See photos from Burning Man-inspired Summer Spark event
By Xavier Mascareñas and
Alie Skowronski
The Black Rock Desert, traditional venue for the Burning Man festival, is taking a break this year because of the coronavirus. But that’s not going to stop these Sacramento-area burners.
As a substitute, they devised Sacramento Spark, a two-night drive-thru event at 2300 Mine Shaft Lane in Rancho Cordova featuring art and culture transported from Burning Man. The second night of the event starts at 7 p.m. and concludes at midnight.
“We came up with this idea to do a drive-thru experience to be able to keep people in their cars the entire time, but still be able to see some of these amazing art pieces that we’ve brought here,” said Ed Fletcher, president of Sacramento Valley Spark, a nonprofit founded to support to local artists and the burner community. “I don’t know anybody that’s ever done a kind of Burning Man drive-thru.”
Drop-in admission tickets are $30.
Ten-year-old Orion Woods, of Dixon, who has been to the Burning Man festival five times with his family, plays with a lightsaber while staying close to his mother, Sachi Woods, and the “Unicorner” camp’s display at the Summer Spark drive-thru festival on Friday, July 24, 2020, on Mine Shaft Lane in Rancho Cordova. “Since I haven’t left the house in months, this was an excuse to dress up,” said Sachi Woods. “So I can represent my camp and all my unicorn-y friends.” The two-night event concluded Saturday and featured a number of art elements from the 2019 Burning Man festival. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Eliza Maroney, center, of Sacramento, sings and interacts with viewers in the Sonic Brainwash, alongside her husband, Luke Maroney, Alexa Jesse and Sean Stillwell, during the Summer Spark drive-thru art event Friday, July 24, 2020, on Mine Shaft Lane in Rancho Cordova. The Burning Man festival-inspired event lasted two nights. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Artists, viewers and burners participate in the Summer Spark drive-thru festival, inspired by Burning Man, on Friday, July 24, 2020, on Mine Shaft Lane in Rancho Cordova. The Burning Man-inspired event lasted two nights. Xavier Mascareñas xmascarenas@sacbee.com
Lisa Ferguson, front, and her husband, Robert, set up their “Bee or Not to Bee” sculpture at Summer Spark, a nighttime drive-thru festival inspired by Burning Man, at the Mine Shaft Center in Rancho Cordova on Friday, July 24, 2020. The sculpture was displayed at Burning Man in 2019. Alie Skowronski askowronski@sacbee.com
Summer Spark organizer Ed Fletcher rests inside the Sonic tent at the nighttime drive-thru festival inspired by Burning Man at the Mine Shaft Center in Rancho Cordova on Friday, July 24, 2020. Alie Skowronski askowronski@sacbee.com
Sachi, left, and Danny set up the Unicorner camp at Summer Spark, a nighttime drive-thru festival inspired by Burning Man, at the Mine Shaft Center in Rancho Cordova on Friday, July 24, 2020. Alie Skowronski askowronski@sacbee.com
James Leis, left, and his wife, Lisa, sit in the Cuddle Puddle with their dog Bugsy at Summer Spark, a nighttime drive-thru festival inspired by Burning Man, at the Mine Shaft Center in Rancho Cordova on Friday, July 24, 2020. They usually have a camp at Burning Man called Roasted Breaux and Coffee Heaux, which includes a cuddle puddle. They are the only ones using it at the drive-thru due of coronavirus concerns. Alie Skowronski askowronski@sacbee.com
This story was originally published July 25, 2020 at 3:26 PM.
