Culture

Give me liberty, or give me TastyKakes! Bastille Day Philadelphia

Have you ever been intoxicated with liberty and enthusiasm? The French were back in July 1789 when they stormed the Bastille. The United States celebrates our independence this month also.

Hmm…must be the weather that invigorates the masses to throw off the yoke of oppression.

And what better place to mark the anniversary of Bastille Day than Eastern State Penitentiary? No, there are no longer any political prisoners there to bust out into the sweet, sweet nectar of freedom, but that’s no reason not to throw a party, right? What am I even talking about?

The Bastille Day celebration, of course! Including the Bastille Day Street Festival, Storming of the Bastille, and of course Bastille Day After Parties!

It all launches next Saturday, July 12, 2008, at Eastern State with the Bastille Day Street Festival from 2:00 – 5:30 pm. The festival is free but there is a $9 charge if you want to tour the penitentiary. Other festival events include:

- Live music from Musette and Delaware State Band
- Pet parade at 2:00 pm, register your pet online at petparade@easternstate.org, prizes for the best French dressed pets!
- Kid activities – crafts, face-painting, Tricycle Tour de France at 3:00 pm, register your 4-8 year old at tricyclerace@easternstate.org. Bring your own trike or big wheel decorated in hip French fashion. Prizes? Yes!
- Exhibit tents from Mouton Caden & Wine School of Philadelphia French Wine Tips, How to Say it in French, Book Haven’s French Books, and Whole Food’s French Cheese Tips
- Fairmount restaurants and bars will serve crepes, baguette sandwiches, pastries and desserts
- Rembrandt’s features brunch with Grey Goose Bloodys or Domaine St. Michelle Mimosas

You probably need to pause and catch your breath after all that excitement, but there’s not a moment to spare. It’s time to start the Revolution for real! Let’s storm the Bastille…err…Eastern State Penitentiary. Got your pitchfork? Good.

At 5:30 pm sharp the party continues with the Storming of the Bastille. Armed troops will capture Marie Antoinette while tossing 2,000 Butterscotch Krimpets from the penitentiary’s medieval towers to the bloodthirsty crowd below. Her mocking cries of, “Let them eat TastyKake!” will be ignored as she is delivered into the hands of her executioner in front of a real guillotine.

Now what could be more fun than letting the crowd decide her fate? But you can join the Revolution even if the only thing French in you is toast from breakfast. The public is invited to attend dressed as French peasants or aristocrats. Consider your surroundings and choose wisely.
But wait – that’s not all. Now that we’ve lopped off the queen’s head and stuffed ourselves on Krimpets, it’s time for the party to really get started.

The London Grill Street Party gets underway at 6:30 pm. You can work up a pretty big appetite storming the castle walls, so join the Fairmount neighborhood, along with area restaurants and businesses, as they celebrate into the wee hours with more food and drink than any peasant should be allowed to see.

Please park your oxcarts in designated parking only.

For more information, drop by the Eastern State Penitentiary website. The pen is located at 2124 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia, PA.

Find more excitingPhiladelphia events on our calendar.

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