An event, a festival, a gathering, near Lancaster, PA. Though not affiliated with any official regional network, Sunburn draws inspiration from the spirit and principles behind community-built gatherings like Burning Man.
We do our best to practice these principles, while joining with our friends and hosts at PSHS a clothing optional space.
Our event takes place rain or shine with indoor and outdoor spaces for music, art and dancing.
Sunburn is…
Our hosts at PSHS
Sunburn is held at PSHS, the Penn Sylvan Health Society. This is a clothing optional facility that is surrounded by beautiful woodlands in Mohnton, Pennsylvania in between Lancaster, and Reading PA. The location is secluded and strictly private. The facility has many features, including a giant outdoor pool, a large indoor pool, a 20 person hot tub, and a 20 person sauna. There are showers and flushing toilets available 24 hours a day.
If you have questions about PSHS call 717-445-6330
Sunburn, your easy BURN
The 10 Principles of the Burning Way
These principles were originally articulated by Larry Harvey, co founder of Burning Man, to reflect the ethos of the community as it developed over time. We share them here with gratitude, as guiding values that continue to inspire our own independent event.
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.
Register a Camp, Event, or Art piece for our www guide using DUST
We are using DUST for 2025 to coordinate camps, events, and art. Register and sign in to be able to add your events! DUST can be used on your computer OR as an app on your phone.
(after you submit your event give us a little time to review and publish your changes before they will go live and be visible on the app, we are all volunteers)
GET DUST HERE
VOLUNTEER!
Everything at a burn is volunteer run. We need your help to make this event run smoothly. CLICK HERE to sign up for a shift. Volunteering can be a great way to meet new friends, or just give back to the community!
ART and Art Grants
Art is such an important part of a burn and we want to encourage you to make and bring your art! Please read through these details, the actual application form is linked at the bottom.
So You Want Free Money for Your Weird Art Thing?
Welcome to the magical world of getting other people to pay for your creative delusions! Our merry band of volunteers will throw cash at your project, assuming it doesn't violate basic human decency or local fire codes.
What We'll Actually Pay For (The Good Stuff)
We want to help with funding the nuts and bolts of your masterpiece. Need wood? Sure. Metal? Why not. Electronics that'll probably short out? Absolutely. We might even cover the gas money to haul your 20-foot sculpture of a dancing lobster to the event.
Materials, supplies, rental fees, fuel - it's all fair game. Think of us as your artistic sugar daddy, but with more paperwork and fewer expectations.
The "Maybe" Pile
Some stuff falls into our "we'll think about it" category. Costumes for performances? Possibly. Food for your interactive art piece? Perhaps. That $2,000 industrial printer for your $50 origami installation? Probably not, friend.
Hard No's (Don't Even Ask)
We won't fund your labor (shocking, we know), event tickets, sound systems, generators, or anything that screams "I'm definitely selling this on Craigslist afterward." Also, no booze money - apparently that's "irresponsible" or whatever.
The Fun Police Section
Before you get too excited, remember we have rules. No unauthorized fireworks, no hate speech masquerading as "edgy art," and nothing that'll traumatize the kiddos. If your art requires a hazmat suit, maybe reconsider.
Want to burn something? Great! Our Fire Team will become your new best friends/worst enemies. They'll scrutinize your project like it's a nuclear reactor, then make you fill out seventeen forms in triplicate.
The Money Situation
We throw a large percentage of ticket sales at art projects as we are able. You might get partial funding - think of it as artistic socialism where everyone gets a little disappointed.
You will be reimbursed at the event for the amount agreed upon. (see the art lead for payment)
The Fine Print
Minors need parental permission because apparently 16-year-olds can't legally promise to build a functioning volcano.
Need to arrive early to set up your monstrosity? We can arrange that, assuming you ask nicely and don't show up with a semi-truck unannounced.
Questions? Email thesunburnpc@gmail.com and prepare for a delightfully bureaucratic conversation about your artistic vision.
CONTRACT: if you want to review the contract ahead of time, this is what it looks like, click here
Everything here look good? yeah? then you’re ready!
CLICK HERE FOR THE ACTUAL ART GRANT APPLICATION FORM https://forms.gle/whfg6fGMDHSnHnuY8
Frequently Asked Questions
GATE HOURS?
Friday 12noon-9pm
Saturday 9am-7pm
Sunday - Exodus before sundown
Do I have to be naked to attend? No, it’s clothing optional for our event, BUT If you plan on being nude, please carry a towel with you to sit on for sanitary and safety reasons
Do I have to be naked to get into the water? Yes, our hosts rules, in order to protect the water quality and keep detergents out of the Hot tub and the indoor and outdoor pools. To this end it is also important that you shower before getting into either pool or hot tub.
Are pets allowed at the facility? YES, however they must never ever ever be left unattended and must always be on a leash when outside. Pets are not allowed inside any PSHS building, including the motel.
Do I need a current state ID in order to attend? YES, PSHS requires valid state ID as they maintain strict security for the health and well-being of all of their participants.
Will I be able to buy food onsite? Occasionally there is a food vendor that sets up for the day in a centrally located kitchen. However, you are strongly urged to bring all of your own food and practice radical self reliance. If there is a food vendor present they have no connection to the event itself.
What does my ticket price include? Cost of admission covers Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with unlimited access to all of the facilities in that time. A large portion of the ticket sales is being invested into art grants.
Are there any comp tickets or any hardship tickets available? No. We are strictly run by volunteers, and every single one of us pays our own way.
Am I allowed to take pictures or video? No . Due to the nature of the camp promoting nudity & the neighbors who reside at PSHS it is a venue rule to NOT have any photos or videos taken.
Are there volunteer opportunities so that I can help? Absolutely! we need you! You can sign up for a volunteer shift by clicking on this link! You can help at front gate, ranger, perimeter, the hub, or moop.
Can I bring my RV? Yes, but there are limited spaces and there is an additional charge. All RV arrangements must be made well in advance and be done directly with PSHS 717-445-6330 https://www.pshsinc.com/ PSHS no longer has dumping facilities. There are other nearby campgrounds that MAY be able to accommodate you, but you’re on your own for that.
What about children? Feel free to bring them. We practice radical inclusion so all are welcome. PSHS is a family friendly naturalist venue. Minors (under 18) are free, but must be supervised by their parents. Children under 12 are not allowed in the hot tub or sauna.
Will there be music playing all night? Sometimes… if you are a light sleeper, we recommend that you bring earplugs and camp away from the speakers.
Campfires? yes they are allowed as long as there is not a township ban. Fires must be no higher than 3 feet, never left unattended, and extinguished when done. Do not transport in firewood from outside of the region.
Ice? Ice is available for purchase from the pshs for $3 per bag
Additional RULES:
No glass bottles or containers
Body jewelry is allowed as long as it is not sexually provocative - typical burns allow for freedom of expression, but at sunburn we balance that with being hosted in a space that needs to respect our family friendly hosts and residents.
FULL SET OF the PSHS host rules, in case this didn’t cover it
https://www.pshsinc.com/rules%2012-21.pdf
Join our online community on socials
Facebook group, where you can connect with some of the community
Contact Us
Pressing questions? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. Keep in mind we are all volunteers and will get to it asap. You might also consider messaging admins on the facebook group. Use this form OR email us at theSUNBURNpc@gmail.com