Drag racing

So last night I met up with a friend of a friend "FoF". Since I've moved around a few times I've done this several times.  Its like a blind date for a friend. I have friends all over the US and they have friends all over the US so there are kind of endless possibilities. Sometimes it works out great, but more times than not there is no second date. Well as far as friend dates go, last night was pretty good.

I met FoF at Churchkey a bar in my new hip hood.  Churchkey apparently has 555 different beers.  I don't think the menu listed them all, but there was a whole lot of beer to choose from.  Maybe the menu was just the drafts now that I think about it.  Since it is fall and I'm into gimmicks I went for a pumpkin beer.  I believe it was the Great Pumpkin from Heavy Seas in Maryland.  So it was a double score being seasonal and local (oh and it was tasty). The place was pretty cool too, kind of retro hollywood vintage industrial if you know what I mean (because I certainly don't).

FoF casually mentioned that one cool thing that happens each year in DC is the drag races. I think to myself "my that sounds dangerous" but didn't question it much. So we finish our drinks and FoF asks if I want to go the drag race, I say yes of course, but as we walk over I pushed for more information.

So this drag race is Men dressed in Drag running down the street in heels. Apparently it started one halloween when drag queens were running from bar to bar around Dupont and then it became some kind of tradition. More on this in a minute.

First we met up with FoF's friend or FoFF, who was also really cool and had lived in NYC so we had lots in common to talk about.  FoF, FoFF, and I went to Cajun Experience for some snacks pre race.  We had blackened alligator, assorted fried seafood, greens, and hushpuppies. All of it was pretty good.

Then back to the race track (17th St I believe). We stood towards the starting line.  These queens weren't just dressed in dresses, some of them had amazing costumes.  There were two washington monuments, several revolutionary outfits, a mermaid in a fish tank, Pan Am flight attendants, black swan and well other elaborate get ups that might not be so advantageous for running.

It was more of a parading around and then when the race started about 10 darted off as fast as they could while the others just jogged or walked to the finish line.

The race was over in less than a minute, but the party continued.  We went to Mandu for some Korean appetizers and drink, but then it was time for bed.  As I walked back to my apartment the sidewalks were still crowded with the racers and their fans.  This is definitely a tradition I can support.

I didn't get any pictures, but check over at the Post for some great ones.