Guess what? It’s the Tuesday before Halloween! Big deal you say? It sure is a big deal. The Tuesday before Halloween marks one of the District’s flashiest homegrown events, the High-Heel Race. Thousands of District-area residents will line 17th Street (between R and Church) to cheer on the most glitzy, glamorous, and sometimes downright gaudy ladies the city has to offer as this annual tradition marks its 19th birthday.

Yes, we realize it is raining, however, considering permit issues didn’t stop the event in past years, we’re pretty sure rain won’t cause a major meltdown. If you remember from last year, DCist is a big fan of this extravaganza of sashaying delights. Since we’re veterans, we wanted to pass on a few spectator tips for race virgins.

1) Get there early. DCist is fond of the picnic on the curb variety of festivating. It’s good to claim a spot early because standing on tip-toe to see really sucks. The race starts at a prompt 9 p.m., but street closures and the pre-race parade start at 7 p.m. We usually aim to put our butts on the curb by 6:30 p.m.

2) Lay off the liquids. See tip #1 and note the importance of finding and defending your perfect view. If nature calls at 8 p.m. you’ll not only lose your spot, but you’ll miss the fun of the pre-race preening.

3) Wear a coat (or five) and bring an umbrella. This is a rain or shine event. If you think today’s weather is too bad to make it out, we worry about how you will hold up in February. And trust us, many race participants will be wearing far less than you.

See you on 17th Street tonight! We’ll be the ones swaddled in rain gear, swigging the whiskey and praying our bladders can hold out until after the race has been run.

Oh yeah, take some photos and send them our way.

(Photo from JR’s Bar and Grill website.)