Bastille Days in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Bastille Days is a lively, fun filled French themed street festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Downtown's Cathedral Square, in what is known as East Town, turns French for four days, July 12-15. The street's around Cathedral Park are blocked off. and the park is filled with French styled activities..

The Parisian festival commemorates the French Revolution with a mixture of food, wine, entertainment, street performers, artists, roaming minstrels, street parades, a Storming of the Bastille and a 5K run.

It is fun just to walk around and see the sights at Bastille Day, perhaps while sipping a fine wine and having a tasty snack. Following are some of the activities and events at the festival.

M&I Bank Storm the Bastille: The 22nd Annual M&I Bank Storm the Bastille will beheld Thursday, July 13 at 9 pm. The 5K run / 2 mile walk leads participants thought the streets of downtown and through the Historic Third Ward. Thousands of people re-enact the historic storming of the Bastille.

Stage Entertainment: The stage entertainment will feature an eclectic mixture of Cajun, zydeco, blues, raggae, jazz, fold, and rock. There are four stages for nonstop entertainments. Headliners include: Dotsero, Big Bad Voodo Daddy, King Solomon and Hurricane Gumbo. The performance stages are the Cathedral Square Park Stage, The Blatz Condominiums Stage, Kilbourn East Stage and Madison Medical Affiliates Beaux Arts Stage.

Street Performers, Artists and Roaming Minstrels: Street levels performances will include roaming minstrels, stilt walkers, posers, tango and belly dancers. Highlights include Greg Frisbee: The Professional Idiot; Armenrah The Mime; and Don Otto with comedic trampoline diving. Artists will do caricatures and portraits.

Chef Demonstrations: Locally acclaimed chefs demonstrate preparation of French cuisine as they share trade secrets.

Blu at the Pfister Wine Demonstrations: Wines of the World will be explored at this acclaimed spot at Milwaukee's finest hotel.

French Mass: Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist will hold a French Mass on Saturday, July 15 at 5:15 pm. The Catholic Mass will be led by a French speaking priest and include French hymns.

Alliance Francaise Cultural Tent: The cultural tent will offer free french lessons, souvenirs from Paris and the Provence and information about French culture and customs.

AM 620 Staff Waiter Waitress : The area's best wait staff will compete in a challenging obstacle course with wine filled glasses on Sunday, July 16 at 4 pm.

Daily Street Parades: Mardi Gras styled parades led by Mama Digdown's Brass Band.

Food vendors will provide meals and refreshments. Vendors include: Rudy's Mexican Restaurant, Pacific Orient, Treptow Lemonade, Buca di Beppo, Aladdin, J. T. Bones Bar B Que Restaurant, Brew City, La Patisserie, Cream & Crepe Cafe, Cafe de Fiance, Charcoal Grill & Rotisserie, Mediterranean Cuisine, Treptow Lemonade, Lemon Chill, Heavenly Roasted Nuts, Freese's Candy Shoppe, Anderson's Corn Roast, Laura's Gourmet Popcorn, Cedar Cr4east Ice Cream, Saz's State House, Saz's Garden Bistro, Joey Buona's Louise's Trattoria, Flannery's Gourmet Cheesecake Shop, Alliance Francaise, Crawdaddy's Treptow, Lemonade, Mader's German Restaurant and Ouzo Cafe.

These fun French festivities will be held on Thursday, July 13 - Saturday, July 15 from 11 am to midnight. On Sunday, July 16 from 11 am to 9 pm. Admission is free. Cathedral Square Park is in the heart of the East Town neighborhood. There are several nearby parking ramps and parking lots. Parking locations arid rates can be found at ParkMilwaukee.com. The Milwaukee Trolley Loop is free all day,. Trolley locations can be found throughout downtown Milwaukee by looking for the signs.