Filene's Basement 'Running of the Brides' wedding-dress sale

Filene's Basement at the Filene's Building on Washington Street hosted the annual 'Running of the Brides,' a widely publicized bargain-event during which crowds surged into the store to purchase deeply discounted wedding dresses. The tradition attracted local and regional shoppers for decades and continued until Filene's Basement closed its flagship operations in 2011. The event is often cited in local retail and cultural histories of Downtown Crossing.