Red Dress Run- New Orleans

Who Dat?

Hey y’all! One of my nearest and dearest friends in this fabulous and treacherous life, Renée P., was in town on bizness yesterday and we got to have a looooong girlfriend lunch and of course talk each other’s ears off by the ocean side.

There was gossip to be had, and we had it.

It was such a treat for me to get to visit with my sweet, intelligent friend who I’ve been soul bonded with since we met at age 13. (13 is a rough age for girls. I had braces and was a nervous, emotional wreck. Barely survived it, hang in there 13 year olds! It gets better.)

Renée lives just outside New Orleans near my Mama and where we went to high school. While I moved away at age 18 to seek my fortune in Hollywood, Renée stayed in Louisiana with her beautiful family and she is the go-to New Orleans expert in my life.

She soaks up the true joy of the Crescent City and really experiences all it has to offer. I admire that about her, among other things. Renée showed me some photos in her phone and this one caught my eye- to me, it kinda captures what New Orleans is all about in a nutshell, (if that were possible.)

It turns out there’s another awesome reason to don joyful red dresses, this time for charity and breast cancer research. It’s the annual crazy Red Dress Run in where else? New Orleans, beloved home of my formative teen years from age 11 to 18.

The last one was held in August with over 7,000 people registered. There are others out there I hear, but this one’s the biggest…

I want to run in this.

It’s sponsored by the Hash House Harriers club and the run goes through the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans. The event is open to everyone 21 and over and although the concept originated as a charitable event to raise money for breast cancer research, it donates its proceeds to other charities as well.

The run is usually between 3 and 4 miles (no one clocks it exactly, that is NOT a big shock in N.O.- ha!) and runners start assembling, registering and drinking(!) at 9:00 a.m. Yikes.

I would have to do it without the drinking part or I’d be in jail by noon. But that’s just me.

There’s live music before and after the race, starting at 12:30 p.m. Psst: August in New Orleans is HOT! Wearing a red dress (or less) is a requirement.

Doesn’t this sound like a hoot and a half? We need to get the Traveling Red Dress Ladies and The Red Hat Society ladies together with this wacky bunch of monkeys and take it off the charts, baby! (I would love to see the elderly Red Hat ladies running along side the frat boys in red gowns, *hee*)

Photo credit to my lovely girl Renée Piediscalzo, I had to carefully scan it for nudity because, well, New Orleans. Have a great rest of your trip, Nee Nee! I miss you already.

XOXO-

~ Heidi