Bastille Day Events in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Bastille Day is July 14, and is as important a holiday in France as Independence Day is in America.

In Minneapolis, French restaurant Barbette's in Uptown is holding a free Bastille Day celebration on Sunday July 13. From 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. there will be live music, food, a Parisian flea market and entertainment.

A slightly more unexpected Bastille Day celebration is at Brit's Pub in Downtown Minneapolis. It might be a British pub, but Britain is only 20 miles across the English Channel from France, and parties at Brit's are always fun. Free admission to Brit's Pub gives you an afternoon and evening of hybrid British/French entertainment including live music, films, food specials, and a Shakespeare performance.

The French restaurant next door to Brit's Pub, Vincent A Restaurant, has a special Bastille Day menu on Sunday.

The financially troubled Theatre de la Jeune Lune in Minneapolis' Warehouse District hosts Fete de Bastille, also on Sunday 13 July. The event is held in conjunction with the Alliance Française of Minneapolis/St Paul. There will be outdoor market, live music and entertainment from 2 p.m until 8 p.m., with a $10 admission. The Theatre is set to cease operations at their current location soon, so supporting the company at this event will help them to continue producing performances at other venues in the future.

• More July Events in Minneapolis and St. Paul
• Learn some French for Bastille Day with About.com Guide to Learning French