The rain and cold did not stop hundreds of people from watching the 19th annual High Heel Race, a D.C. Halloween tradition where men dressed in elaborate drag costumes run down 17th Street near Dupont Circle.
Volunteers remarked that numbers were down for the event due to the rainy weather, but the streets were filled nonetheless.
"It's cold and wet, but we're happy to be here," said spectator Emily Rockwood.
The race started at 9 p.m., but spectators started lining the streets by 7 p.m.
The race has grown in popularity due to word-of-mouth.
"I love the whole thing," said Terri Domenici, who has been coming to see the race for eight years. "I love it so much, I brought my son," she said, as she proudly pointed out the friends and family she brought with her to the event.
"This is a piece of D.C. culture," said Anja Minnick, a D.C. resident. The race has traditionally drawn thousands of both gay and straight spectators, making it a fun event for the entire city.
"It's not just a gay event," said Matt Henry, bar manager at J.R.'s Bar and Grill, the event's sponsor. "Kids, families, everyone comes out and it feels really good to see that."
But this is not your average, everyday two-block drag queen sprint, Henry added. "People start planning their costumes in the summer," he said.
Jason Hall, a native of rural New Hampshire and member of Delta Lambda Phi, a community-based gay fraternity that helped provide security for the event, said the race turnout represents the best of Washington.
"[The High Heel Race] is a great example of community spirit and celebration of the GLBT community," said Adrian Fenty, Ward 4 Councilmember and Democratic mayoral candidate for Washington D.C., who presided as the Master of Ceremony for the event.
Rob Halligan, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for the 17th Street area, called the annual event "an absolute hoot."
"The event basically runs itself," said Sergeant Brett A. Parsons, who heads the Gay and Lesbian Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department. "We're here to make sure they get all the support they need."
Parsons led 26 police officers and about 50 volunteers in providing a much-needed barrier between flying stilettos and packed sidewalks.
"I've seen the kind of damage a high heel can do," said Parsons, who donned a British bobby hat for the occasion.
After the street was closed to traffic, the participants walked up and down the block, taking pictures with spectators and performing dances. Costumes ranged from political spoofs such as "Candy Sleeza Spice" to an eerily similar replication of Princess Diana, complete with her personal British entourage. Red Cross nurses with donation buckets led the cat-fighting, hair-pulling hurricane quartet: Katrina, Rita, Wilma and tropical depression Ginger.
"Some of them look better than I do," said spectator Olivia Fields. "I'm a little hurt by it."
"I'm from D.C. and I've been coming every year for the past many years," said Erik Woodard, a first-time contestant in the race. "This was the year." Woodard dressed up as Scarlett O'Hara, complete with a dress made from velvet curtains to mock the famous scene from where O'Hara makes a dress out of curtains.
"Farrah Mona," an AU Washington College of Law graduate and race participant in white go-go boots and feather boa, joked, "I'm going to run for Ladner."
The race started promptly at 9 p.m. and lasted less than five minutes. The roar of the participants swiftly traveled up the street in a comedic manner as the drag queens pushed and clawed their way to the finish line.
Divine intervention may have helped a saucy nun clad in a black spandex body suit take home the prize: a $100 bar tab at J.R.'s Bar and Grill. Scott "Camilla" Graff crossed the finish line first, clutching a wooden cross and ruler. Although his ankles held up just fine, "it was tough," he said, "and I'm a non-smoker."
There was some controversy concerning the win, however. "Coco," who won the last eight races, said he was tripped at the end, but still came away smiling.
"You come to see everyone and have everyone see you," said Coco. "You don't race to win, you race because it's fun"
