BLACK ROCK CITY, Nevada — The gates are open, the dust is swirling and art is erupting from the desert floor: Burning Man is officially underway.
Thousands of people began flooding through the entrance gates at midnight for the annual event in which participants create Black Rock City from scratch in the desert about 80 miles north of Reno.
Burning Man, a weeklong event focused on radical self-expression, participation, communal effort and civic responsibility, is expected to draw approximately 70,000 people this year. Attendees are responsible for managing their own food, water and shelter…