Andy Barron / Reno Gazette-Journal
People gather around the Trojan Horse as it is pulled across the “playa” at the Burning Man festival in Gerlach, Nev., on Friday, Sept. 2, 2011.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 | 2:48 p.m.
Southern Nevada is already fighting Northern Nevada over education funding, university money and road projects this session. Now add Burning Man to the list.
After a presentation on the economic activity, charitable giving and cultural development that the giant counter-culture art festival in the Black Rock Desert generates for Northern Nevada, Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, had a question for the event's organizers.
"We have a lot of dry lake beds in Southern Nevada," Parks said. "Have you ever contemplated, perhaps... off I-15, we've got the Ivanpah Lakebed."
The lobbyists at the table before Parks' committee didn't exactly commit to moving south. But lobbyist Tom Clark noted that the desert outside of Las Vegas used to be home to a regional event that ended up growing too big and ultimately had to cancel when the federal government started asking for an event fee.
"It is definitely bringing people into our state," Clark said.
The Burning Man festival typically draws about 60,000 celebrants to the desert north of Reno. By one estimate, the event generates $30 million in economic activity for the region.
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