The year in Art Cars, it is fair to say, mostly happens around the middle months, so it is time again that some of the more venerable events of the art car take place. For many people who love art cars, Burning Man is like Christmas, and yet again this year was a full-on extravaganza of wheeled art as we know and love it. If you were told that one of the most popular items seen all weekend was a car tricked out to look like Gonzo from the Muppet Show, you can probably appreciate that Burning Man 2009 was much like all the other years – insane and indispensable.

Word is already emerging that the unofficial theme for Burning Man 2010 will be “2012”, which if nothing else is a firm recognition of the whole festival’s forward-thinking nature. With visitor numbers up around 43,000 in a year where financial difficulties have been more severe than in most of our lifetimes, it is a resounding vote of confidence for alternative art and art cars that people are still ready to come and see it in such large numbers. So it should be even better next year when finances should be better and we can all party like it is 2012.