.png)
The fun and fashion return to Dupont City on October 29.
WASHINGTON — The 17th Street High Heel Race is known for its fun, fashion, flare and fierce competition.
This year, there’s already a standout star ahead of the 37th annual race. Students with the Latin American Youth Center worked with well-known muralist, Lisa Marie Thalhammer to design and install a new mural along the race route.
“When you walk by and see a big beautiful high-heeled rainbow artwork on the street, I think you just feel like you belong here,” Thalhammer said.
Thalhammer has designed several murals in D.C., including the iconic LOVE display in D.C.’s Blagden Alley. She said working with students was the highlight of this latest project.
“We’re teaching the students about the history, about the LGBTQ history. A lot of students don’t learn LGBTQ history, so this is an opportunity too, to educate,” Thalhammer said.
Each high heel was designed by a student at LAYC and they spent Wednesday evening along 17th Street bringing their designs to life.
This mural was commissioned by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs. The office’s director, Japer Bowles said this is about visibility and the city’s preparations for World Pride 2025.
"It's showing that we have space and we're taking up space. Not just physically, but in art, music, in festivals and events. In this particular moment, we are working with LGBTQ+ youth who are being targeted nationally and saying that in D.C. we care for you, we support you and want to provide opportunities," Bowles said.
“It sets us up as a tourist destination,” said Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Vincent Slatt. "People still want to come home to the traditional gayborhood. People still want to come to a special place. We get to be a beacon, not just across the city, but across the country for how great things can be when you have freedom, equality, love, safety in your own neighborhood," Slatt added.
This year’s race is Tuesday, October 29. The winner of the High Heel Race is the person who can navigate 17th Street the fastest while wearing stiletto heels and the most elaborate costumes.
The race started back in the '80s, with wagers among bartenders, drag queens, and community members on who could race the fastest in high heels along a strip of bars in the area.
In 2018, Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed the race an official mayoral event.
English (US) ·