Burning Man is a festival that happens every year at Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. It lasts a week, and it starts on the last Monday in August, and ends on the first Monday in September (which is also Labor Day in the U.S.). The festival is called Burning Man because a large wood sculpture of a man is set on fire on Saturday. The festival has been happening every year since 1990. Many people go to Burning Man; in 2012, over 55,000 people were there. The Black Rock desert is far from any cities or towns, and is very dry, so people who go to Burning Man have to bring their own water, food, and shelter. 