Everyone knows New Orleans is the best place to experience Mardi Gras, but few know about the secret event held in the city every August that may rival the infamous Carnival celebration; the annual New Orleans Red Dress Run.
Held during the second Saturday in August, the New Orleans Red Dress Run is an epic event in which thousands of people, both women and men, party in red dresses in the middle of the French Quarter. This is the one weekend of the year Bourbon Street is stripped of the iconic purple, green, and gold Mardi Gras colors it normally flies and instead is covered in red. The event is held by “The New Orleans Hash House Harriers” (or “NOH3”), a running-slash-drinking club in the city. Red Dress Runs are put on by Hash clubs all over the globe, but the New Orleans Red Dress Run is the world’s largest Red Dress event, raising over a million dollars for New Orleans’ charities.
This past weekend, the 21st annual New Orleans Red Dress Run was held and for those who missed out, they should consider adding the Run to their bucket list. The official Red Dress Run requires those registering to be at least 21 years of age, but in all honesty, most people who walk around NOLA in a dress are not interested in running. Since the Run is in the early morning, the real party starts later around 10 or 11 a.m.. on Bourbon St. and lasts until dark, or until one can no longer stand up straight.
Because this event is held in New Orleans, a city where hard liquor can be found in a CVS, the Red Dress Run is not for the weak. Louisiana in August means zero cloud coverage and humidity so intense you can actually feel it like a weight on your shoulders. The streets are completely swarmed by noon and while a dark, dungeon-esque bar may sound tempting, the bars are just as crowded as the streets. The temperature normally reaches above ninety degrees and all of the people dressed in red look like little devils—making the scene resemble actual Hell—but these factors only add to the fun.
The Red Dress Run is an event unlike any other, and New Orleans is a perfect place to host it. Seeing a bunch of dudes in dresses may sound weird, but the only thing weird about the Red Dress Run is how un-weird everything seems once you are a part of it. Because the Red Dress Run is not as popular as Mardi Gras, most of the people there are locals, not tourists, and the event a more authentic New Orleans experience. Just think of all of the memories you and your friends will make if you plan a trip to the Big Easy. So, if you are in search of an end of summer celebration, go ahead and grab a red dress and paint the town red. There are a lot of fun things to do before you die and the New Orleans Red Dress Run is not to be missed.
