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

Theme Camps that would like pre-made Jitsi rooms featured directly on the new VDF website should apply for a Theme Camp Room. 

Integrated VDF Theme Camp rooms will be available all weekend, and can be either All Ages or 18+.  Camps are welcome to get one of each.  

Jitsi rooms are similar to "Zoom rooms", but free and open-source.  A dedicated web team is attempting to build something new, a virtual neighborhood of room-spaces for communal interactions, as opposed to "broadcast" virtual events on platforms such as Facebook Live or Twitch.   Participants who want to use platforms other than Jitsi will be able to provide links in their event description on the calendar of events (coming soon!) however those links will be outside the VDF virtual neighborhood.  

Theme Camps are encouraged to be creative in managing their virtual spaces, both during events and for downtime.  Oh, won't you be my virtual neighbor?

Sign up for your Theme Camp space here. 

Theme Camp Applications close Friday 5/22/2020 at Noon ET

Greeters!  We welcome all participants into our online community with charm, shenanigans & complete clear chaos! We are the sexy reporters who give up juicy details of ongoing events, how to use the platform, and educate our wonderful Burning Man Principles. We set the mood....bring it!

Sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084dadab2ea5fd0-greeters

Sanctuary!  VDF Sanctuary is a place where we can come to feel held, to feel heard, to feel seen, to feel safe. The VDF Sanctuary team acknowledges that times have been rough for many of us, and that spaces of healing are needed. We are a passionate group of volunteers that love lovingpeople. We are friends holding space for friends and wish to love others in all the right places.

Sign up here:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084dadab2ea5fd0-sanctuary

Moderangers!  Not quite a moderator, not quite a ranger, but a new MODERANGER!  Experienced Rangers are wanted to hang out in Moderanger HQ or to bounce from room to room to help de-FLAME online conflict and look for lurkers in 18+ rooms.  

Sign up via email:  moderanger@firepony.org 

The VDF Vision

The FirePony community is very excited to bring you Virtual Del Fuego, a free virtual and communal burn space to be held on a new website Memorial Day Weekend!!   The VDF website will be a blank canvas for participants to express themselves, with a calendar of events and access to a variety of "Jitsi" video-stream and chat rooms such as Center Camp (general chat), the Backfield (adult chat), Open Camping, Sanctuary, and Theme Camps room(s).   Theme Camps are encouraged to apply for their own room(s) to create and share art, content, and host events all weekend long!  

The Platform

VDF is using an open source platform called Jitsi which is similar to the ubiquitous “zoom room” we have all gotten to know.  Integrated Jitsi rooms will provide infrastructure rooms andTheme Camp rooms.   Open Camping rooms will be available for participants not affiliated with a Theme Camp to schedule and host events.  The Jitsi App is available to download from Google Play and the App Store so you can burn on the go.  Participants that want to use a different platform are encouraged to schedule events and share their links to whatever platform they prefer.  The VDF website will be Gravatar compatible. 

Theme Camps

Theme Camps should start planning NOW.  Theme Camp applications will be open soon!  At VDF, Theme Camps that have applied will have a website-integrated Jitsi room(s) waiting for them to access and use throughout the weekend.  Theme Camps are encouraged to hold various events and be creative with your camp downtime (start creating those playlists and background images now!).  Theme Camps will want to provide an image to identify their camp room(s) on the website. 

Open Camping  

Multiple open camping rooms will be available for scheduling events for participants who are not part of a theme camp.   Other rooms will include Center Camp, Backfield, Sanctuary, Greeters, and Moderanger HQ.  And any other rooms the community can think up!  

Volunteers Needed!

Volunteer schedules will be coming soon for Greeters, Moderangers, and Sanctuary!   Department leads needed!!  Express your Interested in joining the team by emailing smiles@playadelfeugo.org

The Pony

On Saturday afternoon there will be a “Build Your Own Pony” event using whatever you have in the house (toilet paper rolls, anyone?) and a Communal Pony Burning at 0:dark30!

NO SOUND POLICY

Sound camps can rage it as loud and as long as they want!!!

Watch this space for more VDF information Coming Soon!

Refunds are expected to start going out this week!

All ticket holders will have between 3/31/2020 and 4/15/2020 to choose an option for their purchased ticket(s) and re-entry passes.  After signing in to the Ticketing website and clicking on My Tickets, ticket holders will have the option to:

• REFUND  A PayPal refund will be sent to the email address currently attached to the ticket.
• PRE-PAID  Keep the ticket as a pre-paid ticket to Playa del Fuego 2021
• DONATE  Donate the ticket to Playa del Fuego to help offset some of the charges incurred prior to cancelation
• DO NOTHING  You will be sent a PayPal refund to the email address currently attached to the ticket.  

All refunds will be processed after April 15th.  Please be patient, each ticket needs to be processed manually. 

See the Ticket Refund Process FAQ for further details. 

One of the principles held closely by the Burning Man community is Civic Responsibility and the FirePony Creative Society board assumes responsibility for the public welfare of our participants while at one of our events.  And so, it is with great sadness that we inform you that on Monday March 23, 2020 the FirePony board unanimously voted to cancel Playa del Fuego 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Please refer to Coronavirus COVID-19 Update #3 for the full communication, including ticket refund options, volunteer reserve tickets, and art grants.  

While the cancellation is a great loss, there is also great hope and optimism for PdF 2021.  We received a record number of art grant submissions for PdF 2020 and we are hopeful that there will be new inspirations for artists in 2021 resulting in double the art and double the fun!  We plan to use this time to tackle some of the long term projects that seem to get put off year after year and we are confident that Playa del Fuego 2021 will be the shiniest, most art filled, most inclusive PdF yet! 

03.11.2020 Update #1 from FPCS 

03.16.2020 Update #2 from FPCS

03.24.2020 Update # 3 from FPCS