Welcome to the Heart of Black Rock City — a bustling crossroads where creativity, connection, and curiosity collide. Entirely reimagined through the spirit of participatory urban renewal, the Center Camp neighborhood is more than a landmark — it’s a living, breathing world of worlds. While the Temple invites release, and The Man calls for transformation, The Heart asks: What will you nourish, cherish, and carry with you?
Wander down the pathways that lead into Center Camp Plaza, and you’ll find a dynamic convergence of theme camps, interactivity, and mythic mischief. At its core stands The Canopy: the largest tensile shade structure on Earth — a circular acre of possibility where something extraordinary is always happening.
Under The Canopy, you’ll encounter a kaleidoscope of experiences, from morning meditations and afternoon adventures to guest performances, curious corners, late-night shenanigans, rejuvenating refreshments, and everything in between. It’s a hub of expression, experimentation, and wonder — and the perfect place to begin (or completely reroute) your Black Rock City journey.
Contribute Your Magic!
The Canopy is a grand stage and intimate playground rolled into one. It’s home to marching bands and mystics, poets and pranksters, tea connoisseurs and tap dancers. From spontaneous pop-ups to curated performance slots, there’s space for you to bring your flavor to the fair.
Want to contribute a performance, installation, immersive game, or pop-up gifting experience?
Start Here — Fill Out the Collaboration Interest Form
Whether you’re sharing your gifts for a crowd or designing a side-quest for two, The Canopy welcomes creators of every stripe. Previous offerings have included:
- Jazz bands, DJs, and world music ensembles
- Flow arts, dance, and theatrical experiences
- Comedy, storytelling, and improv
- Altars, installations, curiosity cabinets, and dream spaces
- Scavenger hunts, riddles, and live-action lore
- Crafternoon workshops, healing salons, and midnight tea parties
The Canopy stage features scheduled performances by day and themed dance parties by night. Want to bring your crew? Want to host a takeover of the entire canopy space? We’re here to help you plug in. In the spirit of participation, performance art that blurs the boundary between performer and audience is prioritized. Interactivity is sexy!
Submit Your Offering – Fill Out the Collaboration Interest Form
BRING YOUR ART!
The Center Camp Plaza and The Canopy are rich ground for visual artists. Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, collage artist, digital dreamer, or creator of something uncategorizable, we invite you to share your vision here.
The Canopy includes a curated gallery for hangable art and offers partially sheltered space for installation pieces — perfect for projects that benefit from a little reprieve from the elements and a whole lot of foot traffic.
Please read the submission guidelines carefully. Only complete and eligible submissions can be considered. We can’t wait to see what you bring to life!
Let us build the Heart of the City together — a shared space of infinite stories, intersecting paths, and the unexpected beauty of collective creation.
Volunteer with the Canopy Crew!
Calling All Volunteers, Contributors & Artists
The Heart of the City comes alive through the efforts of a wildly creative crew — artists, instigators, builders, performers, and collaborators who infuse the space with soul and spark.
Whether you’re wielding a paintbrush, a microphone, a drill, or a dream — there’s a place for you here.
Volunteer Now – Fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire via your Burner Profile
What Are the Teams That Create The Canopy?
SWIFT (Shenanigans Wrangling & Instigation Facilitation Team)
SWIFT is the dream team that helps wild ideas become real. They’re the ones who say “yes, and…” to participants’ weird and wonderful activations, helping facilitate all the surprise-and-delight moments that bloom under The Canopy.
Decor
If you build it, they will play. Join the crew of hands-on visionaries who turn the Canopy into a realm of whimsy, wonder, and delight. Carpenters, sewers, sculptors, painters, designers — this is your call to co-create an environment where anything feels possible. Most of the magic happens during Build Week and winds down post-event — Leave No Trace, and leave a legacy.
Stage Crew
Help the show go on! From lighting and sound to MC-ing and stage managing, this crew keeps the vibes high and the flow smooth. Bring your backstage know-how or your love of performance to support an ever-shifting lineup of musical acts, comedic chaos, and genre-bending storytelling.
Guardians
Our Guardians are the night owls and early risers who keep The Canopy safe, soulful, and sound. During Build, Strike, and throughout the wee hours, Guardians roam the space with presence and care, embodying the ethos of watchfulness without control.
First-year volunteers do not receive tickets, but those who dive in and shine often discover deeper pathways into future participation.
Join the Adventure – Fill out the Volunteer Questionnaire via your Burner Profile