OK, so maybe that headline sounds far fetched. But then again, humor me, for a few moments...
Yesterday 
Welcome to "Hippie Dip" Season!
The Man Burns! (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
You see, there's actually this thing sometimes referred to as the "Hippie Dip" that even Wall Street pays attention to every summer, where investments experience a bit of a slump for no particular economic reason can think of-- at least on the surface.
So yesterday
For those who don't know, Burning Man is a near-legendary annual festival held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. It's not just "a festival" though... it's a temporary CITY of some 75,000+ people... most of whom are of an alternative and free-thinking mindset. Bookmark that last bit in your mind...
Aerial view of Black Rock City (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Now, let's start with the fact that the tickets alone run $1,200.00 (USD) each. That's 90 MILLION dollars, right there. Sure, some are sold at lower prices in the later "fire sale" and lotteries, but not that many.
The World's Largest non-Cash event... BUT
Then there's the economy of building the actual infrastructure to host 75,000 people in the middle of nowhere, for a week. Structures, facilities, installations.
Then there's the individual preparations-- travel, food, supplies while attending; remember, there's no "buying anything" at Burning Man; you either come prepared to survive for a week, or your turned away at the gates. Then there's the art... and workshops... and unless you bring a bicycle (or better yet, an "Art Car") and by the time we're done with that, the average "Burner" has probably spent an additional $3,000.00. That's another 225 MILLION dollars.
Burning Man from SPACE, at night (Photo: NASA; Source: Wikimedia Commons)
That money has to come from "somewhere."
Summer is Festival Season
Of course, the above estimates just covered Burning Man. Summer is "Festival Season." There are hundreds of festivals around the US and worldwide, every summer.
What do they have in common? They mostly draw "alternative" thinkers and free spirits... and they cost a lot of money.
Now let's get back to that "bookmark" up above and ask what are "alternative" thinkers and free spirits more likely to explore as investments? Cryptocurrencies seem like a really good possibility.
So, Therefore...
It's not entirely unlikely that part of what we saw yesterday was partially triggered by "OMG, I need money for festivals" selling.
Cyclists on on Playa at Burning Man (Photo: Christopher Michel; Source: Wikimedia Commons)
No, of course, it's not the entire explanation... but sometimes you have to look at weird possibilities most people overlook. Certainly... if I were going to Burning Man I might well have stashed away my funding in BTC, hoping to ride the wave up... and not in a savings account... which would also mean I would have to sell aforesaid Bitcoin at some point.
Like when I get an email reminding me I need to fork over $1,200.00 to go to Burning Man!
The preceding was, of course, just written for fun... but also as a very real illustration that sometimes events and financial markets can be "triggered" by something completely unexpected.
Note: Everything in this article is true. But it's also pure fiction!
Thanks for reading!
What do YOU think? Do you ever go to festivals? Have you ever been to Burning Man? If you have, were you surprised by just how much it ended up costing, by the time you'd paid for travel, supplies, entry fees and beyond? Do you think financial markets can sometimes be impacted unusual events people overlook? Leave a comment-- share your experiences and feedback-- start the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Published 20170627 17:48 PDT