Event Info (Category)

Playa del Fuego is in Tamaqua, PA.
GPS 40.777480 -76.02282, Coal Creek Ranch

From Tamaqua, PA get on South 209
2 miles – Right on Piersol St
Left onto Old 209
Entrance is 1/2 mile on the right

Playa del Fuego Leadership

Let us know if you’re interested in a PDF Leadership position on the Leadership Interest Form

There is a section below on general coordinator and lead responsibilities. Also, you can check out the Department Descriptions page for more detailed departmental descriptions and find what most excites you.

TL;DR Coordinators/Leads are responsible for all aspects of their department: before, during, and after the event. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Familiarity with the department
• Ability to delegate responsibilities to a team of co-coordinators and/or assistant coordinators, as the coordinator sees fit
• Prepare all required documentation for the department including a department Afterburn Report, updating and maintaining a department operations document, and department inventory, as well as any department specific documentation such as safety plan, city map, parking guide, how-to guidelines, etc.
• Agree to sign and adhere to the Social Media Agreement
• Prepare for and participate in event organizational meetings
• Develop volunteer schedule and recruit volunteers to fulfill department responsibilities
• Manage, document, train, and prepare department volunteers as needed, including before and during the event (per department needs)
• Fill vacant volunteer shifts when efforts to fill the shift have failed
• Create and manage Departmental Budget and submitting it on time
• Acquire budget items and assure their transportation to the event
• Maintain budget receipts and submit them to the Finance Liaison/Treasurer in a timely manner for reimbursement
• Save the organization money whenever possible
• Communicate and collaborate with event leadership, the FirePony board, and other department coordinators/leads as needed
• Read and participate in the event email distribution list and organizational communications in a timely manner
• Use online tools and resources such as email, mail-lists, Google Docs and calendars, Zoom, and Slack to communicate and manage tasks for the event
• Be onsite pre-event and post-event to set up and break down your department, as needed per department. Basic infrastructure is provided by the Department of Public Work (DPW)
• Prepare and submit an After-Burn report for your department within the timeframe given
• Coordinators attending the event must provide proof of COVID vaccination as required by all attendees

Note: Community members that have been removed from a prior volunteer position or have been banned from attending any FirePony event at any time are not eligible to participate as a Coordinator or Department Lead

Volunteering Outside the Event

Playa del Fuego doesn’t just need onsite volunteers. We need help year-round in planning and coordinating this event. If you are interested in serving the PDF community outside the burn, here are some current opportunities to participate.

Purchasing Tickets

IMPORTANT: Ensure you have registered for an account at peacock.firepony.org

• Confirm or create your ticket account prior to ticket sale events. You will need to be logged in before entering the queue.
• Due to Ticket demand, all participants that are in queue at the time of ticket sale opening will be randomized and assigned the order in which the tickets are purchased so all participants have equal opportunity to obtain tickets. The fastest computer does not win. Don’t be late!
• Tickets will not be sold or transferred by volunteers at the gate. All tickets must be transferred with waivers signed before admission will be granted.

Buying Group Tickets:

Purchasers in the Ticket Sale may buy up to 4 adult tickets per sale.

• Purchasers will be prompted to complete a waiver that applies to all tickets until extra tickets are transferred and claimed by other adults. See waiver information below.
• Purchasers who buy more than one ticket will need to transfer all tickets to the Peacock account of the participant using the ticket so that they can sign the waiver (except minors, whose tickets should remain on their parent/guardian’s Peacock account).
• Ticket Transfers must be completed before admission will be granted.

Transferring Tickets

Reminder: DO NOT resell tickets for more than the price you paid for them! Any tickets found to be resold for more than the $90 purchase price will be void and reseller may be publicly shamed.

• Gifting & Transferring of tickets must take place before tickets can be used for admission.
• Transferees must have a Peacock account to receive the transferred ticket and sign the waiver.
• Confirm correct spelling of email that a ticket will be transferred to, or it will be transferred to the incorrectly spelled account.

If you run into any issues, contact tickets@playadelfuego.org

IMPORTANT – Do NOT transfer tickets to minors. Tickets for minors should stay on the account of their parent/guardian so that they can sign a minor waiver.

Waivers

Note: All adult participants are required to sign the online PDF waiver form prior to the event

The ticketing system will prompt you to sign the waiver during the purchase process and when claiming a transferred ticket.

• This waiver is a legally binding document and must reflect accurate details about the adult participant including legal first and last name and address as reflected on your ID.
  A valid ID consists of:
  • A valid photo driver’s license issued by the PA Department of Transportation or any other state
  • A valid photo identification card issued by the PA Department of Transportation or any other state
  • A valid Armed Forces ID card containing the holder’s photograph
  • A valid passport, passport card or travel visa containing the holder’s photograph
• Upon entry at the gate, participants are required to show a valid legal ID matching the name and ID number on the signed waiver.
• No copies or other reproductions will be accepted at the gate; only a valid legal ID matching a signed waiver are accepted.

Reserve Tickets

Dates for the Reserve Ticket sale are listed at the top of the ticketing page.

• Reserve tickets are held for purchase for the following folks:
  • current year’s Art Grant recipients
  • participants who registered for the prior year’s Volunteer Ticket Reserve Program
  • PDF department coordinators, assistant coordinators, coordinators-in-training, etc.
  • members of the Board of Directors of FirePony Creative Society
  • people to fill key skilled volunteer roles by arrangement with department coordinators
• Participants with reserved tickets will have access to a Reserve Tickets sale after Round 1.
• Reserve ticket holders will receive an email with instructions for purchase.
• All reserve tickets not purchased by the end of reserve sales are forfeited and added to the pool of tickets available for purchase in Round 2 of open sales.

Tickets for Minors

All minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

• Children 12 and younger are free, but require a $0 “Minor Ticket” be added to their parent/guardian’s Peacock account
• Minors ages 13 – 17 require a regular adult ticket
• Minors are defined as being under 18 at the time they come through the gate.
• Participants under 18 require a parent or legal guardian to sign a minor waiver in Peacock for each individual

2026 RIDE Ticket application deadline: Sunday, February 15^th, 2026

Art Grant application deadline- Sunday, February 15^th, 2026

2025 Onsite Ice Sales

Where: At the Ice Truck

Price: $3 per 7lb bag

Payment thru PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit/debit card, etc.; NO CASH

When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday; 11-noon and 5-6

Playa del Fuego, also known as PDF, is a Mid-Atlantic Regional Burning Man Event.

Playa del Fuego is an experiment in collaborative community building, featuring art, music, and a culture of play. This community is created by volunteers working together utilizing the Ten Principles of Burning Man as our guide. There are no spectators at Playa del Fuego; everyone collaborates in some way to create the event. It’s a place for radical self-expression, acceptance, inclusivity, and respect.

PDF is a sincere experiment in creating a gift economy. There are no concession stands. No cash transactions are permitted at Playa del Fuego. Even bartering is discouraged. If you need something, ask for it. If you have something, gift it! Note: Ice Sales and Re-Entry Passes are available to purchase onsite via credit or debit card sales only.

Porta potties and firewood are available on site and are included in your ticket price. There are no garbage cans: everyone is responsible for packing out their garbage. Leave No Trace is a Burning Man Principle.

PDF began with about 20 east coast residents who were preparing to make their first journey to Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and wanted to get together a little closer to home to celebrate the spirit of the event. They joined together on the beach of Assateague Island on Maryland’s coast on August 1st, 1998. In the spring of 2001, Playa Del Fuego had grown so much that a new site was needed to accommodate all the participants and it moved to Flemings Landing, DE. In 2018, Playa del Fuego found a new home in Tamaqua, PA where it remains today. PDF is a 100% volunteer-run event, with volunteers administering art grants, managing parking, facilitating workshops, handling ticket sales, and so much more.