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Everywhen Project announces the 2023 theme: Valley of Spirits!
Ponder civilizations long past and forgotten on an endlessly expansive playa under a big, blue sky. Feel the warm wind, meet fellow travelers, discover camps, dance under the stars and visit the Temple of Spirits at Constellation City 2023 in the Black Rock Desert.
This is a community and arts festival, built by those with imagination and heart. Be sure to join us at our weekend fireworks show for the 4th of July holiday.
June 29th through July 5th, 2023
BLACK ROCK DESERT, NEVADA
12 Mile Entrance (same location as 2021 event)
Tickets from Mojave Beach will be honored at Constellation City 2023.
About Constellation City
Located in Northern Nevada, the Black Rock Desert is a fully exposed, high-desert environment with temperatures that can exceed 105ºF or drop below 60ºF in the evenings. This is a dusty environment, devoid of water and shade, greeting visitors with a flat, horizon-to-horizon expanse called playa.
Born out of Juplaya, Constellation City is built every year in the surreal environment of the Black Rock Desert and is a destination for adventurers, community seekers, and individuals looking for connection. Our city is so named because we believe that each camp and art project is a star in the constellation, a unique and shining point of interest that together creates a larger whole.
One of the defining features of Constellation City is the Art Park, where visitors can experience the city's creative spirit and appreciate the works of talented artists from all over the world. Past works include Time Bandit, King Mahtusahn, The New Religion, Infinite Regression, the Insane Karen Posse, and many others. From the sky, Constellation City will appear as a geoglyph, a nod to the petroglyphs etched into the rocks by our ancestors.
You'll have the opportunity to be a part of a community that values sustainability and reuse, with an emphasis on creating a space that has a minimal impact on the environment. Experience the thrill of hopping onto art cars that breathe fire, the serenity of deep meditation at the temple, the convenience of luxurious porto potties in the desert, and the excitement of a breathtaking fireworks show. You'll also have the chance to explore the geology of the Black Rock Desert, meet new friends and join a tight-knit community, participate in improvisational tall tales, and much more.
Whether you're an adventurer in search of a new experience, an individual looking for community, an artist looking for a home, or someone ready for the next chapter at the Black Rock Desert, Constellation City has something for everyone. Join us in building a temporary city that shines bright with the stars of creativity and camaraderie, and experience the magic of the "Valley of Spirits."
Everywhen's goals for Constellation City is to create a community-built temporary city that will exhibit the art, homesteads and camps of the artists, visitors, dancers, revelers, and campers of the Black Rock Desert. The future expansion plan for the city will take the form of Pleiades, the Seven Sisters asterism, to guide its design. By linking dense, ringed neighborhoods nodes with art parks and grand avenues, we will build an art city that emphasizes intimate experiences.
The Black Rock Desert
Constellation City (CC) will be located on playa in the Black Rock Desert. Playa is bright, dusty, flat and alkaline. The tan-white playa expanse surrounds CC, creating a blank canvas that stretches toward distant rocky mountains. Goggles and masks are highly recommended, as wind storms can kick up dust. Winds gust can exceed 75 miles per hour, necessitating the use of rebar or lag bolts to stake shade, tents and structures to the desert floor.
To survive in this environment, you need to be 100% self-sufficient. There will be NO cell phone service. Be sure to bring enough water (1.5 gallons per person per day), shade, and a place to sleep.
You've seen that Black Rock that is the namesake of the Black Rock Desert, wanna know something more?
During the Paleozoic Era, A piece of the Oceanic Plate with a series of volcanic island chains collided with and accreted to the western edge of the North American Plate. This newly attached land contained volcanic rocks inter-laced with oceanic sediments, such as the black limestone of the Black Rock. These rocks now make up or underlie much of northwestern Nevada, including the Black Rock, Pine Forest, and Jackson Ranges. The Black Rock itself, the namesake of the desert, is a piece of an ancient island chain.
From far away its black color fools the eye. It looks like basalt, but the Black Rock is really made up of fingers of volcanic rocks and limestone, remnants of those transported island chains. Many fossils of wood, plants, marine animals pigs, and horses from 15 million years ago have been found. The most exciting discovery has been the 2 mammoth skeletons! They can be viewed at the Humboldt County Museum and in the Nevada State Museum in Carson City.
Records have been made in The Black Rock Desert such as:
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In 1983, Richard Noble drove the jet-powered Thrust2 car to a new record of 634.015 mph (breaking a world land speed record)
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In 1997, ThrustSSC driven by Andy Green became the world's first, and so far, the only supersonic car, reaching 763.035 mph
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On November 23, 1996, the Reaction Research Society launched a rocket to 50 miles in altitude, a significant leap in amateur rocket altitude records at the time.
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On May 17, 2004, the Civilian Space eXploration Team (CSXT) launched a rocket to 72 miles in altitude, which was the first amateur rocket to exceed the 62.14-mile
Fun history fact:
In World War II, 973 sq mi of the Black Rock Desert was used for a USAAF aerial gunnery training range, and post-war, the north region of the United States Navy's Lovelock Aerial Gunnery Range was in the Black Rock Desert area. (the Black Rock Desert Gunnery Range had closed by 1964).
Weather
The weather at Black Rock Desert can be extremely hot, with some days exceeding 100ºF. However, as with any desert, one should be prepared for cold, fall-like days and chilly (or warm!) nights. Wind gusts carry dense dust, sometimes causing white-out conditions. Be prepared with goggles and a dust mask! Large dust devils can quickly trash your camp; use rebar or lag bolts to safely secure your gear.
If there is rain, do not drive your vehicle! When wet, playa will bind to moving wheels, quickly immobilizing vehicles. Stay away from dark-tinted (wet) playa. Beware of standing water and exercise awareness of power cables.
RECOMMENDED GEAR
For a more complete list, please check out Lillith's Playa Checklist.
SHELTER: As an exposed desert environment without natural shelter, we recommend an RV, trailer, or a tent. Whenever possible, we suggest keeping vehicles nearby or upwind of structures to provide additional wind protection. Lag Bolts, 16" or longer and chain are the recommended ground anchors for keeping things secure in the playa.
WARMTH: The desert may get chilly at night, or stay warm - it's anyone's guess. A propane fire pit with grill doubles as a cooking fire and a way to keep warm. If having fire, keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Gloves, hats, jackets, and boots are recommended for nightwear. Before going to bed, tossing a few air-activated heat packs into your sleeping bag will help keep you warm through the night.
PROTECTION: Goggles, face/dust mask, boots and long socks are suggested for minimizing skin drying due to contact with the alkaline playa. Ear plugs help with reducing noise when sleeping. When out and about at night, a headlamp or glowing lights will help you keep footing and visible to others.
EQUIPMENT: Jumper cables for the vehicle, and consider using solar panels for recharging batteries and powering camps.