39th Annual 17th Street High Heel Race

Our very own Tucker Barnes is right outside of our studio here in Bethesda with a preview and a pair of pumps. All right, Tuck, let's see what you're working with. Makia, I'm working on being a winner this year because this is, I think, this is the 39th official run with the high-heel race, but this has got to be my 10th or 12th effort at not being the last place out here. I've got Jasper. Yeah, howdy. Yeah, good morning, D.C., and yeah, we're excited for the high-heel race happening tomorrow on 17th Street. be there at 5 o'clock. Entertainment will start race at 9. Alright, tell everybody your role here with DC because I'm sad to report this is Jasper's last year. Yeah, well, I'm the director of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ Affairs and it's our 20th anniversary of the office and it truly has been an honor working under the Mayor Bowser administration. We're closing out strong in LGBTQ History Month and yeah, excited to celebrate with the community. I love it. Just for people that are not familiar with the race, tell everybody sort of the origins of the race and and where it's taking place and the rest of it yeah really well it's drag artists and community members uh really teasing each other and making a wager from JR's taking shots going to Annie's a few blocks away taking other shots and whoever made it back won a cash prize or a bar tab or now um a beautiful uh gift basket full of all 17th street businesses and gift cards and representation. Wonderful. It's going to be great. And originally this was just kind of campy fun, but now it's pretty serious racing, right? Well, with folks like this on the rise, and then as well as a full line of entertainment and performers, bands, yeah, it's a huge celebration. Come on, we're going to back up here a little bit. Your name, please, and we're about to race. Oh, yes, we're about to race and you're about to lose. My name is Mari Con Carne. Okay, let's see what kind of legs you've got. Oh, good ones. Look at that. Yeah, okay. Jasper, you want to show off anything here, a little leg action? Yeah, no. Okay, so here's how it's going to work. Turn around there, cameraman, and show our finish line ladies. You know what? You win. You win. One of the ladies will go out on a date with you if you win the race. Let's do it. Let's do it. Why not? Let's have a great time. Okay, yeah, right? Okay, so here's what's going to happen. I'm going to run with the mic. I'll be fine. Now, when the lady in the white says on your mark and set go, we're going to race. But let's back up a little bit because we need to get out. We need some space. We need some space. Okay. We are going to run. The first one to cross that finish line, what do we get? What's the win? Yeah, you already said. A date with one of the ladies. Okay. Please. Stay. It never gets any easier, Jasper. I do it every year. Do you guys have like a, you know what I need? I need like a senior age group. Do you have like an over 50 age group? Oh, that's a good idea. We can bring the walkers out. Yeah, exactly. We can have something for everybody. Yeah. I mean, you've got to have something for congratulations. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Anybody in particular you want to thank for that victory? Myself and these legs that my parents gave me. Thank you, parents. All right, and tell me your role tomorrow. I will be performing along with Cedrine. The performances are going to start around 6 o'clock. We'll go on at 6.25. After that, I'm going to change to a nice little outfit, and then I'm going to strut the streets. Okay, and again, the race is, tell everybody at home. 9 o'clock. You want to be there at 8 o'clock to get a nice spot, but please come out at 6 o'clock. There will be performances, remarks, full bands, marching bands, and, of course, there to support 17th Street and our businesses and our LGBTQ plus community. So please come on out. It'll be a great time. Weather's going to be great. Yes! Thank you. You did that for us. Yeah, I did the best I could. Now, you've got to admit, I might not have won, but I got pretty good legs, right? Oh, yeah. All right, that's a hard wrap. That's the latest. I promise I won't do that again unless they make me. I need the money. Back to you. All right, Tucker, good job. A for effort, my friend. Let me see.