The good news is that I’m working. The bad news is that I have no time to blog about the festivities of my day off. The 25th anniversary Red Dress Run began at 11:oo am. At least 10,000 people showed up in red dresses to support over 100 local non-profits and party in the streets all day and night throughout the French Quarter. The Hash House Harriers, a “drinking club with a running problem,” have raised more than $500,000 in the last 3 years. The run had an added sentimental value as “The Lady in Red,” the woman who accidentally inspired the event years ago, passed in April. For more history, information and photos, CLICK HERE.
The street was still jammed with approaching Red Dress runners when I left at 11:40ish. I could barely make my way through town for all the runners throughout the Quarter. When we headed across the Quarter for supper at 6:40pm, there were no taxis and many of the roads were still blocked or crowded with red-dressed people still partying since that morning.
Like most foodies, I’ve heard a lot about John Besh’s Restaurant August. James Beard Award winner, Besh, has turned his flagship restaurant (of 9) into a Gayot Top 40 Restaurant and a Top 100 Wine Enthusiast restaurant. In 2012 and 2013, August was nominated for the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award.
With no time to recap the deeply satisfying, super-tasty, inventive yet classic flavor-fest, let me just say – get the gnocchi. The seasonal crab and Covey Rise heirloom tomato salad featured roasted avocados. Though I ate avocados all the time during my nearly 18 years in Los Angeles, I can honestly say, I never had it so good – my new favorite avocado preparation. The service was wonderful and after eating course after course, I had a food afterglow for hours.
And red-dressed people partied in the streets…
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- Red Dress Run begins
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- cowgirl
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- cool hat
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- petticoat runner
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- fleur de lis
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- sparkly runner
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- fab frock
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- 11:10am Red Dress Run
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- primping
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- bikini and beard
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- crowd passes
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- determined Red Dress Runner
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- cool couple
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- more crowd
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- floral costume
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- corseted runner
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- friendly runner
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- great wig
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- 11:20 Red Dress Run
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- cheers!
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- triple
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- still more “runners”
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- Little Red Riding Hood
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- still coming
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- Minnie Mouse
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- 11:30 Red Dress Run
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- overlooking the action
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- overlookers in red
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- cute hat
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- horse head
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- with kitty
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- moustaches – lower right
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- love the woman’s expression
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- 11:40 Red Dress Run
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- supplies
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- Santa
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- Wooooo!
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- boom box
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- 2-fisted drinkers
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- birthday boy, Tim, injured
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- 6:00pm Red Dress Run
L.A. to N.O.LA 
A small addition (rather than correction): August (12th, actually) marks the 25th anniversary of the Hash House Harriers’ Red Dress Run globally. The first one was held in San Diego and within a few years spread across the globe. The New Orleans Hash House Harriers held their first Red Dress Run in 1995. Today, the New Orleans Red Dress Run is easily the world’s largest. The Lady in Red had been looking forward to attending this year. She was also looking forward to stopping by the WWII museum because of its emphasis on D-Day. Her father jumpted into Normandy with the 101st. His unit (506th PIR/2nd Btn, Co. E “Easy”) was immortalized in HBO’s series, “Band of Brothers.” Loved your epicurean mix of food, wine, Red Dress Run hijinx and of course the photos! Well done!
Thanks for the additional info! I had very little time to elaborate this year and hoped people would click the link to last year’s event when I had a lot more time to fill in the story of “The Lady in Red” and the history of the Red Dress Run.