The total solar eclipse has earned its own Burning Man-like festival.
About 30,000 eclipse-chasers descended on Big Summit Prairie, Oregon, last week to camp, dance, and make cosmic connections at the Oregon Eclipse Festival, a weeklong tribute to the August 21 eclipse. It’s possibly the biggest and most remote of eclipse gatherings in the US.
Thirteen festival promoters from around the world joined forces to organize the festival, which took on a Burning Man flavor with its art installations, workshops, and seven concert stages. Tickets sold out, but all-week passes were reselling on StubHub for $285 per person.
We scoured Instagram for the best photos inside Oregon Eclipse Festival.
Oregonians were treated to one of the best viewings of the total solar eclipse — when the moon crosses between the Earth and the sun and blocks out the sun's light — on August 21.
Big Summit Prairie, a giant, privately owned clearing in the crown of the Ochoco Mountains, was the perfect setting for the country's biggest and most remote eclipse gathering. Festival organizers chose the idyllic spot for itshigh likelihood of clear skies.
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The first-ever Oregon Eclipse Festival was the result of a perfect storm: speakers, artists, and over 400 musical acts (mostly electronica) coming together in the path of the eclipse.
The property owner agreed to rent 300 acres of land and provide much of the machinery used to move earth, widen roads, and build the seven stages for the weeklong event.
Big Summit Prairie is accessed by narrow, two-lane roads, which made traffic a nightmare. A gridlock on August 16, the day before the festival began, set a traffic record for the region.
Source: The Oregonian
An estimated 30,000 eclipse-chasers attended the sold-out event.
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Like Burning Man, the Oregon Eclipse Festival offered a variety of accommodations at different prices. Camping was free, and spots were available first-come, first-serve.
Camping in a vehicle, like a car or a RV, required an additional fee.
Luxury camping, or "glamping," sites included a queen-size bed, battery-powered lights, complimentary drinks at the time of guests' arrival, and access to a shared lounge.
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A reservation for two in glamping accommodations cost $1,750.
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We hope there were enough Port-A-Potties to accommodate all 30,000 guests.
Of course, festival-goers wanted to spend as little time indoors as possible.
Over 400 musical acts performed. "There's more music than one person could even possibly fathom," Kevin KoChen, a co-creator of the festival, told radio station OPB.
Source: OPB
Like Burning Man, the Oregon Eclipse Festival featured larger-than-life art installations.
Many of the installations evoked a steampunk meets "Mad Max: Fury Road" vibe.
This installation was made from recycled materials.
The photo opportunities were seemingly endless.
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Of course, it wouldn't be a music festival without bold fashion.
These costumers looked like they were headed for a masquerade ball.
In case you left your faux fur jacket or leotard at home, you could buy apparel on site.
People got into the festival-spirit with glow-in-the-dark body paint and "biodegradable glitter," courtesy of Rachel Deboer, a professional body-painter with a booth set up.
And after dancing their hearts out, attendees could cool off in the lake.
Gratitude was a core principle of the Oregon Eclipse Festival — similar to Burning Man. Attendees left offerings at the "Fruit Altar" to show their appreciation for the earth.
When the time came for the total solar eclipse viewing, festival-goers put on their protective glasses, which were included in the cost of admission.
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They parked a spot under the open sky.
... And they took in one of the country's most spectacular views of the eclipse.
We'll continue to update this post as the festival unfolds.
Send us your best photos from the Oregon Eclipse Festival at [email protected].
