The Burning Man festival started as a gathering held on San Francisco’s Baker Beach to mark the 1986 summer solstice.
On June 22nd, 1986, Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a 9-foot wooden human effigy they built at the northern end of Baker Beach, in the presence of a small group of friends. While the beach was already a place for summer solstice bonfires, this event attracted increasing public interest and was held annually until 1989, when some 350 people attended.
By 1990, its growth and a lack of permits led to the event moving to Nevada where it continues to be held annually, albeit on a larger scale.
