Alliance Francaise Bastille Day Celebration, July 14
The Alliance Francaise of Minneapolis/St. Paul presents their annual Bastille Day Celebration at the Sofitel Hotel in Minneapolis. Live music from the French Cabaret orchestra, French food and wine, a vintage French car show, crafts and screen printing, and children's activities. Tickets are $10-15.
Pastry and Baguettes at Sofitel Minneapolis: July 14
You might argue about where to find best pastries and baguettes in the world, but there's no point if you are talking to someone from France. Because the French are certain that they do. The Sofitel hotel in Minneapolis is home to Le Petite Marche Bakery, who produce some 6,000 hand made baguettes every month plus innumerable croissants, pan au chocolates and other pastries.
To celebrate Bastille Day, Le Petite Marche will be giving away free baguettes from 7 a.m. until noon on July 14. And in the evening, Sofitel's restaurant, Colette Bar & Bistro, has a special Bastille Day menu and a late night party on their patio.
Bastille Day Shopping Event at Selby and Snelling, July 14
(Awaiting details for 2012 event) In the past couple of years, 11 chic fashion and homewares stores at St. Paul's most fashionable intersection held a French-inspired shopping event on Bastille Day weekend. Even if the shopping event isn't on this year, Selby and Snelling is a wonderful place for French-style shopping, with stores including lingerie store Flirt, who carry several exclusive brands of French Lingerie, Allee Metro Chic, a European clothes boutique, as well as three vintage boutiques Lula, Up Six, and Go Vintage (Look out for vintage European dresses, very chic!) and Twin Cities chains Everyday People and Patina.
Bastille Day Block Party at Barbette, July 15
French restaurant Barbette in Uptown Minneapolis hosts an annual Bastille Day block party. This year the free event runs from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. and features local music Astronautalis, Peter Wolf Crier, Prissy Clerks, Sleep Study, and bawdy entertainment from Foxy Tann.
There's more street entertainment from the Brass Messengers, hula hoop-ers and skaters, a wine spitting contest, fire performers, and organic food and beverages. The event benefits People Serving People, a local homeless shelter.
Brit's Pub Bastille Day Celebration, July 15
Neighbors divided by a narrow channel, the British and the French have been enemies for much of the last millennium, but in recent times the rivalry has taken on a much more friendly nature, mostly due to being on the same side in WW1 and WW2, and the greatly reduced cost of wine and beer on the French side of the channel compared with the British side, combined with very cheap cross-channel ferry tickets.
Brit's Pub celebrates the Anglo-French relationship with their annual Bastille Day celebration on their rooftop, with veteran British rocker Graham Parker, the The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (abridged), and food and drink specials. Sound familiar? It's the same lineup as last year. No cover.
