America's Independence Day may have just passed, but if you're still feeling festive and you're looking for another reason to don your red, white, and blue, get in on the festivities this weekend to celebrate Bastille Day.
The annual French holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille and the start of French independence always takes place on July 14th, but people will be celebrating around the world all weekend long.
In Paris, the day starts with a military parade on the Champs-Elysees and ends with fireworks over the Seine and Eiffel Tower. All around France, there are parades, festivals and celebrations.
But there are plenty of French expats and Francophiles who want to join in on the celebrations—and they do so with Bastille Day fêtes all around the U.S.
To celebrate, do like the French and drink some Ricard or Pastis (anise-flavored liqueurs), play a game of pétanque (a French game reminiscent of Bocce), and eat some delicious French cheese.
Brooklyn, New York
Although Manhattan celebrates Bastille Day with an official parade that's sponsored by the French Institute Alliance Française (the parade is on Sunday in midtown), the real celebrations take place in Brooklyn, where the large French expat community leads the charge.
This Bastille Day block party, which takes place on Smith Street from Bergen to Pacific Streets in Cobble Hill, sees the quiet streets of Cobble Hill and Caroll Gardens transformed into a giant sandy pétanque court. (An 80-team pétanque tournament takes place throughout the day.)
The celebration on Sunday centers around Bar Tabac. Expect live music, Pastis beverages, and French food.
New York City is also commemorating the French Holiday with a French Restaurant Week, with 53 French restaurants offering special menus for $17.89; it will run through Sunday, July 14th.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle's Bastille Day Festival will take place in the Madison Valley neighborhood on Saturday from 3 to 8pm.
Besides all of the usual festive features—French food, wine tasting, live music—there are also cooking demos, burlesque dancers, and mimes.
New Orleans, Louisiana
One of the rowdiest Bastille Day celebrations in the U.S. takes place in New Orleans. This city is steeped in French history and culture, and the people here love any excuse to party, so they throw a big Bastille Day celebration.
Festivities kick off on Friday night with a cocktail event at Dijon Restaurant and continue all weekend long.
There are parties all over the city, but one of the largest is in the French Quarter, where vendors and live bands set up shop, feeding and entertaining the crowds at the French Market. Here, there's a French dance band, a French dog contest, a waiter's and bartender's race, and even Marie Antoinette herself serving cake to the masses.
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