SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — After last year’s controversial events, Burning Man returns to the Nevada desert next weekend. But this year, ticket sales are down as many so-called “burners” seem to be staying away.

One person who won’t be absent, however, is David Date, who says he has been to every Burning Man since 2016.

“Last year, people came expecting to go and dance and have fun, but it wasn’t the same experience. And there’s a certain percentage of people who will never come back after an experience like that,” Date said.

Although the event takes place in the Nevada desert, the sluggish ticket sales are also being felt here in the Bay Area.

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In San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, several shops specializing in burners say they are also affected.

“They can come and be part of this art in their own way. They won’t look like everyone else out there,” Uti said.

At the Piedmont Boutique, owner Uti said she noticed less foot traffic to Burning Man than usual.

“This fiasco was publicized nationally and worldwide as really negative, extremely negative. That may have scared off a lot of newcomers,” Uti said.

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A few blocks away at Kimono Dave, David Carr says they’ve noticed a similar trend.

Carr, whose business is heavily inspired by Burning Man, says the event accounts for a significant portion of their overall revenue.

“Between 25 and 40 percent, depending on product inventories and business conditions,” Carr said.

Carr told ABC7 News he attributes the decline in part to the bad press that surrounded last year’s festival, but he also believes there are other factors at play. He says the slowing economy has affected attendance at festivals across the country.

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Carr says there is still a week until Burning Man starts and he is optimistic that sales will pick up in the next few days.

“It would impact everything. Most importantly, it would impact what I could invest in in the future. What new products can I make, what new designs do I have ready to launch,” he said.

Date says he couldn’t be more excited about this year’s Burns. He’s looking forward to getting back to the true roots of what the festival is all about.

“Sharing this suffering with the community and overcoming it was the culmination of my grief,” Date said.