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17 July 2006
Waiters Race Celebrates Bastille Day in Washington
Annual Bastille Day celebration honors French holiday and tradition
Washington -- A block in the heart of downtown Washington was closed to traffic July 14 so that scores of tourists and Washington residents could celebrate Bastille Day, the French national day, with food, champagne and several rounds of the waiters’ race outside the restaurant Brasserie Les Halles.
This year marked the 32nd anniversary of the Bastille Race for Waiters and Waitresses in the nation’s capital. The race, a variation of the tradition that originated in France, tests the skill and poise of waiters and waitresses by having them speed walk around an obstacle course carrying a tray -- one-handed – laden with a liter of bottled water and a filled drinking glass.
Actresses dressed as Lady Liberty and Marie Antoinette posed for pictures with visitors, especially children. “Lady Liberty” remarked that she had a lengthy journey from France to New York City -- where she usually stands in the harbor -- and then on to Washington, but her “long legs helped.”
The day started with the Angels Races for young visitors. Several day camps, including the French Immersion Day Camp of the Washington Episcopal School, came out to participate. The children, aged 6 to 13, had to speed walk around the course carrying a basket of hot French fries on serving trays.
The crowd cheered the youngsters on with words of encouragement and instruction, usually to “walk.” Quite a few children stopped to munch on their fries during the race, including the winner who crossed the finish line with a few bits sticking out of her mouth. When asked how she managed to win the race while eating, the little blonde girl responded that she had “been working out.”
After a race for spectators and restaurant customers, the professionals began lining up under an arch of the red, white and blue balloons that marked the starting line. Many of the waiters took practice starts, turns and stops to test out the balance of the water bottle and full glass of water that sat on their trays.
“You must not run,” explained Brasserie Les Halles restaurant founder and owner Philippe LaJaunie to the dozens of contestants. “You cannot use two hands to hold the tray, you must be professional. Stand straight and smile!”
After the Star Spangled Banner and La Marseillaise boomed in the square, LaJaunie opened a champagne bottle and sprayed the contestants to signify the start of the race. The servers took off for their first of three laps around the course with looks of concentration on their faces as they tried to walk as speedily and steadily as possible.
The poise of the contestants as well as their speed was very important. Many factors could disqualify them from the race, including too much liquid spilling over the rim of the glass. Tim Wolf, a waiter at Les Halles, had the best combination of technique and speed and won the 2007 race. He was awarded five cases of bottled water, train tickets, and other prizes.
All proceeds from the race’s entry fees and festival food and drink sales were donated to Best Buddies Virginia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment.
A similar event took place in New York City at the annual Bastille Day block party at Les Halles. Instead of bottled water, the waiters carried bottles of champagne and filled champagne glasses.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
