EFFIGY BUILD INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

We, the Effigy Department, are filled to the brim with joy, knowing that people who love to build big things and burn them to the ground exist.

This passion has fueled our desire to create a one-stop shop for all of your effigy-building desires. This page contains all the details of the effigy application process, deadlines, proposal requirements, restricted materials, build timelines, and more. Please read and understand all of it. As someone who wants to build the effigy, this will help us work together to see this project through. We’ve outlined ALL the information you need to create and submit a proposal, along with important expectations of the Effigy Build Lead and Crew. Don’t stress if you have questions or don’t know everything. The purpose of the Effigy Department is not only to choose the next effigy but also to consult with the effigy lead and builders in getting it constructed. If you have questions, please email effigy@lakesoffire.org. The members of the Effigy Department, along with previous designers, will score each application. All factors that we score on are located in this document. The more detailed proposal you can give us, the better. The winner who gets their design chosen will be the new Effigy build Lead. Once the project is done, the lead (if you choose) can join the Effigy Department and previous designers to help select and mentor the next effigy for the following year. Before you work up a full proposal, take time to brainstorm your effigy. Here are some of the essential details to get you started:

- The Effigy Build Team receives money from Lakes of Fire for materials and transportation for the effigy. There is a $10,000 budget for the Effigy. This money is for EVERYTHING.

- The fireworks budget is separate from the effigy budget.

- The size of the effigy must be less than 4,500 lbs of wood and have a footprint of 25 feet by 25 feet and 25 feet in height or less. This is a firm size dimension. We have no space to hold a larger effigy than this.

With these facts in mind, you are ready to sketch your effigy idea. Please send us your napkin sketch by the Phase 1 deadline (see below).

2027 Event Application Schedule

- Open Q&A session via Zoom – October 6th at 9pm
- November 1st through 22nd: Phase 1 “Intent to Submit”. (see Phase 1 information below)
- December: Phase 2 “Full Submission” (see Phase 2 information below)
- January: Meetings to review applications and virtual interviews with artists. Additional information may be requested. The department will meet and select a design by the end of the month.
- Early February: Artists will be notified of the department decision.

Submission Phases

Phase 1: Call for Napkins! (Intent to submit)

- Email effigy@lakesoffire.org with your napkin idea

- Include your name, playa name, email, a brief description of your concept, and a photo of your napkin drawing.

Phase 2: Fully Submitted Proposal

- Send it to effigy@lakesoffire.org

- Documents Required at the time of submission:
  - - Effigy Budget Submission Template
  - - Effigy Submission Contact Form Template
  - - Blueprints
  - - Full Proposal addressing the Proposal Requirements and Limitations and Expectations sections below

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I have an effigy idea, but I don’t know how to build it? SWEET! You should apply for Phase 1, the Call for Napkins (see Submission Phases above). Please email effigy@lakesoffire.org before the Phase 1 deadline with:

- A detailed description of your project. (Please address everything below under Proposal Requirements, keeping in mind everything under Limitations and Expectations)

- A drawing

We understand that it’s OK if these things are not perfect. How do I apply if I have an idea and a build team? WOOHOO! Submit your napkin idea by the Phase 1 deadline. Then, submit a full proposal (Phase 2) to effigy@lakesoffire.org Please review the Proposal Requirements and Limitations and Expectations sections below – these criteria are used to score your proposal.

EFFIGY BUILD APPLICATION

LIMITATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

- Please view the list of P rohibited Materials here.

- Due to space constraints, the size of the effigy and its footprint at the maximum amount is 25 feet by 25 feet and 25 feet high. This is non-negotiable

- The total amount of wood used must be less than 4,500 lbs.

- Budget maximum is $10,000.
  - - The Effigy budget will not cover the purchase of tools (saws, drills etc). The budget is good for:
      - Hardware: bolts/screws/wood (indicate sizes and amounts in the proposal)
      - Paint
      - Replacement drill bits, saw blade, etc
      - Transportation of the effigy to/from LOF
      - Lighting purchasing (but we do have some already, and we would like you to reuse if possible)
      - Flame effect propane
      - Gas for generator (if using one)
      - Decoration
      - Small amounts of swag
  - - Misused or unapproved purchases are considered disrespectful to the community at large and are not allowed. Misappropriated funds must be paid back to GLEA, the governing entity of Lakes of Fire (the organizing branch that allocates funds from each year’s ticket sales to pay for the effigy).
  - - Any money spent outside of the approved budget will be the sole responsibility of Artist.
  - - All items purchased with the intent of building the structure are the property of GLEA and must be returned to a member of the Effigy Department before the final payment of grant monies are distributed.
      - Items to be returned include anything that was purchased using GLEA funds and wasn’t burnt to the ground.
  - - All funding for the Effigy is to come through GLEA and the Effigy design build crew only. Any outside fundraising and solicitation is strongly discouraged and is to be reviewed by GLEA before initiating.
  - - Upon award of project and project funding, any subsequent budgetary adjustments must be reviewed by GLEA before proceeding.

- The effigy build crew must be prepared to regularly participate with the Effigy Department through email, phone, and Zoom calls. Failure to participate in these calls will make everyone’s jobs more difficult.

- A member of the Effigy Department is required to come and view and/or participate in several of your build days. This allows us to see how your team works together, the construction of the piece, and to troubleshoot any issues that might happen. Any suggestions from the Effigy Department member need to be listened to in detail and considered. If the build crew is not ok with these suggestions or these visits, please state so, and we will kindly put your application aside

- Effigy build crew will have access to the site starting Friday evening before the event. The piece needs to be fully constructed, decorated, lit up, etc by Wednesday morning on opening day.

- Only one point of contact is necessary, but more are welcome.

- The build crew/lead should never contact the local fire department at any point. This is not your responsibility or role. FAST will handle all communication with the fire department, permit creation, and obtainment.

- Fireworks: GLEA hires a licensed and insured fireworks company to install and execute a beautiful fireworks show. There is a separate budget for this piece of the Effigy. The Effigy build lead will be a part of the conversations with the fireworks company to create an event that showcases the Effigy. FAST will initiate these conversations.

- Onsite Expectations: So you built it, you transported it, you assembled it… alas your work is not done. Effigy build lead(s) will have a radio during the on site build, and also on Saturday (Burn Day). This radio is used for FAST and other departments to communicate with the Effigy lead(s) about any number of things. There is a dedicated channel for this communication. A responsible and appointed in-charge member of the Effigy Build crew must be onsite AT ALL TIMES and in a position to be able to make important decisions should they arise about the Effigy. The Effigy Department leads will also be on-site and responsible for ensuring things run smoothly during the event and assisting the team during the pre-event build days and the burn night preparation. More details and lots of discussion will happen once the build lead(s) are chosen – if you have questions, please reach out to the department leads.

- LNT: The Build Team will be required to assist with burn prep Saturday morning (beginning at 10am) until the structure is ready – this may include removing any lighting and flame effect hardware, removing non-burnable part of the structure, and any other prep that FAST has determined we need to do for a safe burn. The Effigy Department will be responsible for the scheduling of volunteers for the post-burn cleanup overnight and Sunday morning. While assistance from the build team is appreciated, it is not a requirement.
- Effigy Contract: If your design is chosen, you will be given an Effigy Contract for the Effigy Build Lead to sign. This contract must be signed before money can be given for the project.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Any and all answers are respected. We need to know how we can best assist the project. Your honesty will only help the Effigy Department support you more from start to finish. We are all one big team. The Effigy Department will review all applications, diagrams and images using these different categories. We score each application on these categories in no particular order. Although the scoring system is numeric, we will also discuss subjective things – how does the design make us feel? What is exciting to us as viewers and participants? Does this design engage the community? Is it accessible to our mobility-challenged participants? All of these things are considered alongside the completed applications. The more detail you can submit, the better. If you don’t know everything, don’t stress it. The purpose of the Effigy Department is not only to choose the next effigy but to consult with the effigy lead and builders in getting it constructed and guide you along the way. We will schedule a call in early December with each team that submits a full proposal to talk through your project, raise any questions that come up during department discussions, and give you a chance to ask any questions of us as well!

- Effigy Vision: Give us a fantastic introduction. Include the vibe of the piece, the intention, how you came up with the idea, theme incorporation, and is there anything super special about this piece? Is there a hidden element? Make us feel your inspiration.

- Group Introduction: Please introduce yourself and / or your group to us. Include skills you have, talents you possess, previous build/project experience, leadership capabilities, and burner resume. How many Lakes of Fire/burner events have you participated in? Additionally, we want to know what your weak points are. This could include:
  - - Maybe you have never led a project like this before.
  - - Maybe you hate using a saw.
  - - Maybe you are bad at budgeting.

- Prior Projects: If you have built prior projects and/or burning structures, please tell us a little bit about them and what you have learned from each piece/project.

- Drawings and Diagrams: Hand drawn, computer illustrated, and/or blueprints.
  - - Outside view of the effigy – in all its glory
  - - Outside view of the effigy, including dimensions
  - - Inside view of the effigy – in all its glory – include any decorations or accoutrements
  - - Inside structural diagrams – including dimensions, thoughts on weight load

- Materials: What is your effigy made out of? Please list all materials used. Including lighting, sound, decorations, wood, screws, etc. Certain items are not allowed to be used in burnable art at Lakes of Fire. (Please view the list of Prohibited Materials.)

- Budget:
  - - $10,000. Please do not make $10,000 your goal if the project does not need it.
  - - Where are you sourcing your materials? Are you buying lumber from Craigslist or bolts from Home Depot? Knowing this information tells us that you’ve done your research. After a full review, we may be able to offer you a more inexpensive alternative to your originally sourced sources. We’ve done this a couple of times.
  - - The Effigy Build Team is required to fill in a GLEA-specific budget form and continually update this budget. Failure to do so in a timely manner could result in a lack of reimbursement. This templated form is part of your Phase 2 submissions process.

- Participation and Interaction potential: We all like to play and climb on things. If your piece has been designed around the elements of participation and/or interaction, please tell us about them.
  - - Include potential safety hazards that might arise from people interacting with your piece and any thoughts you may have regarding minimizing those hazards.
  - - How have you made your piece accessible to our mobility-challenged participants? Are there any features that these community members can access and enjoy? The Effigy and Mobility departments are working on solutions to help people get to the burn pad (that’s the sandy part), but once they are there, how does your piece include them?

- Build Logistics:
  - - Build Plan: Create a schedule based on anticipated milestones
      - Milestone 1: Purchasing of materials
      - Milestone 2: Date you / your team begins using materials
      - Milestone 3: Date of 25% total project completion
      - Milestone 4: Date of 50% total project completion
      - Milestone 5: Date of 75% total project completion
      - Milestone 6: Date of project dry fit
        
        The dry fit date must happen at least two weeks before the piece is transported to LOF to ensure there is enough time to make structural or other changes, if necessary.
        
        The project dry fit date needs to be communicated so that a member of the Effigy Department can inspect the piece for structural stability.
        
        Communicate any changes to this date at least two weeks in advance.
      - Milestone 7: A detailed account of what you will need onsite to build, finish, and open the structure to the public.
  - - On-Site Build Schedule:
      - Prefabricated structural components allow for ease of assembly on site and should be considered in the design and build plan. Ideally, the Effigy will require minimal time to assemble the structural components at the LOF site. The majority of time on site should be budgeted for cladding/finishing, lighting, and decoration.
  - - Build Location: An essential piece of your project is the home in which it will be created. Please tell us a bit about the space, where it is located (address is extra brownie points), and any limitations or benefits you know about with the space.

- Safety Plan: Take a bird’ s-eye view to anticipate how someone of any size might injure themselves while interacting with your piece.
  - - Do changes need to be made to make it safer?
  - - How have you incorporated safety into your design?

- Your Burn Vision: We know what it looks like now but how do you envision it when it burns? How do you envision lighting it? If you don’t have a vision yet, that is OK. FAST (Fire Arts Safety Team) will work with you on this.

- Volunteers (Build, docent, perimeter, LNT): Your project will require various volunteers to help you succeed.
  - - Do you have a volunteer manager? The Effigy department has a Volunteer Coordinator to help you, but who on your team will be their point of contact?
  - - How do you plan on recruiting volunteers?
  - - How will you create space for the general population of Lakes of Fire to help out and create things for the Effigy?

- Flame Effects: We love them, and we know you do, too. All flame effects have to be approved by the Effigy Department. Please tell us in your proposal if you plan to build your own. We will have two 100 lb propane tanks available to fuel your wildest dreams – or at least a couple of poofers! If you choose to have flame effects for your effigy, we will staff volunteers to man them, but someone on your team will need to be available to train them in safe operation. More information will be provided once the design is chosen.

TICKETING SALES INFO AND DATES FOR 2026

Registration for lottery – OPEN! If you are new to Lakes of Fire, go to Volunteeripate (volunteer.lakesoffire.org) and create an account, then register for the lottery.
- Please do not create a new account if you have previously registered with Volunteeripate for Lakes of Fire..
- If you can’t remember which email address you used, you can email tickets@lakesoffire.org for help. We’ll get you sorted!
- You can register for the lottery at any time, even after ticket sales have started.
Volunteer ticket sales: April 1 – April 30
Theme Camp Directed Ticket sales: April 10 – April 30
- The application for Theme Camp tickets is now closed.
- This is not the same as the form for Theme Camp Placement!
Lottery starts: April 20
Fire sale: ???
- We usually have a “fire sale” to sell any tickets that are unsold close to the event.
- These are typical unclaimed lottery tickets and unused org-reserved tickets (art grants and other special needs)
- We’ve always had one … so far. It’s never guaranteed, but the odds are good.

Extensions of time are available for most deadlines, IF you contact us in advance of the deadline – by email – and tell us you would like an extension. We love to help people out! But if the Ticketing Team doesn’t hear from you, your ticket offer might be directed to someone else. As hard as it is (we know!) please don’t be shy and wait until after your deadline has passed. Sadness will happen. And we really, really hate having to write those emails.

TICKETING PROCESS

At Lakes of Fire, we use Volunteeripate (volunteer.lakesoffire.org) as our ticket platform. What does Volunteeripate do for you? Plenty. 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. Additionally, event waivers and forms are handled through Volunteeripate. We are thrilled by the elimination of many tedious manual processes by moving to this smart system. All you need to enter the ticket lottery – or receive your volunteer ticket offer – is to set up an account and complete the registration steps below. Check out the Volunteeripate How-Tos page for tips with early entry, name changes, and more. (Hit a snag? Contact us by emailing tickets@lakesoffire.org and we can help!)

QUICK FACTS

We’ve worked hard to keep Lakes of Fire an affordable event for everyone. Tickets will be $195 for full price and $97.50 for half price, and there will be a small additional fee imposed by our ticketing and processing vendors.
Lakes of Fire, our completely volunteer-run 501(c)(3) event, operates on a tight budget to keep it as accessible as possible — this year’s ticket price has increased slightly due to inflation and rising costs. In facing these challenges, we’re asking for your support to continue fostering art, providing needs-based tickets, supporting local school art programs, and ensuring smooth event operations. Your potentially tax deductible donation*, no matter the size, is a crucial contribution to sustaining the spirit and community of Lakes of Fire. Thank you for considering a gift to help keep our unique flame burning.
Returning Volunteer tickets (for participants who logged eight or more hours at the 2025 event) tickets will be released on April 1st. You’ll have one month to purchase those tickets (until April 30, 11:59pm Eastern time) before they are lost to the mists of time.
General Admission Tickets (anyone else) will be released on April 20th at 4:20 PM in a lottery fashion to users who have opted in to the lottery. If you’re a lucky winner, you will have one week to purchase those tickets before we move on to the next batch of winners.
The purchase deadline is in your offer email. It is exactly one week and zero seconds from the time the offer is sent. Don’t delay! If you miss your purchase window, the ticket offer is gone – it will automatically be offered to a new winner. Ticketing will work with you if you need a deadline extension, but only if you contact us by emailing tickets@lakesoffire.org before your personal deadline.
You must have a Volunteeripate account to purchase your ticket. Log in to check – https://volunteer.lakesoffire.org. For more information on how to do this, go further down this page.

HOW TO REGISTER FOR WITH VOLUNTEERIPATE

Go to https://volunteer.lakesoffire.org
Create your account if you haven’t already. If you had an account from a prior year, use those same details to log in. You can log in either using Google Authentication (if you use Gmail) or by any other email address. Register only ONE email address, or else you may find multiple accounts – along with your hopes of attending – lost in a time vortex.
You will be asked to complete a brief questionnaire. Answer the questionnaire, click “Continue” and you will continue to the “Legal” section.
In the “Legal” section you must agree to the event waiver by checking the boxes next to each section. Then, scroll to the bottom and click the green button to continue.
Your registration is complete. You are now on Volunteeripate and you are entered in the ticket lottery. Congrats! The screen will look like this.
If you’re a returning Volunteeripate user, you can verify your hours from last year’s event. The green button in the upper left is the main menu. Open it and you can see all the parts of Volunteeripate. Straight away, click on Your Dashboard. Look under “Previous Hours” and you should see your total volunteer hours as a single number: the total across all departments, pre-, mid-, and post-burn – all of them for that year. If you’re having trouble verifying your hours or they don’t look right, reach out to volunteers@lakesoffire.org. They can get you sorted.
Check your ticket status. If you don’t have a ticket offer yet, you will see this message when you log in: “You are registered for any upcoming ticket lottery drawings. If you win a ticket through the lottery, an email will be sent to your registered email.” We will be sending out offers in small batches until all available tickets have been purchased. So keep an eye on your email. You never know when your offer might come in. Please feel free to explore Volunteeripate prior to getting your offer, although you can’t sign up for any shifts until you have purchased a ticket. Once you do get your offer…
Purchase your ticket. If you have a ticket offer when you log in, you will see the message “You have a ticket offer! Click here to buy your ticket”. Click the link to go to the checkout process. You will be able to register any minors, buy their tickets, and consider a donation as part of your checkout. Ticket offers are good for exactly 7 days and zero seconds after the send time on your offer email.

TICKETS FOR MINORS

If you have a child or minor family member to bring to Lakes of Fire, you will handle all the registration and ticketing for them on Volunteeripate. After you receive a ticket offer for yourself, you will have a chance to purchase tickets for your minors in Step 2 of the checkout. That step is where we collect information from you, the legal guardian, about your minors:

First and last name (Required)
Date of birth (Required)
Camping location (Required)
Your phone number (Required)
The minor’s phone number (Optional)
A photograph of the child (Optional)
Notes with any added information about them you would like to provide (Optional)

If you’re unsure if your minor family member will be able to join you at Lakes of Fire, you can also purchase minor tickets at a later time. Who sees this information? And how long is it stored? Good question. During ticket checkout for a minor, you will see this information: “All information provided regarding minors is stored securely and can only be accessed by event organizers. This information will only be accessed by Gate at check-in and if you report your child missing during the event. All information regarding minors will be purged from the system after the event. “A minor only needs to be registered once by a legal guardian. Should you wish to add another legal guardian to your registered minor please visit the Your Dashboard link in the menu after completing your ticket registration to add additional legal guardians.”

TICKET TRANSFERS

Ticket Transfers will open for selected ticket types (volunteer, lottery, fire sale (if applicable), and theme camp directed) on April 20, 2026, at 4:20 PM Eastern Time.

A full-price ticket to Lakes of Fire in 2026 is $195, plus ticketing and processing vendor fees.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO..?

… BurnerTickets.com? Or SignUp.com?

We appreciate them for their years of work on our behalf and wish them well. Over the years, GLEA’s information needs have grown enough to support an in-house volunteer and ticket management platform.

… Lottery Groups?

Volunteeripate does not currently support lottery groups. …Volunteer ticket offers? We still offer volunteers tickets for 8+ hours and a half price ticket offer for 16+ hours. That information can be found here.

… the Low Income Ticketing/Discount Ticket program?

It’s the Need Based Ticket program now. You can learn about it on the Need Based Ticket Program page.

… the Directed Theme Camp Ticketing program?

It still exists too. Go on over to the Directed Theme Camp Tickets program to learn more.

… the Minor Registration Form?

This has been brought into Volunteeripate. Please see the Tickets for Minors section for more information.

… the Sound Install/Camp Form?

That form now lives in Volunteeripate.

… Medical Necessity, RV, & Infrastructure Vehicle Registration Application Form?

This has been brought into Volunteeripate. After you receive a ticket offer, you can find the “Medical Necessity Vehicle Permit” and “RVs, Trucks and Trailers” applications under Main Menu > Permits & Applications.