Phoenix was cracking the whip (in the nicest way possible) as the crew was installing the Cafe decor.

Fabric hung from the Cafe roof evoke clotheslines across fire escapes in the big city.

There were sewing stations set up all over the Cafe for final projects.

Lighting sets the mood, and workers were setting the lights.

All work, all play, all day.

Rigging wires were covered with industrial-looking boxes and tubes.

Put up tape in the outline of buildings, spray paint surface, remove tape and ... voila! a cityscape.

Thumper, at the Cafe cup spikes

Ahn has been pounding the bike racks into place for years. When you come to the Cafe and there's a place to park your bike, Ahn's one of the reasons why.

All the bike racks are stored in containers, which have to be unloaded, assembled, and pounded into place.

The light does wonderful things when the dust is blowing: It's both diffuse and specular, and it bathes people in a golden goodness.

There are long metal spikes set up in the Cafe for your coffee cup when you are finished using it. You pound your cup into the spike; it's a satisfying action, and it's easier to deal with than mounds of garbage bags. But here's a better idea: Carry a cup with you for your coffee drinks.

Jonesy Jones draws up all the plans for what goes where in the Cafe. Then, when he gets here, he helps put it all together.

Witchy is one of the volunteer coordinators who makes sure all that needs getting done actually gets done in the Cafe.

The command center for Cafe Decor. There are Red Vines inside, plus cool drinks. Work hard, and you'll get to enter.

To make sure it all gets done, you have to have a list. There are many lists in the Decor trailer.

A map for what goes where.

Witchy in her office.

The crew in the Decor trailer. Each day in the Cafe has a theme: This day, it was Vive La France, which explains the bold horizontal stripes and vampy skirts. Ooo la la.

Some of the nerdier members of the Decor team were checking out the WiFi map of Black Rock City. They might have a special treat in store for those who access the internet from the Center Cafe. We are sworn to secrecy, but it should be fun.

Bike racks, and plenty of them, ring the Center Cafe.

Ahn, who's from Hawaii, doing his thing with the racks.

Unload, pound into place, and repeat. ... And repeat. And repeat.

Dangerass, aka Helen Hickman, was living in Baltimore in 2003 when she decided to come to Burning Man, by herself. Once she got here, she found that she had found her people. Six months later, she moved to San Francisco, and she's been a big-time contributor to the event ever since.