July 12, 2017
Bastille Day, celebrated in France on July 14, commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which set off the French Revolution.
Philly will celebrate the French national holiday with festivities all weekend long. The biggest will be on Saturday, July 15, outside Eastern State Penitentiary, but there's plenty to do leading up to the annual Bastille Day cabaret show.
There are block parties, dinners, deals on Champagne and bar crawls throughout the weekend. Use the go-to guide below to find a Bastille Day celebration to join.
Home Brewed Events, the Alchemist Society and PhilaLandmarks are partnering together to produce special events throughout the summer. The first event will be a Bastille Day celebration at the Hill-Physick House in Old City.
There will be live jazz, French cocktails, brews and light bites.
Twenty percent of the proceeds from the event will go to PhilaLandmarks, which works to preserve historic sites. Tickets are $55 per person.
Thursday, July 13
7-10 p.m. | $55 per person
Hill-Physick House
321 S. Fourth St.
On Thursday, July 13, those 21-plus can attend the Fairmount French Fling Bar Crawl. Participating bars and restaurants will serve Kronenbourg 1664 and Kronenbourg Blanc for $3 each, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Thursday, July 13
6 p.m. to 2 a.m. | Free to attend; pay-as-you-go
Various locations around 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue
Bistrot la Minette will celebrate Bastille Day with a special meal on Thursday, July 13, and Friday, July 14. Attendees will dine on a decadent four-course meal of traditional French dishes.
The second course will be a buffet for guests to share and serve themselves. Included in the buffet will be dishes like duck confit, chicken liver mousse, potato salad, paté and quiche.
The Bastille Day dinner is $40 per person.
Thursday, July 13 through Friday, July 14
$40 per person
Bistrot la Minette
623 S. Sixth St.
(215) 925-8000
The Good King Tavern will host a block party in celebration of Bastille Day. Kater Street, adjacent to the restaurant, will be shut down to traffic.
At the outdoor celebration, attendees can enjoy a special menu, outdoor bars, accordion players, a DJ and games like bocce ball and volleyball.
The party runs from 5-10 p.m. outside, but the Tavern's inside bar will stay open until midnight. The event is cash only.
Friday, July 14
5-10 p.m. | Pay-as-you-go; cash only
The Good King Tavern
614 S. Seventh St.
The London Grill in Fairmount will host French-themed Quizzo on Friday, July 14. The bar will serve Kronenbourg specials during the game, too.
And on Saturday, July 15, after the Bearded Ladies' annual Bastille Day show, there will be a block party outside the restaurant at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, July 14
8-10 p.m. | Pay-as-you-go
The London Grill
2301 Fairmount Ave.
The bar and brasserie will offer specials all day on Friday, July 14. Petit plates will be $8 each. The deal includes cheese & charcuterie boards, Croque Monsieur, Kennett mushroom tartines and Philly pretzels.
French 75 and Eiffel Tower Cosmo cocktails will also be $8 each.
The classic French 75 cocktail is a traditional gin-based cocktail served with Champagne, lemon juice and sugar. The Eiffel Tower Cosmo is made with Grey Goose l’Orange, Cointreau, fresh cranberry juice and fresh lime juice.
Friday, July 14
All day | Pay-as-you-go
Le Méridien Philadelphia
1421 Arch St.
In the outdoor courtyard of The Rittenhouse Hotel, there will be a Sparkling Soirée on Friday, July 14. The hotel will be celebrating French independence by offering $5 glasses of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and Rosé.
There will be caviar, french fries, cheese and charcuterie selections and $1 oysters, too.
Friday, July 14
5-9 p.m. | Pay-as-you-go
The Rittenhouse
210 W. Rittenhouse Square
The Bearded Ladies' free theatrical show, which takes place outside the historic Eastern State Penitentiary on Fairmount Avenue, is a playful re-enactment of the lead up to Marie Antoinette's beheading.
They sing. They dance. And they throw 2,000 Tastykakes off the top of the Penitentiary.
It's an annual tradition that shouldn't be missed.
Saturday, July 15
5:30 p.m. | Free to attend
Eastern State Penitentiary
2027 Fairmount Ave.
