Red and White

During the dog days of Summer New Orleans can be an uncomfortable place to be. A lot of people avoid this great city like the plague given it’s spirit-crushing humidity and magnetization for hurricanes at this time of year. So you would think things might slow down given it’s too hot to do anything requiring movement and you could almost set your watch by afternoon thunderstorms that more closely resemble monsoons. As with a lot of things about this city…..misconception is popular. Two distinctly New Orleanian events that reignite festivities and keep locals and the visitors who run the gauntlet on their toes during August, the pinnacle of heat-related misery, are the Red Dress Run and White Linen Night.

Is it strange to be walking down your street on a Saturday morning and see a man running in sneakers and a dress, perhaps a sun hat too if he’s given thought to accessorising? In most places probably; yes, in the French Quarter; no. Ahhhhh always a fun day, the day of the Red Dress Run. The Red Dress Run is an extravaganza of textile and non-textile things hosted by the Hash House Harriers, a group who describe themselves as “a drinking club with a running problem”. On this particular day, the lead group are convincingly athletic looking enough; keeping a reasonable pace, impressive strides and form. As you get further down the pack this changes a little as makeshift, mobile bars start appearing and people are smoking. The Red Dress Run is a day for the dudes for there are far more men in dresses than women. Sadly many of the men folk succumb to the rookie move of wearing non-breathable, synthetic fabric on a day where even Beelzebub might pass out. Run is also a word that’s open to interpretation, as of the multiple people I spoke to clad in crimson, none had actually run. And why would you? It’s like standing on the surface of the sun out there. But the Red Dress Run is not all about closet cross dressers and day drinking. The Harriers are a community-oriented bunch hosting runs every week and proceeds raised from Red Dress Run benefit over 100 local charities. Getting in touch with your feminine side/inner drag queen is not the only winner of the day.

Staying with the theme of cloth, the next model on the August cat walk is White Linen Night. In a city with a vibrant arts scene, it’s not surprising there are multiple evenings on the calendar dedicated to bringing us plebs closer to the beauty that can be found on canvas. On the first Saturday night in August, New Orleanians clad themselves in any white garment they can dig out of the depths of their wardrobes and head out for the mother of all block parties. The art galleries along Julia Street in the Warehouse District open their doors wider and longer than normal to entice and encourage all and sundry to come in and peruse their wares. A multitude of local food and beverage vendors have gotten in on this act and live music and DJs pepper the 6ish block corridor for your audio pleasure. White linen was traditionally worn to combat the heat of the sun and has now become the namesake for one of the signature events of the Summer. If white linen conjures up images of aristocracy at garden parties, this is the look most are aiming for. If you’re also thinking crowds and overpriced chardonnay, that works as well. One week after the booths come down on Julia Street, the Royal Street galleries in the French Quarter fire their return shot across the bow with Dirty Linen Night. The same concept, just a different location where attendees are invited to wear clothing that may have been somewhat sullied the weekend before.

These distinctly Summer shenanigans can almost make you forget about the sweat patches that are building as you stand on a street corner, sipping on a little something. They become a staple part of the social schedule for some and attract new converts year after year. It would seem the Red Dress Run’s allure of it being overtly acceptable to wear women’s clothing in broad and blistering daylight proves irresistible to some of the Y chromosome crowd. And who doesn’t want to see a rotund gentleman in a lycra-based number, possibly once owned by an older female relative? Regardless of whether or not you participate in either of these crowd pleasers, they are uniquely New Orleans, and a welcome detour from the onslaught of the out-of-towner 🙂