Commemorating the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, and the birth of the modern French nation ~ Bastille Day has become a major celebration here in New York. let’s begin our 2019 Bastille Day Celebration at French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)!
The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) hosts the largest public celebration of France’s national holiday, closing 60th Street from Fifth Avenue Lexington Avenue, thousands of visitors come for the French cuisine, mystique, dance and joie de vivre of France from Noon to 5:00pm.
The FIAF Event includes more than sixty purveyors of French food, fashion, culture and travel, along with live music and performances throughout the day as follows:
Main Stage, 60th Street & Park Avenue
- 12:45pm — French Heart Jazz Band with Chloé Perrier
- 1:15pm — The Love Show
- 2pm — The Blue Dahlia
- 2:45pm — Les P’tites Ouvreuses
- 3:30pm — Rodeo Joe
- 4:15pm — Zouk Dance Lesson with Franck Muhel
FIAF Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street
- 3pm — Gérard Chambre
Along 60th Street
- 12:50–4:20pm — French Mime with Catherine Gasta
- 12:50–4:20pm — French Artist COCOVAN
- 12:55–5pm — Citroën Car Show (Fifth Avenue at 60th Street)
- 2:55pm — Hungry March Band
Check out the Kids’ Corner on 60th Street between Madison and Park Avenues ~
- 1–2pm — Animal Geometry with Lucie Brunellière
- 2–3pm — Full Speed Ahead with Cruschiform
- 3–4pm — Garden Pop-Up with Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Rigaud
FIAF also has a number of related events and activities including a French film screening at 5:30pm at FIAF Florence Gould Hall on East 59th Street.
Don’t miss the Champagne, Cocktail, and Jazz Party in the FIAF Skyroom. Champagnes from Laurent-Perrier, Besserat de Bellefon, Delamotte, Michel Gonet, and Pol Roger and cocktails from Giffard will be served along with treats from Jacques Torres Chocolate, Ladurée, and Maman Bakery. the Avalon Jazz Bank will perform. Champagne, Cocktail, and Jazz Party will take place from 1:30 ~ 3pm and from 3:30 to 5pm.
Win dream vacations, gourmet gift baskets, dinners at exclusive NYC French restaurants, and other fabulous prizes. Grand Prize Drawing for a luxury escape to Cannes for two including airfare! You do not need to be present to win.
Summer in Provence Tasting will take place in FIAF Tinker Auditorium from Noon to 4:30pm. Discover the flavors of Provence at a fun and festive tasting featuring wines from Miraval, Château d’Esclans, Château de la Clapière, cocktails from Ricard, beers from Kronenbourg, cheese from Président, and charcuterie from Trois Petits Cochons.
The French Garden: A Showcase of Premium French Brands will return for a second year. It will feature shops with exclusive fashions and accessories from French boutiques, including Atelier Paulin, French Wink, Ladurée, Saint James, and many more. Open from Noon to 5:00pm on 60th Street from Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.
Celebrating its 100th anniversary ~ Greater New York Citroen & Velosolex Club
Follow the Greater New York Citroen & Velosolex Club on its 20th Annual Bastille Day Rendezvous as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of Citroen automobiles. Both four wheel and two wheel vehicles include Citroen, Velosolex, Peugeot, Renault, Panhards, Simcas, Buggati ~ and all vehicles French.
The event, held on July 14th, will begin at 9am at Grant’s Tomb, 122nd Street and Riverside Drive South, rally around Manhattan, making stops at French-related landmarks including Washington Square Park, Maison Kayser patisserie and more ~ and end at 60th Street at Fifth Avenue, at Central Park South around 1:30pm, where an already celebratory crowd from the FIFA event will be partying right across the street.
This year, the Greater New York Citroën & Velosolex Club’s Annual Bastille Day Rally Around New York City will be part of Citroën’s global heritage documentary online series in celebration of Citroën’s 100 Anniversary. A film crew directed by Basile Rose will join event organizer, Howie Seligman on the rendezvous.
Bastille Day Concert in Van Cortlandt Park! In honor of Bastille Day, Bronx Arts Ensemble’s string quartet presents a program of music by all Francophone composers. Centering around Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major, the program will also feature the guitar music of Haitian composer Frantz Casséus and the string music of Germaine Tailleferre, member of the infamous French composers’ collective Les Six.
This is a Free event at 2pm on Sunday, July 14th at Rockwood Circle in Van Cortlandt Park South in the Bronx.
Myriam Phiro: Edith Piaf Tribute at Joe’s Pub! After a sold out performance at Birdland last May, Myriam Phiro will be guiding Joe’s Pub’s audience through the decadent world of Edith Piaf using her timeless songs to retell the life of the icon who is her greatest inspiration in becoming a performer herself in celebration of Bastille Day. Accompanied by her all-star trio, the chanteuse will offer a solo-rendition of her own ‘Piaf at 100’ cabaret show, recreating the brothels, circuses, and nightclubs that created the great Piaf we all know. A show not-to-be-missed!
Celebrate with an Independence Day Brunch on a yacht! The Infinity (part of Hornblower Cruises) will leave from Pier 40 at 11am.
Bastille Day Brunch at The Blue Note with Fleur Seule! Join Fleur Seule at one of the world’s top jazz venues for Bastille Day Brunch! The event will take you back to Paris in the 1940s with classic tunes and sips. Sets at 11:30am and 1:30pm Brunch is served from 10:30am-3:00pm.
Bouley Bastille Day Gypsy Jazz Brunch at Bouley Test Kitchen! Celebrate La Fête Nationale with jazz manouche – live gypsy jazz – and savoring Chef David Bouley’s French nouvelle brunch cuisine. Delight in signature passed canapes, charcuterie, French cheese by Master French Craftsman Rodolphe Le Meunier, Bouley baked breads and desserts by Chef Etienne Le Bastard. Experience live cooking demonstrations and a special French wine program for la fête nationale. Liberté, égalité, fraternité!
Bar Taback and the Pétanque Tournament! Join over 70 teams for a tournament of the quirky French sport Pétanque. With music in the background and food and beverage by Bar Tabac, the sandy courts offer an excellent way to greet summer.
Screening of The Triplets of Belleville with Live Score Prospect Park Bandshell Thursday, July 14 | 8pm | Free See The Triplets of Belleville with a live orchestral accompaniment of Benoit Charest’s score and vocals by chanteuse/songwriter Jessica Fichot. Presented by BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival.
French Restaurant Week from July 8th to July 21st, 2019
Since its creation in 2011, French Restaurant Week® has been hosted by over 240 participating restaurants. In partnership with OpenTable®, this special week offers customers the ability to enjoy special prix-fixe menu options during dinner, and in some cases, lunch. In previous years, wines were highlighted within the restaurants and online promotions as exclusive sponsors. This year French Restaurant Week will return on July 2019 in New York and Chicago. Restaurants across both cities will be offering special promotional prices of $17.89 (bar option), $25 (lunch option), $42 (dinner option) and $178.90 (dinner option for 2) in honor of the French Revolution.
And then there is the Macaroon.
These are just a few of the festivities we found for Bastille Day 2019. More to come!