(Photo via Aversa PR)
Vive la France!
On July 14, 1789, a mob stormed the Bastille prison and the French Revolution began. This Sunday, Philadelphia will celebrate the 230th anniversary of Bastille Day with outdoor wine gardens, family-friendly block parties, a burlesque show, and plenty of French food and drinks.
Royal Boucherie
When: Friday, July 12 through Sunday, July 14
Where: 52 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia
Nick Elmi’s Old City brasserie is celebrating Bastille Day with a full weekend of festivities! Stop by on Friday for a French-themed happy hour from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and then come back on Saturday for a burlesque show at 8 p.m. Finally, Royal Boucherie will host a Sunday brunch from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. with fabulous food, strong drinks, big wigs and live music.
Bastille Day Block Party in Fairmount
When: Saturday, July 13 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: 2120 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia
After 24 years, the Eastern State Penitentiary gave its final Bastille Day performance in 2018. But you can STILL celebrate the holiday in Fairmount! The tradition will continue with a family-friendly block party between 22nd Street and Corinthian Avenue on Fairmount Avenue. Look forward to 8 different live music performances, including headliner Black Landlord, games, raffles, food, beer tucks, and more.
Parc
When: Sunday, July 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 227 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia
Parc will be hosting a Bastille Day outdoor festival for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Come out to this Rittenhouse Square staple for face painting, balloon art, stilt-walker performances, and of course, outdoor dining. Don’t miss your Pop-Up Polaroid opportunity! Take your photos home to keep, or fill out a tag you’re your favorite Parc memories, then hang it on the fence along Rittenhouse Square.
Ardmore Bastille Day Block Party
When: Sunday, July 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Station Avenue at Lancaster, Ardmore
Celebrate your love of French food and culture with an all-day party thrown in honor of the 230th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille. Station Avenue at Lancaster will be closed down and filled with French and French-inspired food, pastries, wine, cocktails, music, can can dancers and more! This family-friendly event will also feature bocce ball, corn hole games, moon bounces, face painting, and crafts. The Bercy is hosting a special Bastille Day Brunch Buffet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $25 per person and an outdoor French Wine Garden. Ardmore’s Bastille Day Block Party is presented by The Bercy, Delice et Chocolat and Ardmore Initiative, along with local neighboring businesses. The festival itself is free to attend, with food and drink pay-as-you-go. Admission to the French Wine Garden requires a separate ticket.
“Ardmore is bringing a taste of France to the Main Line for our first-ever Bastille Day Block Party,” said The Bercy co-owner Justin Weathers. “In France, Bastille Day – or La Fete Nationale – is celebrated across the countryside with outdoor dances, picnics, parties and neighborhood gatherings. We wanted to bring people together like that on the Main Line to share our love of French culture, food and wine. We are excited to start a brand new tradition and signature event in Downtown Ardmore. Come join us and bring the family!”
Ardmore’s Bastille Day Block Party is a brand-new signature event that will also double as the kick-off for Ardmore Restaurant Week, which runs July 15th to July 28th.
Good King Tavern (photo via Facebook)
Good King Tavern
When: Sunday, July 14 from noon until 6 p.m.
Where: Kater Street, between 6th and 8th Street and Seventh Street between South and Bainbridge
The French-focused bar and restaurant will be celebrating Bastille Day with its annual block party. There will be street games such as corn home and ladder ball, raffles for prizes, face painting, and music from Philly DJs and Liberty Bellows. Bites and drinks at the festival are cash only. The restaurant bar and dining room will be open from noon to 9 p.m. serving the daily a la carte menu. Chalkboards will feature the block party street food additions.
Bistrot La Minette
When: Sunday, July 14 from noon to 9 p.m.
Where: 623 South 6th Street, Philadelphia
Bistrot La Minette Owner Peter Woolsey and his team will transport guests to France with their lavish annual Bastille Day Feast. It’s among the city’s biggest, and Chef Grant Lloyd and his team are thrilled to welcome anyone looking for an authentic way to celebrate. The restaurant will serve a tempting four-course menu of French fare from 12 noon until 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. For just $45 per person, guests will enjoy a soup to start, followed by a buffet-style second course of pâtés and salads, an entree of their choice with shared sides, and a choice of desserts.
“Much like Americans over Fourth of July weekend, French families spend Bastille Day weekend together, typically with a ton of food and parades on TV in the background, followed by fireworks in the town square,” explains Woolsey. “It’s a tradition that we love to celebrate every year, so our Bastille Day menu is plentiful, casual and perfect for a summer evening among friends.”
Savona (photo via Facebook)
Savona
When: Sunday, July 14, starting at 10 a.m.
Where: 100 Old Gulph Road, Gulph Mills
Celebrate Bastille Day on Sunday, July 14 with an indoor/outdoor open house party with games, live music and more! The festivities will kick off with a French-inspired brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $21 for adults, $12 for children 7-12 and free for kids 6 and under. Extended Happy Hour from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres, drink specials including $3 beers, $4 glasses of wine and $5 specialty cocktails plus $6 bar menu items. Finally, the evening ends with a 3-course Bastille Day Dinner for $39 per person with seatings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Look forward to dishes such as escargot bourguignon, classic French onion soup, chicken fricassee, grilled hanger steak, and vanilla crème brulee.
