What is SOAK?

SOAK was created with the mission to provide a safe space for local artists, teachers, and creatives alike to try new things, build community, and explore themselves. SOAK was founded in 2005 and was created by members of the Portland (PDX) Burning Man community members Apparatus, Hovering, Kathy Oliver, and their Burning Man Regional Contacts Laura Branan and Kirsteen Scott/Krumpet. The event was first held at Tide Water Falls in Tide Water, OR. 80 people attended the first SOAK. 

The origin of the name SOAK is sourced from the event KAOSmosis, hosted at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom - a party that Burning Man’s co-founder Larry Harvey attended to speak on Burning Man Culture. This was the first large gathering of the Portland Burning Man scene in the PDX region. Being inspired by this local event and the excitement it generated cultivated the onus for the Founders of SOAK to create their own Regional Burn. They wanted to replicate the 10 Principles developed for Burning Man in Black Rock City, NV, and bring the practice closer to home. The name SOAK is a palindrome of the word KAOS, paying homage to KAOSmosis. 

Knowledge of the first SOAK was passed through local theme camps that attended Burning Man, and the weekly Woosday meetup that continues to this day. Woosday originated from the Portland Burner theme camp Woo Woo Field (also known as Woonami). 

Today, more than 2000 people attend the event, which is held annually in Tygh Valley, carrying on this mission to inspire and embrace all who attend.