Frostburn
- Dates
- Expected February
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Marvin's Mountaintop
- Price
- Not announced
- Camping
- Available
- Last checked
- Sep 1, 2026
Frostburn comes to Marvin's Mountaintop, Masontown, WV, Expected February. Froligo tracks ticket prices, camping, attendee feedback and travel details.
The experience
What's special
Frostburn is an official Burning Man Regional that brings the culture of the Nevada desert to the West Virginia winter, held since 2008 on Marvin's Mountaintop near Masontown, WV, a short drive from Morgantown. Billed as 'a regional event that brings Burning Man's desert spirit to the winter tundra,' it is an all-volunteer, community-sponsored gathering of music, art, fire, dancing and cold-weather camping over the President's Day weekend in February. There is no headline music lineup; the event is built by participants who bring theme camps, art, art cars, performances and seminars, and warmth is shared through heated tents, domes and campfires. Because conditions can swing from sun-warmed afternoons to well below freezing, winter camping preparation is central to attending
What people love
Long-time attendees describe Frostburn as their favorite burn and 'one of the best burn experiences,' praising a tight-knit community that shows up for the right reasons and the camaraderie of weathering harsh, unpredictable winter conditions together. Regulars highlight warm gathering spaces -- from space-heater-warmed tents to wood-stove domes and sweat lodges -- and traditions like Icestock, and many say they return year after year
The ideals
Burners describe the culture through ten principles, written by the community in 2004.
Radical inclusion
Anyone may belong; no prerequisites.Gifting
Giving freely, no barter, no expectation.Decommodification
No ads, sponsorship or selling, which makes room for independent art.Radical self-reliance
Bring everything you need.Radical self-expression
Offered as a gift, unique to the giver.Communal effort
We build it together.Civic responsibility
Organisers answer for public welfare.Leaving no trace
Everything packed out, to the last sequin.Participation
Made real by doing, not watching.Immediacy
No barrier between you and the moment.Tickets, how they work
Burn tickets do not work like a normal festival. Here is the system, the price detail is in Pricing below.
- 1Limited, and advance-onlyThere are no sales at the gate. No ticket before you go means no entry.
- 2Sold in timed roundsRegister in advance for the main sale, with later releases if earlier rounds sell out.
- 3Often pay-what-you-canMany burns use tiered or donation pricing, with low-income and ticket-aid options.
- 4A vehicle pass may be separateSome burns charge per car on top of the ticket.
- 5Transfers are official-onlyTickets move through the organiser's system, which shuts out scalpers.
Pricing
Your first burn
What it actually feels like to go for the first time, and how to land softly.
It will feel overwhelming, and that is normal
The scale hits everyone the first time. You cannot see it all, so do not try.Pace yourself
Water, food, shade and sleep first. Burnout is the classic first-timer mistake.Say yes, and come ready to give
The best moments are unplanned; accept a gift, join a camp, but bring something to offer back.It can move you unexpectedly
Many are surprised by the emotion. That is part of it.How to participate
A burn has no audience. Here is how a first-timer actually takes part.
- 1There are no spectatorsEveryone takes part. Turning up ready to contribute is the whole idea.
- 2Join or build a theme campCamp with a group that offers something back, a bar, a workshop, a stage.
- 3Gift somethingGive freely, no money changes hands. A drink, a skill, a repair, a moment.
- 4Make or help the artVolunteer with an art crew, help build and burn the effigy.
- 5Take a volunteer shiftGreeters, gate, Rangers and Leave-No-Trace crews keep the city running; a shift is how newcomers plug in.
- 6Leave it betterPack out your own litter and pitch in on teardown.
What to wear
By day
- Loose natural fibres and a wide hat
- Goggles and a dust mask for whiteouts
- High-SPF sun cover, the desert is relentless
- Sturdy closed shoes for hot, sharp ground
After dark
- Warm layers, nights turn cold fast
- Lights or EL wire so you are seen
- Something expressive, costumes are the norm
- Skip loose glitter and feathers, they become litter
What to bring
Radical self-reliance is literal: come stocked to live the whole event unaided.
At this burn specifically
- Winter camping is the core of Frostburn, and the event's guidance stresses coming prepared for mild temperatures, freezing temperatures, rain, snow, blizzard and wind (past conditions have ranged from shirtsleeve warmth in the sun to about -18 without windchill).
- RVs are welcome -- a level, gravel-packed parking lot near the gate is recommended -- but there are no hook-ups or electricity, and organizers warn that propane can freeze, so space heaters and heated blankets are advised.
- A sound policy sets quiet hours from 3am-11am, when all subwoofers must be off, and amplified sound must not be perceptible from neighboring camps.
- Pets are not allowed (ADA service animals excepted).
- The gate is generally open from noon Thursday through Saturday evening and may not operate 24 hours;
- early access historically begins Wednesday via a no-cost early-access ticket.
Old-timer tips
Hard-won advice seasoned burners pass to first-timers.
- Overprepare on water, then add morethe most common veteran tip, by far
- Red-mode headlamp, and label everythingyou will thank yourself at 3am
- Build in a rest daythe people who last the week pace the week
- Gift experiences, not stuffthe best gifts leave nothing behind
- Learn the address system before you arriveit is how you find anyone and anything
Burner lexicon
- Playa
- The dry lakebed the temporary city is built on.
- MOOP
- 'Matter Out Of Place', any litter, to a single sequin.
- Default world
- Everyday life, outside the event.
- Sparkle pony
- A newcomer who turns up underprepared.
- Gifting
- Giving with no barter or expectation.
- Dusty
- Caked in playa dust, a badge of honour.
- Virgin burn
- Your first year.
- The Temple
- A reflective structure, burned at the end.
Getting there
No travel details for Frostburn yet.
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Where
Venue
Marvin's Mountaintop
Camping & Accommodation
No camping or lodging details for Frostburn yet.
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Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser publishes on access, ages and comfort.
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