Bastille Day Festivities - 13 et 14 juillet 2012

Bastille Day balls are free and popular with people of all ages.  The music can include anything from French chanson or musette to old-time classics, house or techno. Balls are usually held in major squares and in front of town halls of some arrondissements.

 

Festival Soirs d’Été, Mairie du 3^ème, 2 rue Eugène Spuller, 3rd, M: République, Temple

A traditional neighborhood bal with music and dancing in front of the town hall of the 3^rd arrondissement, beginning at 9pm on the 13^th with the local group Dial Show.

Bal de la Fete Nat’, Mairie du 11^ème, Place Léon Blum, 11^th, M: Voltaire

The French pop rock bands, the Shamans and the groups Crocodile and Flash Cocotte will perform at this popular bal 10pm – 2am, on the 13^th.

Juliette & Jupiter, Place des Vins de France – Bercy Village, 12^th, M: Cour St. Emillion

Dancing under the stars with Juliette at 8pm and Jupiter at 10:30pm in the old wine storage sector, recently converted into exhibit spaces and a lovely park.

Fireman’s Balls - 13^th and 14^th

The fireman’s balls are among the friendliest and best-organized parties in Paris.  They make an essential contribution to quatorze juillet merriment.  This year most balls operate on both the 13^th and the 14^th, and open around 9pm. Entry is usually free. There are long lines to get into the more popular spots.  Some feature live bands and food stalls, and most continue until dawn.

           

It is advisable to patronize the ball within walking distance of your home unless you plan to stay out until the metro starts again the following morning.  Cabs are very rare.

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July 13^th ONLY

Arènes de Lutèce, 4 rue Monge, 5^th (in the ruins of the Roman arena)

Blanche, 28 rue Blanche, 9^th, M: Blanche

Landon, 188 quai de Valmy, 10^th (at the Canal St. Martin)

Boursault, 27 rue boursault, 17^th, M: Rome

Montmartre, 12 rue Carpeaux, 18^th, M: Guy-Môquet

Ménilmontant, 47 rue Saint-Fargeau, 20^th

            JULY 13^th and 14th

Rousseau, 21 rue du Jour, 1^st, M: Les Halles

Sevigné, 7 rue de Sevigné, 4^th, M: St. Paul

Colombier, 11 rue du Vieux-Colombier, 6^th, M: St. Sulpice

Chateau-Landon, 188 quai de Valmy, 10^th, M: Jacques Bonsergent (at the Canal St. Martin)

Chaligny, 26 rue de Chaligny, 12^th, M: Faidherbe-Chaligny

Massena, 37 bd Massena, 13^th, M: Porte d’Italie

Port-Royal, 53-55 bd Port Royal, 13^th, M: Les Gobelins, RER : Port Royal

Grenelle, 6 place Violet, 15 ^th, M: Commerce (near the Eiffel Tower)

Bitche, 2 place de Bitche, 19^th, M: Crimée (on the Canal de l’Ourcq)

Beware of firecracker-tossing teenagers!

Note:  A long-standing Bastille Day tradition is for teenagers (referring to both chronological and mental age) to throw firecrackers into crowds at people’s feet.  This holiday is a “go wild in the streets” kind of affair.  Watch your pockets, bags, feet, and be prepared for a BIG PARTY CRUSH.

SAFETY WARNING: As in all crowd situations, BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AT ALL TIMES. Watch out for thieves and pickpockets. STAY WITH YOUR GROUP.

July 14^th

 

Military Parade, Champs-Elysees, 9am – 12pm

The annual show of French military muscle starts at the Place de l’Etoile at 9am where the newly elected President François Hollande will inspect the troops before leading them down the Champs to the Place de la Concorde.  The marching parade opens the festivities around 9:30am, followed by the horseback parade and the motor vehicle parade.  This year’s theme is cooperative ventures and the guests of honor are the UN peace-keeping forces. This year also marks the 70^th anniversary of the Battle of Bir Hakeim, the creation of the Free French Air Force and the Signal Corps, and the 220^th anniversary of the national anthem, the Marseillaise. An aerial display will end the festivities and the President will leave at 11:45am to prepare for the annual open house at the Elysées Palace. 

The best place to watch the parade is on TV.  If you go to the parade, take a metro to Kleber or Ternes and then walk.  The métro stops along the Champs-Elysées will be closed. For information about each of the divisions in the parade, and in particular, about the history behind their uniforms, see the complete program of the parade.

After the parade, representatives of the different military branches will gather in 12 central arrondissements to answer questions and show off their high-tech arsenal.  Central sites are the Place Saint-Sulpice, 6^th; Esplanade des Invalides, 7^th (helicopters and parachutists); Place de l’Opera, 9^th; Place de la Nation, 11^th, 12^th, 20^th; Parc Montsouris, 14^th; Port de Javel, 15^th; Place Jules Joffrin, 18^th; and Armel Carrel, 19^th. Army bands will perform at each venue.

Fireworks - 2012 Theme: Les Années Discos (70-80)

The half-hour show will begin at 10:45 pm on July 14^th on the Champs de Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, between Place Jacques Rueff and the Ecole Militaire.  This is a very crowded event, so get there very early if you want a good spot and be prepared for crowds (Most of the Champs de Mars will be closed off). People often bring a picnic and listen to free concerts, beginning around 6pm.

 

Note on fireworks: The suburbs surrounding Paris often organize firework displays on the evening of the 13^th so if you are close to the periphery, you may see fireworks on the horizon.

Free Bastille Day Concerts

- The Frederic Ashton ballet La fille mal gardée will be performed at the Opera de Paris, Bastille at 7:30pm. Tickets are free as long as they last. The line will form several hours before the performance.

- Free Piano Concert at 5pm in the Archives Nationales – Hotel de Soubise, 3^rd, M: Rambuteau or St. Paul. Ilya Rahkovskiy will perform works by Chopin, Schubert and Liszt.

Bastille Day Freebies and Open Shops – Opera, Dance, Museums

- The Louvre will be open on July 14^th until 6pm.  Entrance is free.

- Napoleon’s Tomb and the Musée de l’Armée at the Invalides are open and free on the 14^th until 6pm.
- Many shops will be closed for the holiday, but the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores will be open for business. 

- The annual Picnic of the Republic is held at Versailles along the Grand Canal beginning at 11am. From 9am-noon, those dressed in white, the color associated with the French monarchy, will be able to access the picnic and the musical fountains in the chateau gardens through the Cour des Princes, the main entrance to the gardens. After 12pm, the sole access to the picnic will be through the Grille de la Reine gate. There will be music and dancing, and regional food for sale.

See the Mairie de Paris web site for additional information: http://14juillet.paris.fr/