Burn in the Forest began in 2002 when a group of loosely organized Burners from Vancouver decided that it was time to create an outdoor camping event, in accordance with the 10 principles of Burning Man. Many people in the community feel this was a magical event, in a magical space, where the community came together with minimal central organization, with everyone participating and helping to create an event like no other
Located on the Squamish River, the old site was a very popular one for outdoor events, and because it was on Crown Land we were able to keep the event free/by donation. Unfortunately, due to overuse and the increasing pressures of human encroachment into natural habitats, in 2006 a young grizzly started to visit the site, and ultimately that is what caused the site to be completely closed to the public.
In the beginning of 2009 the new site was found at Squamish Valley Campground, and at the GVIAS Annual General Meeting a nearly unanimous vote decided that, once again, the name Burn in the Forest would be used for our summer camping event.
In 2015, only 6 weeks before our scheduled event, we lost the use of the Squamish Valley Campground over some Crown Land use issues. As the Production Team had already been scoping out land to accommodate future years’ growth, we were able to secure our new home, at the Cheam Fishing Village, located on Cheam First Nation traditional lands near Agassiz, BC.
In 2019 circumstances led to us moving our event location to the Snug Lake Amphitheatre.
After several years without the opportunity to come together to celebrate, BitF 2022 took place in Sept in Merritt, BC. We are returning to Merritt again this year and look forward to evolving with the site.
We’re sure to continue to make it every bit as memorable as the BitFs of years past.
Contact the BitF Production team via the Contact Us form.
Join this year’s BitF Facebook Group to connect with other participants.