And they’re off…to the seaside Del Mar Racetrack to place their bets and register their bonnets at the One & Only Truly Fabulous Hats Contest. Sponsored by the San Diego Hat Company, the 17th annual hat contest attracted almost 47,000 people for the Thoroughbred Club’s opening day 2011. 2011 was a big year for hats. Even folks who avoided coverage of the April 29, 2011 Royal Wedding heard about Princess Beatrice’s outlandish “fallopian tube” hat. Considered the worst headdress worn at Kate and William’s wedding, Princess Beatrice’s hat sold for $131,000 on May 22, 2011. The proceeds went to UNICEF. A good end for a bad hat. THE ARTIST silently asked moviegoers, “Who’s That Girl” in the white and black hat? The 2011 black and white French film received 10 nominations and won 5 Academy Awards including Best Costume Design. “Looking good never looked so good” purrs the Cavalier-hatted Shrek 2 spin-off cat on the 2011 DreamWorks PUSS IN BOOTS movie poster. Hollywood plays a big part at the Del Mar Racetrack. Co-founder Bing Crosby personally greeted fans at the gate when Del Mar opened in 1937. Crosby’s partners included actors Pat O’Brien, Jimmy Durante, and Oliver Hardy as well as automobile dealer Charles S. Howard. Guests to the track included W.C. Fields and Marilyn Monroe. And let us not forget about the horses. The legendary match race between Charles S. Howard’s Seabiscuit and Binglin Stable’s colt Ligaroti was the first nationwide broadcast of a thoroughbred race by NBC radio. Seabiscuit won by a nose before going on to greater fame. The fun starts by registering your hat at 11:30AM. You have to pay to park your car as well as buy a general admission ticket to enter the racetrack. However, you do not pay a penny to enter your headdress at one of four hat contest category registration tables in the Stretch Run Plaza de Mexico between 11:30AM-3:00PM. All registered hat contestants receive 2 free admission passes to a future race and a coveted paddock pass to the Walking Ring prior to the start of Race ONE at 2:00PM. All hat contestants also have the chance to strut their stuff in the Stretch Run Plaza de Mexico or stand on the sidelines to watch the hat parade at 3:00PM. First, second, and third place Hat Contest winners receive $300, $200, and $100 respectively in each of the following four categories: 1) Best Flowers/Others 2) Funniest or Most Outrageous 3) Most Glamorous 4) Best Racing Theme The Bing Crosby Grand Prize winner of the hats contest receives 2 round-trip American Airlines vouchers for travel anywhere in the United States.
AUTHOR: A Boston native, Lesley University graduate, and 2011 Del Mar hat day contestant, Erin now live in Poway with her husband, pet therapy dog, and cantankerous cat. She has worn many hats, including cashier, teller, and paralegal before becoming a freelance writer. Erin is working on a pictorial history of hats. Former professional model Carol Bader owns and operates the DEL MAR HAT COMPANY retail storefront, work studio, and website www.delmarhatco.com. Bader’s creations have appeared in 2011 issues of People Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine, Ranch and Coast, and San Diego Magazine. Call 888-424-HATS (4287) for studio hours and appointments. Founders Teresa Gardner and Andrew Bleecher started the SAN DIEGO HAT COMPANY www.sandiegohat.com from their garage after a trip to Bali in 1993. They personally visited each factory to ensure quality and working conditions. Their design team traveled to Tokyo, Paris, London, New York, San Francisco, and Southern California for their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. The VILLAGE HAT SHOP has four Southern California stores (Hillcrest, Seaport Village, Long Beach, and Sacramento); a wholesale showroom at 3443 India Street, San Diego; a website www.villagehatshop.com; and a toll-free number 1-888-VHS-HATS to help you find that perfect hat.
San Diego
by Erin Ruocco
So throw your hat into the ring. Who knows you may find yourself in the winner’s circle.
Woman
A DAY AT THE SAN DIEGO HAT COMPANY RACES
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