Burning Man, the annual do-it-yourself campingfest that is an ode to creative destruction and survival, will take place Aug. 26 through Sept. 4 in Black Rock Desert, Nev.

The event has grown from a gathering on the beach in San Francisco to an annual desert festival in a temporary city 100 miles north of Reno. It does not actively publicize itself, but has grown by word of mouth and especially via the Web.

This year, after tickets sold out almost instantly, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management gave permission to bump up the number of people allowed at the site. The biggest crowd yet — an estimated 60,900 people, 10,000 more than last year — will be on the "playa," as Burning Man calls it. ("Playa" is a Spanish term used for "dry lake" in the American Southwest.)

Participants, who pay $400 to $600 for tickets, are expected to provide all of their own necessities and leave no trace of their stay. Many attend as part of creative camps, bringing or creating elaborate art structures, providing entertainment and sharing what they have brought with others.

Are you going?

If you’ll be at Burning Man and are from Hawaii or have other local ties, email TGIF editor Elizabeth Kiesz­kow­ski at ekiesz­kow­ski@star­adver­tiser.com.

She will be attending Burning Man for the first time and will blog from the event at hono­lulu­pulse.com.