Midwest Burners

Submitted by TaraByte

Event Information

Event Description

InterFuse brings the spirit of Burning Man into the heart of the Midwestern United States with a yearly four-day experiment in intentional community. It kicks off the season for the 4 burns under the Midwest Burners umbrella. Interfuse is the largest burn in Missouri, and we host on a Shriners camp ground with some already existing infrastructure.

This year Interfuse had 852 people for an intentional community camping event.
835 attendees were adults and 17 under 18yoa. 

Theme

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Theme Description

Step into a realm where the line between light and shadow blurs, and nature’s secrets come to life under the moon’s enchanting glow. We invite you to explore the duality of existence as you wander through a tapestry of benevolent blossoms and mysterious foliage. Engage in botanical rituals that explore the interplay of good and evil within the natural world, where thorns coexist with velvety softness, and vibrant colors mask hidden intentions.

From the industrious buzz of bees collecting nectar in the daytime to the nocturnal symphony of crickets and the mesmerizing dance of fireflies at night. Witness the graceful waltz of bees under the sun, their diligent work shaping the day, and as darkness falls, join the nocturnal revelry where dragonflies twirl in harmonious tandem, and butterflies don their glistening evening gowns. Marvel at the intricate world of bug life that unfolds beneath the moonlit canopy.

Join us at “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” where the nocturnal wonders of flora, fauna, and the unseen forces that shape them converge in a magical spectacle under the midnight sky. Embrace the mystery, celebrate the beauty, and explore the delicate equilibrium between the forces that govern our garden paradise.

Basic Details 

Happened on May 16th – May 19th 2024

at 26920 Nn-333, Waynesville, MO 65583 USA for the 14th year at this location. 

Land Contact

Pulaski County Shrine Club, (573) 774-5454, shrineclubsecretary@gmail.com

2024 EC Team

• Luci VonLumiel
• Tara Dunmore (TaraByte)
• Jacqueline McKinney (Jac)
• Star Mezzanotte
• Vespertine d’Astra (Count)
• Lyla Jo Bittersweet

List of departments and brief descriptions 

• Kitchen – Providing a hot meal for our volunteer staff. No event comes together without hundreds of hands, and half as many mouths.
• City Watch – While the effigy burns and the community is gathered in the field the city watch volunteers to patrol the rest of the burn and make sure nothing is stolen or vandalized at our camps
• Earth Guardians – LEAVE NO TRACE. It’s what we do, and the E.G. makes sure we do it. One of the very last departments on site, tasked with making sure the place is exactly as it was when we got here, if not better.
• Gate – Check IDs, sign folks in, give wristbands.
• Greeters – Get yourself a burner hug, orient yourself with our unique event culture, and review the 10 (+1) principals
• Medic – Seriously, don’t die. We’ll make sure of it.
• Rangers – The backbone of our InterRangers, we are your knowledgeable burner community members here to be seen, and be helpful. Rangers operate based off the F.L.A.M.E. acronym; Find out, Listen, Analyze, Mediate, Explain. If you have any emergency the Rangers will be your first line of responder helping to marshal any specific needs to you.
• Parking – Fitting over a thousand burners on our land takes some organizing with all those cars. Parking will help you park in way so that we make the most out of our space
• DPW – There’s a lot of work that goes into putting on a burn. Lucky for us it can be a labor of love for the Department of Public Works. Anything from digging ditches, hauling lumber, or telling bad jokes and drinking beer.
• Burn Perimeter – Fire is cool and all, but when we light up that big structure we’re going to establish what is a safe distance to keep the crowd at.
• Sand team – These folks stand the inner perimeter of the burn as a last line of safety. Very hot work.
• Sound Marshal – Monitors sound camps for their noise levels.
• Spark patrol – Roam outside the effigy crowd to watch for any run away embers.
• Pre-burn – Fire spinners come one and all! Join the conclave in a fire spinning set before the effigy burns. Just attend the safety meeting in advance and have a safety equipped with a towel to join the perimeter
• Sanctuary – A vital component of the InterRangers, sanctuary provides a safe place to remove oneself from the over stimulating environment of a burn if needed, while also providing emotional support and attention when necessary
• IFArt – art grants
• Sign Shop – Signs & other printing
• D.M.V. – Dpt. mutant vehicles
• Placement – Setting up where things go
• Volunteer HQ – A new department this year. Share your love of volunteerism with the community by providing volunteer education and telling people where they should report for their shifts.
• Effigy – That big thing we burn Saturday night. Someone’s going to build it. Could be you if you provide FAST with a plan and have the desire to put it together on site a week before the event with the help of your friends and anyone in DPW that may be around.
• F.A.S.T. – Fire Arts Safety Team

Volunteering 

936 total volunteering slots were available to sign up, around 743 volunteers did sign up.
2,808 hours were available for volunteers to sign up from all departments.

Participation 

• Theme Camps – 41
• Estimated Displayed Art – 26
• Estimated Performers/Performing Groups – 40
• Mutant Vehicles – 11
• Structure Burns – 1 
• Scheduled Events – 71

Grants 

Total number of art grants funded this year was 26.

Total number of community grants funded this year was 2.

Additional Information

• Most ticket holders traveled 60 – 120 miles to attend Interfuse this year.
• 35% of ticket holders indicated that they were visiting Interfuse for the first time.
• Interfuse is working towards having an inclusion/diversity department for 2025
• The entire EC Team for 2024 was composed of women and trans people.

Our top 3 challenges faced this year are

1. Attrition. The pandemic really took a toll
2. Lack of diversity
3. Rising costs