Q: Why celebrate a holiday that encourages children to gain weight and rot their teeth? A: It is one of the only occasions when it is appropriate for “kids” of all ages to dress up. Costumes give us a chance to create a new look and persona. Or we can even become an inanimate object. (I was once a grapefruit juice box complete with bendy straw.) Clothing, makeup and prosthetics can also offer the opportunity to temporarily or permanently take on another gender. Every year on the Tuesday before Halloween, this freedom is celebrated with a spirited drag parade followed by a high heeled race in the Dupont Circle area. If you are ever in our Nation’s Capital the week before Halloween, do not miss this annual treat. Follow the link for a taste of what you missed this year.