Most festival and events that now have attracted many people began in a different way. In 1986, two men discussed a way that would be a ritual for self-expression. John Law and Michael Mikel were the two men who began this event in another location than where it was today. In 1986, it was first burned on Baker Beach.
This is located in San Francisco. They decided to burn a wooden man to symbolize this ritual. Over time, the event would grow and change. It always included the self-expression through art, but the location changed to Nevada and it is in the desert. Others started to help Law and Mikel with their idea and moved to another location by these other contributors.