The Rusty Iris on the Playa at Burning Man

After four years of building, we were thrilled to drive The Rusty Iris on the playa at Burning Man 2025! (To learn more about our process for getting licensed to drive on the playa at Burning Man, see this post.)

What do we mean by "the playa"?

Burning Man is held every year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, on a dried-up lakebed. A dried-up lakebed is called a "playa".

Because the playa dust is alkaline, it is corrosive. That means it messes with engines, electronics, skin, and almost anything else. To care for our feet, we had to wash them in vinegar-water to neutralize the ph.

The good news is that playa dust is so fine that it isn't gritty. So when it covers your entire kitchen and you find it settled at the bottom of your coffee cup, you're like "Eh, well at least it isn't gritty. Slurp."

The playa is gorgeous. Especially at sunrise. (You saw the playa at sunrise because of course you were up all night on the playa.)

The playa at the center of the City is reserved for art and art cars. This is where the Man is situated, and the Temple, and most of the art. Look for future blog posts about art and art cars on the playa.

One of the reasons Kirk wanted to build an art car is so that he could have - and provide - transportation on the playa. Cause it's BIG!

Rusty gave us - and other burners - rides around the playa so we could see the art during the day and at night.