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Where To Celebrate Bastille Day This Weekend
By
Garth Johnston
Published Jul 13, 2012
Modified Jul 13, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Jul 13, 2012
Modified Jul 13, 2012
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Vive la France! July Fourth is past, but for Francophiles the celebration of liberty is just getting going—Bastille Day returns tomorrow (and is being celebrated all weekend across town). So where to get your French on? Oh, you've got options. So many options.
If you want to go super official, well, the French Institute Alliance Française's annual party, on 60th Street between Fifth and Lexington Avenues, is going down on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. It is free to attend and there will be food (crepes!) and wine (wine!) to sample and purchase. Also, pétanque. And loads of people.
Meanwhile, also on Sunday, one of our favorite celebrations goes down at the Smith Street Block Party in Brooklyn. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Smith from Bergen to Pacific Streets becomes tres French. It isn't just pastis drinks, live music, food and booze either—the fest there also has North America's largest pétanque tournament! 80 teams with players from around the world will be competing in the fun, but silly looking, sport.
To get you going the night before—y'know, on the actual Bastille Day—try out the Skint's second annual Bastille Day Bash at DeKalb Market. Starting at 6 p.m. the party expects to include live music, dancing, French burlesque, a baguette-eating contest, lots of props and, of course, booze.
Or, if you want to be in Manhattan, there is a Bastille Day Ball, starting at 7 p.m., at the Dream Hotel on West 16th Street. The only tickets left are $35 (which doesn't include any food off the menu), but there will be french music and DJs.
There are definitely a few other celebrations going down this weekend (French restaurant week, $5 glasses of rose at Barrio 47, French jazz at Brasserie Julien, $5 Ricard cocktails and free admission for those with French IDs at Sky Room Times Square) but really, it is all about the two block parties on Sunday. And if you haven't been to the Smith Street celebration before, do yourself a favor and head there on Sunday. Thank us through your hangover on Monday.
Tagged
bastille day
brooklyn
celebrations
france
manhattan
petanque
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Garth Johnston
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