Virtual del Fuego 2.0

Memorial Day Weekend 2021
Fri. May 28, 2021 6pm et - Mon. May 31, 2021 3pm et

What is Virtual del Fuego (VDF)? 

For those who missed it last year, VDF is a FREE sanctioned Burning Man REGIONAL with a unique BURNER BUILT website that captures the NEIGHBORHOOD FEEL of a physical burn. Participants can move from CAMP TO CAMP and share all sorts of things: interactive art, dance parties, workshops, games, dramatic reenactments of events from burns past, virtual tours of "PORTAPOTTIES of the Rich and Famous."  This year, the VDF web team is bringing updates and INNOVATIONS  -including ART GRANTS- for an even better virtual BURN EXPERIENCE! 
 
VDF is Offering Art Grants! 

VDF is offering Art Grants, including an EFFIGY Art Grant!  You can DREAM BIG but also you can DREAM SMALL! The Art Grant Committee is pleased to offer $50.00 microgrants to ART UP YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE! Make a fancy hat! Or a costume! Or use fabric or paint to decorate your background! Fire up that hot glue gun and get your imagination going - VDF wants to SEE Your ART!

APPLY for an ART GRANT here:  virtual.playadelfuego.org/art-grants

VDF Volunteer Hours Count towards PDF Volunteer Reserve Ticket Program!

Join the VDF TEAM of RANGERS, SANCTUARY, and PLAYA INFO and have those hours count towards a RESERVED TICKET for the next PLAYA DEL FUEGO, tentatively assumed for Memorial Day Weekend 2022.  All volunteers will be REQUIRED to attend PRE-EVENT TRAINING for their respective departments to be held mid-May.  Training hours do not count towards the Reserved Ticket Program. 

SIGN UP to VOLUNTEER here: virtual.playadelfuego.org/volunteer 

Coming Soon!

The VDF Website!
The Artery Submissions 
Theme Camp Registration
What Where When Submissions
Art Placement Application

Note:  please used the links within this article and not website applications!

After a Community and Planning Committee vote on Feb. 16, 2021, the consensus is that Playa del Fuego 2021 will not be held as a physical event due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

As we all know, vaccines are rolling out and the pandemic landscape shifts day to day.  Unfortunately, this was a decision that could not be delayed as PDF needed to notify the landlord of our intentions regarding PDF 2021 as soon as possible.  

A proposal was received to cancel PDF 2021 and the new voting process was engaged. 

As a result of that vote, PDF 2021 has been canceled.  Please know, it breaks our hearts to cancel for the 2nd time.

Thank you to all the community members who took the time to participate in the vote!

The results from the open community vote were 46 Yay in favor of canceling and 22 Nay to go forward with planning the event. Under the newly instated Planning Committee voting rules, the Community vote is a simple majority of the votes cast and counts as 1 vote. 

The decision was made official during the Feb. 16, 2021 Planning Committee live vote with a final vote tally of 16 Yay, 0 Nay, and 2 Abstain. 

The PDF Planning Committee has received a proposal to Cancel PDF 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

This proposal item that will go to a live vote on a Zoom call on Feb. 16, 2021 at 7 pm et.  The community is invited to watch the live vote at https://zoom.us/j/666258919

The item is a simple YEA or NAY vote to cancel PDF 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

YEA to cancel PDF.  NAY to go forward holding an event.  

As we all know vaccines are rolling out and the pandemic landscape shifts day to day.  

PDF needs to notify our landlord and vendors (firewood, ice, porto-potties etc.) of our intentions regarding PDF 2021 as soon as possible.  

Going forward with an event in Tamaqua will require additional considerations and will require community members to fill vacant roles.   In addition, PDF will adhere to all federal, state, and local laws and protocols surrounding quarantines, masks, handwashing, and occupancy for outdoor gatherings.  A summary of considerations can be found on the voting form. 

Community members can vote here:  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiJQEDApxH9Q60zSTz9qTumogYHQPBJ9zb39EPAffI2FjFgw/viewform  

The voting period is open until Feb. 16th at 3 PM ET.  Please see the below article for details on the new voting process.

Playa del Fuego 2020 may have been cancelled but the Planning Committee (aka “the PC”) has been busy!  Recently, we voted to update the Proposal Voting Process - and yes - that means we voted on how to vote!  

As PDF is uniquely community driven, it was imperative that the new Voting Process include a way for the Community voice to be heard.  

Voting Process Details:

Why Was The Process Changed?  The prior process did not provide flexibility for all department leads to participate.  The new process allows for absentee voting for department leads and targets those impacted by the proposal's change.  

Who Can Vote?  Current department coordinators and leads (primary, assistant, and co-), two board members, and one community vote.  The single community vote is determined by a simple majority of the public vote.

What Items Go For Vote?   Proposals are for items large scale items that impact all departments. 

Where Do I Vote?  The community will vote using a google form available on this website, department leads and board members may vote during the live vote on the designated PC call or cast an absentee vote by email. 

When Do I Vote?  After the proposal is discussed, finalized, and determined to be ready for vote in a PC call, the community will be notified shortly thereafter and the voting period will stay open until 4 hours before the next scheduled PC call, which will call for the vote

How Will I Be Notified Of The Vote?  Through the Burning Poney Express newsletter ("BPE") and on the website http://playadelfuego.org   The item will also be announced on the PDF Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/playadelfuego as a post of the newsletter announcing the vote.  Vote result will be announced in a BPE.

Not getting the newsletter?  Check your spam or promotions folder or sign up here:  http://playadelfuego.org/content/burning-pony-express

Just like always, Communal Effort and Participation came together on Memorial Day weekend to create a temporary community that celebrates Immediacy and Self-Expression and which has now disappeared into the past, Leaving No Trace.

virtual.playadelfuego.org has dissipated into the digital cloud from whence it came, and we would like to thank all those who participated by signing in, making a pony, sharing your art, joining discussions, playing trivia, shenannying shenanigans, and everything else!  THANK YOU!

Now we are asking that you Participate again by telling us about your VDF experience!

When did you attend?  What worked for you?  What didn't work for you?  This is your chance to congratulate or complain in a constructive way!
 

Thank you Survey is closed. 

virtual.playadelfuego.org

Virual del Fuego is a sanctioned Burning Man Regional Burn running from Friday May 22, 2020 at 6 PM ET - Sunday May 23, 2020 at Midnight ET.

Please be patient with the website. We're still busy testing and putting the finishing touches to make the website ready for Friday's gate opening at 6:00 PM ET.

You'll be able to create a login and get properly greeted then!

All the refunds that were able to be completed are done! 

There are a handful of could not be completed for various reasons, and attempts have been made to contact those involved.  

If you are expecting a refund and did not recieve one, please email caitlin@firepony.org  to get it sorted out. 

For the curious, the ticket stats are:  

67.2% requested a refund
29.3% kept their tickets for 2021
3.5% donated their ticket money to cover expenses - THANK YOU!

Friday 5/15/2020 8 PM ET

Our wonderful web team has been busting their butts building an all-new website for VDF! Thank youz!

Now the web team needs YOU!  We invite everyone to a site demo and VDF Q&A this Friday!!  Find out what VDF is all about, see how the website will work, and ask all your questions to those who are making this happen! 

The web team is hoping for a decent turnout via video stream in order to put the server through its paces while giving everyone the opportunity see the website functionality.  There's only one week until the event!!!   Fire up those web cams and join us for some fun!

Y'all wanted Early Entry, right? Now's your chance!

Update:  Demo went great and as a result we made a beefy server even beefier!  Thank you to everyone who participated!

This year the WWW (What Where When) will actually involve websites!

Submissions are now being accepted for any sort of event you can dream up. You can: 

• grab a one hour timeslot on the Main Stage (all ages) or Backstage (18+)
• create your own Immediacy Room on the when you need it (good for longer events, or super short ones)
• host an event in your Theme Camp's room (apply for one here)
• provide a link to an external website ( Facebook Live, Zoom, etc.) where you will host an event

Submit your VDF shenanigans HERE. 

Event Submissions close on Firday 5/22/2020 at Noon ET