A Saturday of Sun and Saveur

concentration
Originally uploaded by Katherine H.

With the hot afternoon sun already drawing crowds to the cascading fountain at Jamison Square Park, the area was brimming with music, food, and francophiles in celebration of Bastille Day. Of particular anticipation was the second annual Waiters Race, in which servers from local bars and restaurants competed for prizes (and bragging rights).

The task was to speedwalk – good waiters never run – multiple times around the perimeter of the square, the total distance roughly equaling one mile. Sounds simple, right? The trick was doing it in traditional Parisian waiter attire while balancing a tray with a full water bottle and three full glasses. The successful participant would pass the finish line with as close to a “full complement” as possible. Penalties were assigned for spilled items, or tactics such as balancing the tray against the body for stability. The best times after figuring in the penalties collected one round-trip air ticket to Paris (first place) and small cash awards (second and third places).