The Burning Man festival held annually in an ancient lake bed in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada is one of those things people try to explain … and then eventually give up and suggest you go there yourself to find out.

Please click the photo above for more.

Those who participate are known as Burners, and when forced into a definition they describe the event as the creation of a city “dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance” where “almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the event.”

Non-profit Ignition Northwest brought a shrunken version of the non-traditional festival (Nevada had over 50,000 participants in 2010) to Burien’s Town Square on Oct. 15, complete with fire, dance and art representative of the Burner community.

Photographer Kurt Howard stepped into Mocktoberfest and came back unscathed with these images.

For more information on the event, check out Gwen Davis’ Herald article, “Two acres of fire, art set for Saturday in Burien.”