Wasteland Weekend

Lore & Background

Wasteland Weekend was first held in October 2010 in California City, California, organized by Karol Bartoszynski, Jared Butler, and club promoter Jim Howard. The inaugural event featured movie replica cars and bikes, a gyrocopter flyover, vendors, fire dancers, and contests, and received a video greeting from Mad Max director George Miller. Co-founders James Howard and Karol Bartoszynski left management in 2010 and 2014 respectively.

The festival has been held annually in September since 2010, except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017, it expanded from four to five days, beginning on the last Wednesday of September. By 2019, the sold-out event had over 4,300 participants. The eleventh year was deferred to September 22–26, 2021.

The theme draws heavily from apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, especially Mad Max, and requires all attendees to wear appropriately themed clothing. Other influences include Wasteland and the Fallout video game series. The event includes themed costumes, campsites and vehicles, live bands and DJs, fire, burlesque and other performers, and Jugger matches.

Reader's Guide

Wasteland Weekend stands as a significant cultural gathering for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction, particularly the Mad Max franchise. Its strict full-immersion policy—requiring all participants to adopt themed attire—distinguishes it from many other genre festivals. The event's growth from 350 to over 4,300 attendees in a decade reflects a sustained interest in post-apocalyptic role-playing and community building. Its cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic marked a rare interruption in an otherwise consistent annual schedule. The festival has also spawned official spin-offs, including The Wasteland Film Festival (2013), The Wasteland World Car Show (2016), and The Wastelanders Ball (2017), as well as a sci-fi and cyberpunk-themed festival, Neotropolis (2022). Media appearances on The Boulet Brothers' Dragula and Adam Savage's Savage Builds have further cemented its place in popular culture. The event's legacy lies in its ability to create a fully realized, immersive world that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and communal storytelling within a post-apocalyptic setting.

Did You Know?

• In 2014, over 100 different themed cars and motorcycles were brought to the event.
• The festival was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Wasteland Weekend 2017 was featured in The Boulet Brothers' Dragula season 2.