By KIRSTEN RENEAU
The Preston County News and Journal
MASONTOWN, W.Va. — Frostburn, a weekend-long festival, will be celebrating its 10th year starting Feb. 16.
The event is dedicated to personal self-expression, meant to allow residents to share art and discussion, board treasurer Shawn Ferry said.
(Submitted photo)
“Frostburn is an accredited Burningman regional event,” Ferry said.
Frostburn attendees can expect a long weekend filled with music, art, fire, dancing, food and all manner of cold weather fun.
The event has seen anywhere from 250 to 600 people.
“This is our third site and our third year at Marvin’s Mountaintop. We are now on a flat space, which allows people to more easily move between groups, art and events,” Ferry said. “We are seeing more larger, established and combined groups with solidified infrastructure expand their events. We are also seeing more interest in bringing art installations.”
One of the reasons that Frostburn is unique is its cold-weather conditions. Ferry believes that allows attendees to bond on a closer level, making the event more meaningful.
“Frostburn is the currently undisputed most difficult Burningman regional event in the world, with the motto ‘Share the Warmth.’ Events with less adverse conditions allow easier interaction at a more superficial level,” Ferry said. “The relatively small size and sheer difficulty of Frostburn seem to result in closer bonds and a higher incidence of deeply meaningful interaction.”
Frostburn is completely volunteer-based. And the volunteers encourage those attending to volunteer as well. They hope this will continue to encourage the core value of sharing in what they refer to as the “burn community.”
“Frostburn is an all-volunteer, community-sponsored event, so we can use pretty much any assistance you’d like to provide,” according to its website.
While people are encouraged to bring art projects and create themed campsites, there are other needs as well.
Tickets for the festival cost $80 and $100 at the gates.
Because Frostburn is an outside festival, attendees are encouraged to bring thermal sleeping bags and tents, as well as several layers of clothing, to avoid possibly injury from the cold.
“The most regularly surprising advice for new attendees is put your water in a cooler to keep it from freezing,” Ferry said. “The Frostburn Survival Guide (which can be found online) is a good source of information, and a few attendees have shared notes about their setup.”
For more information on Frostburn or to purchase tickets, visit www.frostburn.org.
