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GREAT NEWS! Bureau of Land Management will close Panoche Hills to all other visitors, so there will be NO firearms in the desert and no gunshots during Burning Lamb!
Please join us for this year's springtime celebration of liberation and emergent community! Pack your tent and bare necessities and re-create the journey of our ancestors and contemporaries to make the story of Exodus relevant to today's life.
By virtue of its calendaring, Burning Lamb stitches together Jewish Passover, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Easters, and other pagan celebrations of spring and revival, to create a magical temporary desert oasis at the intersection of individual self-direction and communal collaboration.
WHEN: Our permit allows us to be on federal lands from Thursday, April 18, 2024, through Sunday, April 28, 2024, so you can spend as much or as little time in the wilderness as you like. Note the Schedule to plan your desert adventure accordingly.
WHERE: Federal lands in Panoche Hills, CA [Map]. The camping area is approximately 3.25 miles of dirt road from paved Little Panoche Rd. Historically, 4-WD vehicles were not necessary to access the camping area. Nearest "civilization" is at Mercey Hot Springs resort, 0.8 miles from the dirt road. Driving directions and Logistics.
WHAT: Burning Lamb gives us a playground where we can practice creating a more inclusive and supportive community. Living in self-sufficient, yet interconnected camps, we will populate the barren hills with music, play, delicious food, and other festivities. There will be a shared communal space for celebration, exploration, worship, and learning, and plenty of room for other individual and group Activities.
WHO: Burning Lamb is open to anyone who wishes to celebrate the spring holidays and experience the vast openness of the desert. We welcome people of all religious, spiritual, and cultural views and practices. We also welcome children and well-behaved pets. We ask that all participants review and adhere to Event Guidelines.
HOW: Participants are encouraged to camp in small groups (3-6 tents) to share basic necessities (shade structure, kitchen set-up, childcare, etc). There will be portable toilets dispersed around the camping area, two fire pits, and other communal spaces for participants to share. Read more in the Logistics page. Also, since this event is run entirely by volunteers, we invite everyone to contribute their gift and partake in the offerings of others. Read more in the Activities page.
WHY: We are living in a fragmented and disconnected society that exploits our differences to perpetuate division and oppression. Our existing civic, economic, and cultural institutions often fail to inspire collaborative community participation, and result in a growing sense of disempowerment and disconnection. We go into the desert for Burning Lamb to connect with the courage of our ancestors and contemporaries, who abandon oppressive regimes in pursuit of a more peaceful, just and prosperous life. If they could do it then, we can definitely do it now.
COST: We collect money from participants to cover the costs of Bureau of Land Management permit, portable toilets, event insurance, extra firewood, and materials for collective use. Read more and make a contribution on the Payment page.