struggling or have closed during the pandemic; your kindness and generosity means our expenses for the next year are met and we are in an excellent position to produce Lakes IN SPACE in the summer of 2022.  In what has been a very difficult year for all of us, you’ve given us the joy and community we’ve missed, and a too-unfamiliar feeling of light and hope for the future during a year of mostly darkness and despair.

We thank you for your donations, for your strength, and for our future.

We are proud to be part of this community, and we know that together we will reach the stars.

A hand-written note, one of many, tied to a wooden beam that reads "THIS BECOMES SOCIETY.". Photo credit: Captain Blood

 

– The Leads of Lakes of Fire



The 2021 Community Broadcast for Lakes of Fire

LAKES LETTER || The 2021 Community Broadcast for Lakes of Fire


To our Burner Family,

As we look to the future, the Great Lakes Experimental Arts Board of Directors want to provide an update on Lakes of Fire 2021. If this does not answer your specific questions, please see our FAQ for more details.

Current Situation

Lakes of Fire takes place in the middle of June each year. As you may recall, the 2020 event was cancelled due to a life-threatening global pandemic. Unfortunately, the pandemic remains a significant safety concern as we enter 2021. We are heartbroken to announce, as a continued expression of Civic Responsibility: Lakes of Fire 2021 is cancelled.

We all deeply crave the experience of gathering round the lake. The void in our hearts has been deafening. There’s nothing more we want than to make good chaos with all of you. However, as we considered whether a 2,200+-person event can safely occur, the Board, with input from leadership, outlined criteria for what would need to be in place to safely hold an in-person event. While vaccine roll-out is underway, it is not clear that we will reach the widespread vaccination levels needed before June. Ultimately, the below criteria cannot be met for Lakes of Fire 2021.

Criteria for a safe future event:

  1. Large outdoor events are legally allowed by local, state, and national authorities. Currently, state reopening guidelines [PDF] identify widespread vaccine distribution and utilization as a requirement before large outdoor events will be permitted.
  2. The organization and leadership are able to meet safety and preparedness standards for a large, outdoor, multi-day event with the state and county health departments.
  3. A critical mass of Lead Volunteers are committed, capable, and fully engaged in running their departments without compromising their health and safety.
  4. The organization can afford the recommended safety measures and other potential costs (such as increased insurance premiums) necessary in order to produce a safe event.
  5. As a whole, the leadership is confident that, as a result of planning, preparation, and conditions, those attending the event are unlikely to spread or catch COVID-19.

We also recognize that holding an event this year would impose an unequal hardship for some of the members within our community. The Board believes that holding an event during a pandemic that continues to disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous, and people of color would only serve to create another barrier to participation for those groups. It is our responsibility to create a space in which creativity and expression can bloom, and that cannot happen if we ignore obstacles that exist for only some groups within our burner family.

What about my Ticket?

Because we cannot know what the next year will bring, we are refunding all tickets. Our next event faces many unknown factors, such as possible required reductions in population size, additional insurance requirements, or increases in infrastructure costs related to COVID-19. We are refunding all tickets sold with as close to a complete refund as we can while ensuring we can continue onward as an organization and event. We anticipate refunds for full price tickets to be $106 and half price tickets to be $53. Tickets purchased under the Low Income Discount program will be refunded at about $60, which is the full refund minus unrecoverable processing fees. Please allow a few weeks for instructions to be emailed to ticket holders at the address associated with their BurnerTicket account.

We are providing an option for people to choose to donate their ticket costs to GLEA to help us maintain the event and fund the art that is at the core of our mission as an all-volunteer, non-profit, arts organization. Please do not feel obligated in any way to donate. It’s most important that you take care of yourselves and your families, and we know this money is sorely needed by so many.

How can I get a ticket for the next event?

Ticket Holders by Drawing or Transfer: If we are able to hold our event with our normal population size in 2022, every current ticket holder who received their ticket via drawing or transfer will have the option to purchase a ticket for a 2022 event. If significant changes to the event are needed (e.g., reduction in size for safety reasons), we may be required to hold a new lottery.  This includes all lottery ticket holders who retained their tickets, those who received their tickets via transfer, and low income ticket holders who purchased and kept their lottery ticket.

Volunteers: Volunteers who purchased tickets through our Volunteer Ticket program in 2020 and those who volunteered at least 8 hours in 2020/2021 will get ticket offers for the next event.

Directed Theme Camp Tickets: Because it’s been so long since commitments were made and camps will be re-registering and starting anew (potentially with member turnover) Directed Tickets for Theme Camps will be refunded and a new application process will be held for the next event. We are currently discussing whether we can take 2020 ticket allotments into account when deciding on DTC tickets for the next event. 

Departmental Tickets: Due to the changing needs of the organization every year, these tickets will be refunded and returned to the issuing departments.

Will there be another lottery?

Probably! After the usual organizational needs have been met, any remaining tickets will be put into a randomized drawing and allocated in a similar fashion as previous years.

What about my Art Grant?

The core mission of our organization is to support art. The art grants team is preparing a communication to all granted artists that will go out within the next 24 hours explaining your options. If artists have any questions please reach out to your art grant facilitator or the Art Grant team at artgrants@lakesoffire.org.

Additional Concerns

We anticipate increased expenses due to COVID-19 precautions when we are able to hold our next event. Depending on best practices, we will likely need additional washing stations, portos and porto maintenance, gloves, masks, or other infrastructure we haven’t anticipated. We will also need to follow public gathering size restrictions which may impact event capacity.

Lakes of Fire must continue to carry liability insurance in order to function – we cannot have a successful event without it. Event insurance costs rose steeply (in general) in recent years, and may either grow substantially or be nearly impossible to obtain, depending on the pandemic situation and legal landscape by the time the next event happens. Each of these may impact our total budget, and the organization may respond by increasing ticket prices. We will explore any options to prevent financially impacting future attendees, and will keep the community updated.

Further 2021 Plans

It is really hard to accept that we won’t be able to see each other around Lucky Lake in 2021, but we are dreaming of the day when we can safely get together to make Lakes of Fire magic happen face to face once more. Until then, keep inspiring us from a (social) distance with your creative expression. We hope you continue to find new ways to bring the wonder and joy that is burning into your communities and daily lives, and take care of each other.

We will reach out later in the year to talk about how we can still have a stellar burn experience together.

 

With love, mourning, and growing hope for the future,

BrewBear, Jackpot, Jin, Love Warrior, Megan, Moni & Skennedy

(in consultation with the Lakes of Fire Department Leads)

Board of Directors

Great Lakes Experimental Arts



Lakes Letter – Oct 18th 2020

LAKES LETTER || Introducing our 2021 Board of Directors | Code of Conduct Committee: Call for Volunteers


Introducing our 2021 Board of Directors

Many thanks need to go out to the 11 people who applied for the two positions available on the Board of Directors for 2021. The job requires a lot of time, energy, and care for the community and the event as a whole. There were many worthy candidates, but we chose two for their insightful perspectives on how to improve the event, their strong skill sets that complement the other 2021 Board members, and their undeniable enthusiasm for the event and for the work it requires.

We are proud to welcome Tony “The Love Warrior” Holmes and Moni “Donut” Pilcher! 

Please help us welcome and congratulate these rock star volunteers. They will be joining us as listeners for the months preceding the official switch out in January.

Our gratitude goes to Jessica “Rabit” Baile and Scottie Van de Vyver, our outgoing Board members, for working their asses off over the last 3 years to take care of the event and everyone involved with it. Your efforts are deeply appreciated, and we will miss your energy. Time to go be a part of the problem!

This event thrives through the willingness of burners to step up and volunteer – if you want to make a difference, please consider becoming a volunteer, asking your Department how you can show leadership, and apply for the Board in a future year!

 


Code of Conduct Committee: Call for Volunteers

Looking for a way to get involved with Lakes of Fire year-round? The Code of Conduct Committee is currently seeking volunteers.

We take Code of Conduct violations seriously, including having an accessible, safe, and publicly known process for reporting and handling issues.

The Conduct Committee’s role is to provide empathetic support, review conduct incidents, document reports, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. We aim to ensure our participants can report issues without fear of retribution or bias and with confidentiality. Having a focused, anonymous committee to handle these reports creates community involvement, relieves any intimidation or embarrassment for reporters, and allows the organization to continue to provide a safe space for participants.

If you are interested in being a part of this anonymous, 5-person panel, please indicate your interest via the Code of Conduct Committee application form.

Please see our Code of Conduct to review what our community standards are and for more information on how to submit a report to the committee.  Thank you for keeping our burn a safer place for all.


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

One day at a time, with each other. That’s how we’ll get through this.

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



Lakes Letter – Aug 18, 2020

LAKES LETTER || Lakes Leadership 2021 | Recruitment for Board of Directors | BoD BIPOC Open House | BoD Virtual Open House | BLM Action Statement Pending


Lakes Leadership 2021

During the ongoing pandemic and protests against systemic racial inequality, Great Lakes Experimental Arts and our entire community are challenged to look to the future with a new imagination. Our temporary, intentional, and physical community at Lucky Lake simply did not happen in 2020. No one felt the call to step up and fill an empty shift; no one got a taste of helping in a new department; no one got to take the reins as a first-time shift lead. We grieve the joy of coming together for the burn itself, and also more. We grieve a year of unrealized volunteerism against the backdrop of a nation that desperately needs more community, accountability, and mutual aid in every regard.

That’s why our Lakes of Fire leadership wants to connect to our community a little bit differently this year.

Lakes Leadership is a new page on our website. Here we will publish dates and links to virtual meetings to help shape Lakes of Fire in 2021 and beyond. These virtual events exist to describe our event’s structures and processes with more transparency, to recruit volunteers for leadership roles, and to solicit open feedback as we review and reshape our policies. Our goal is for this openness to attract community members into active org positions while also giving transparent insight and voice to everyone our policies affect.

If you are interested in having a voice in our policy or taking a leadership role in 2021, please go to the Lakes Leadership page. If you don’t see the kind of topics or meetings you are interested in, tell us! You can simply use the Lakes Leadership Suggestion Box.


Recruitment for the Board of Directors

Are you interested in joining the Board of Directors at GLEA? Great! We’re looking to onboard 2 new people in 2021.

Great Lakes Experimental Arts, Inc. is seeking highly-dedicated volunteers to join the Board of Directors. Board members are the legal face of Lakes of Fire and are directly responsible for the long term production and sustainability of our event. There are no prerequisites for joining other than a deep commitment to seeing Lakes of Fire continue to thrive.

If you feel you have the experience and desire to serve the organization, event, and attendees through this vital role, fill out the interest form before 11:59 pm EST on October 1, 2020 to be considered for the open Board positions.


BoD BIPOC Open House

On August 30th at 3 pm ET, members of the GLEA Board of Directors will hold a virtual Open House specifically for BIPOC community members. This event is to allow BIPOC burners an opportunity to speak directly to the GLEA Board about the open Board positions.

The Board of Directors would like to hear the experiences and ideas of burners who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color and answer your questions about leadership and what the future of Lakes of Fire could look like.

If you are interested in applying to be on the Board of Directors or have questions or thoughts about leadership in our community, please join us.

This conversation is intended to open up space for those who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, as their voices often go unheard in majority white spaces. There will be a Board Open House that is open to all on September 4th.

You can send in your questions to the GLEA BOD 2021 Question Box.

If you know you’d like to serve on the Board of Directors, the LOF Board Interest form for 2020 is now available!


BoD Virtual Open House

On September 4th (time TBD and will be announced), the GLEA Board of Directors will host a virtual Open House. This event is open to the entire community. During the Open House, the Board will take most of the meeting time to describe the duties of the Board and answer questions that were submitted in advance. You can send in your questions to the GLEA BOD 2021 Question Box.

If you know you’d like to serve on the Board of Directors, the LOF Board Interest form for 2020 is now available!


BLM Action Statement Pending

The GLEA Board of Directors promised the community a written statement on specific policy steps to support BIPOC burners, elevate BIPOC voices, and explicitly address racism and racial inequality when it appears in our community. The statement isn’t ready yet. But work is happening. The BoD BIPOC Open House to recruit for at least one open Board of Directors position is the most specific and direct action the BoD is taking today.

The entire GLEA leadership understands the urgency and importance of taking transparent, specific action. We look forward to sharing more soon and appreciate everyone’s patience.


Info_bot logo=LoF===)*(===LoF=

One day at a time, with each other. That’s how we’ll get through this.

xoxo,

Info_bot

info@lakesoffire.org

http://www.lakesoffire.org



GLEA Statement: Black Lives Matter

Radical Inclusion symbol

Black burners put in their time, effort, and energy for Lakes of Fire and are an essential part of our community. Black burners, you are a part of our family and your problems are our problems. Black lives matter.

Lakes of Fire strongly condemns police brutality, racism, and fascism. We are outraged and sickened by the deaths of more innocent black people—George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade being only the latest in an endless string—at the hands of people who should be protecting us. This structure is perpetually maintained by the silence of the community; we will not be silent.

We see authorities violating the 1st Amendment rights of protesters and journalists around the country, and recognize the threat to the right of all people to express themselves—radically or otherwise.

Regional Burning Man events in the United States are often predominantly white, and would have a different relationship with police if we were a predominantly black organization. As a community, we must be firm and direct in addressing these crimes, and also must look inward for how racism plays a role in our own structure.

Lakes of Fire’s Board of Directors understands that our event and organization can do better at welcoming black people at the table and making sure their voices are heard. We will also do better at assisting black individuals who want to attend a burn for the first time so that we can better “welcome the stranger.”

To that end, we intend to modify our Code of Conduct to ban symbols of hate at Lakes of Fire. We know this is only the beginning – we will meet with our black burner family to discuss long-term strategies to make a difference in these ways. We will reach out to you by August about these steps. We want you to hold us accountable, and welcome discussion on ways we can improve.

Dismantling white supremacy is an active practice. The Community Ready Corps Alliances & Allies has a set of 5 methods to help people address internalized racism, and we encourage you to check it out.

Please also see these resources for education, organization, and action.

Burner Specific:

General Resources:

Please reach out to us via email at board@lakesoffire.org if you have comments or suggestions on how we can improve as an organization.

We want our black participants to know that while we can’t ask you to expend more energy, we are ready to listen to what you need and how you think we could engage on this issue, both during this current protest and throughout the years to come.

 

BrewBear, Jackpot, Jin, Megan, Rabit, Scottie & Skennedy

Board of Directors
In consultation with the Lakes of Fire Leads
Great Lakes Experimental Arts


Community Broadcast for Lakes of Fire 2020

LAKES LETTER || Community Broadcast for Lakes of Fire 2020


To our Burner Family,

It is with a heavy, heavy heart that we must announce that Lakes of Fire 2020 is cancelled. This is the most difficult expression of Civic Responsibility we’ve ever attempted.


WHY?

We are facing unprecedented changes to our daily lives, without a clear end in sight. What has become clear is that we all play a role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, primarily by physically distancing ourselves and using good hygiene. We are all charged with disrupting the rapid increase in COVID-19 spread by avoiding group gatherings and doing our best not to increase the burden on already overwhelmed medical systems.

The impacts of this virus are far-reaching. Burners are using up their vacation hours they normally reserve for Lakes of Fire. Many are losing their jobs and the income they would use to create art and set up theme camps. Immunocompromised burners are making hard decisions to stay isolated to reduce risk of transmission, including members of our leadership. The strains on our resources and leadership are great and impede our ability to safely produce a successful event.

We are the Great Lakes REGIONAL burn, drawing people from many communities, and it is imperative that we act in the best interest of the community and the world at large. We come from nearly every state and many countries to the small town of Rothbury, which has just 500 residents in a rural county. We feel a responsibility to prioritize the community and avoid unnecessary danger.

WHY NOW? WHY NOT WAIT?

Making this decision now allows people to plan for the future as best they can. As a small nonprofit organization, this decision also enables us to cut current spending so that Lakes of Fire 2021 and beyond can be on strong financial ground.

WHAT HAPPENS WITH MY TICKET?

Your ticket will be honored for participation in Lakes of Fire 2021. We would like to extend the opportunity for current ticket holders who were the original purchaser of a ticket to obtain a refund, by request, until May 1st, 2020 OR two weeks from the time the refund button becomes available, whichever is later. If you currently have a ticket and you would prefer to transfer it to another participant, you will be able to transfer the ticket until the close of transfers for the 2021 event.

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IF I HAVE A TICKET THAT I PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM BURNER TICKETS?

Most original ticket purchasers have three options:

  1. Hold on to your ticket. It will be honored for LOF21.
  2. Transfer the ticket.
  3. Ask for a refund (see below).

You must be the original purchaser of a ticket to receive a refund. A refund will be issued to the same credit card used to purchase the ticket.

Because low income discount tickets are not eligible for transfer, a LID ticket holder must either keep their ticket for LOF21 or request a refund.

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS IF I HAVE A TICKET THAT I RECEIVED VIA A TRANSFER?

Transfer recipients have two options:

  1. Hold on to your ticket. It will be honored for LOF21.
  2. Transfer the ticket.

We will not issue refunds for transferred tickets, because we can only issue a refund to the original credit card, not the current ticket holder. Neither the original ticket purchaser nor the current ticket holder may request a refund for a transferred ticket.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO REFUNDED TICKETS?

All refunded tickets will be placed into a new lottery pool. If you refund a ticket (including a volunteer ticket), the only way to get a ticket for LOF21 is by registering and participating in the ticket lottery for LOF21, or receiving a transfer ticket. The new 2021 lottery will require re-registration (and group selection if desired). Line positions in the LOF20 lottery will not carry over to the LOF21 lottery.

WHAT IF I ASK FOR A REFUND FOR A VOLUNTEER TICKET?

Once a refund is issued, you will not receive a new volunteer ticket offer for LOF21. You will have to register and participate in the ticket lottery for LOF21. If you refund your current volunteer appreciation ticket, it’s gone.

HOW DO I TRANSFER OR ASK FOR A REFUND?

Please see our 2020 Cancellation Ticket FAQ page for further ticket related details.

WHAT IF I RECEIVED AN ART GRANT?

Our core mission as an organization is to support art – the first payment is being disbursed to grantees and will stay with the artists, so that they can continue to create their projects. We hope that many, if not most of you, will stay the course, continue to build your fantastic space-y creations, and bring them to Lakes of Fire in 2021.

WHAT ABOUT MY ADDITIONAL DONATION FOR ART?

We are not only an event, we are an arts organization. Each year, we provide a portion of our revenue to a local elementary school to fund art enrichment activities for students. We will continue to provide that financial support for arts education via a portion of the donations we received during ticket sales this year. Funds from 2019 have also been allocated to special artistic community projects, which we are looking forward to unveiling at Lakes of Fire 2021. Thank you to everyone who contributed additional donation funds with their ticket purchase.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Burners Without Borders works with communities to respond to disasters around the world. They have provided these resources for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic:

If you see an unmet need in your community, read more about starting a project with Burners Without Borders.

If you have any extra personal protection equipment (PPE), please consider donating it to your local hospital.

Great Lakes Experimental Arts is donating our available PPE to Lakeshore Hospital in Shelby, near Lucky Lake. Many burner communities are doing the same in their neighborhoods.

WHAT NEXT?

Now is a time to make art. We need it now more than ever.
Now is a time to take care of yourself and each other. Your community needs support.
Now is a time to think of how our world might look after this has passed, and how each of us can shape it for the better. Our culture is ready for this. If any group of people can work collaboratively, it’s ours. We’re badasses!
Now is a time to stay connected and burn together… separately.

Once we’ve all had a chance to take a breath, we would love to engage you on how we can stay connected, and keep Burning together in the lead up to Lakes of Fire 2021.

For the answers to more general questions please see our General 2020 Cancellation FAQ. Ticketing-related details from this announcement will be available at COVID-19 Ticket Announcement and FAQ.


Next year was better,

BrewBear, Jackpot, Jin, Megan, Rabit, Scottie, & Skennedy
(in consultation with the Lakes of Fire Department Leads)
Board of Directors
Great Lakes Experimental Arts