One of D.C.’s most revered traditions took place with all the usual pomp and circumstance and fabulousness last night. Drag queens once again sprinted down 17th Street for the 29th annual High Heel Race, though it came on the (high) heels of the disbanding of D.C.’s oldest drag institution.

“If this had happened 30 years ago it would’ve been a bigger hit on the local drag community,” Robert Amos, one of the [Academy of Washington, Inc] board members who performs in drag under the name Veronica Blake, told the Washington City Paper about the closure. “But today, almost every gay bar hosts drag events.”

Indeed, the success of the annual High Heel Race is perhaps the most high-profile example of how mainstream the once-illegal drag community has become. What started as an impromptu dash featuring a handful of contestants competing for a bottle of champagne has morphed into a full-fledged spectacle that closes down the streets and draws thousands—including the mayor. But as far as we know, Mayor Muriel Bowser didn’t pose next to drag queen wearing a crown of dildos this year. Can’t have everything.