Burning Man ticket sale slump being felt by San Francisco retailers
"That fiasco was publicized as really negative, extremely negative nationwide, worldwide," Uti said, off last year's muddy mess.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- After being mired in controversy last year, Burning Man is set to return to the Nevada desert next weekend. But this year, ticket sales are down as many so-called 'burners' appear to be staying away.
One person who won't be staying away though is David Date, who says he's gone to every Burning Man since 2016.
"People came last year and you have these expectations of going and dancing and having fun and it was not that experience. And there's a certain percentage of people that will never come back after having an experience like that," Date said.
Even though the event takes place in the Nevada desert, the slow ticket sales are also being felt here in the Bay Area.
VIDEO: How stranded Burning Man festival attendee is coping with flood aftermath as more rain expected
In San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, several stores that cater to burners say they're also being impacted.
"They can come and be part of that art by what they choose. So they won't look like anyone else out there," said Uti.
At Piedmont Boutique, owner Uti says she's noticed less Burning Man foot traffic than normal.
"That fiasco was publicized as really negative, extremely negative nationwide, worldwide. So that may have scared off a lot of newbies," said Uti.
MORE: 'Worse than mud': Burning Man attendees play waiting game for land to dry at Black Rock City
A few block down at Kimono Dave, David Carr says they've seen a similar trend.
Carr, whose store is largely inspired by Burning Man, says the event accounts for a significant portion of their overall revenue.
"Anywhere between 25 and 40% depending on what products you have in stock and how well business is going," Carr said.
Carr tells ABC7 News while he attributes some of the slowdown to the bad press that surrounded last year's gathering, he also thinks there are more factors. He says a slowing economy has hit attendance at festivals around the country.
MORE: TIMELINE: What is Burning Man? The festival's lengthy history has roots in San Francisco
Carr says with a week still to go until Burning Man kicks off, he's optimistic sales will pick up over the coming days.
"It would impact everything. It would mostly impact what I would be able to invest in moving forward. What new products can I do, what new designs do I have ready to go," he said.
As for Date, he says he couldn't be more excited for this year's burn. Excited to get back to the true roots of what the festival is meant to be about.
"Sharing in that suffering with the community and transcending it was the highlight of my burn," Date said.
