How to celebrate Bastille Day 2023 in NYC

Bastille Day is a celebration of the day French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. Taking place on July 14, Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale, is France’s national holiday, and many of New York City’s French businesses and institutions host exciting celebrations to honor the day. Ahead, find a round-up of Bastille Day celebrations across the five boroughs, from street fairs and concerts to French automobile parades and specials at French restaurants throughout the city.

CELEBRATIONS

Bastille Day Celebration in Central Park
Thursday, July 13 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Rumsey Playfield, Central Park
Travel to Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield on June 10 for an immersion into French culture through performances by renowned French musicians. The free event will feature live performances by Joachim Garraud, a DJ and producer who has established himself as a pillar of French electronic music over the past three decades, Marie Benson, a trained flutist who transitioned to a career as a singer and a deep house DJ, and Passi, a rapper who rose to prominence in the mid-90s in the group Ministère AMER. Additional performers include Bénabar, a singer-songwriter known for their vivid depictions of contemporary French life through folk, jazz, and film, and Adèle Castillon, a singer, and actress formerly part of the French pop duo Videoclub who has since gone solo.

FIAF’s Bastille Day Celebration
Sunday, July 16 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Madison Avenue from 59th to 63rd Street, 60th Street from Fifth Avenue to Madison Avenue
On June 16, the French Institute: Alliance Française is hosting its annual Bastille Day celebration in NYC. The event is the five boroughs’ largest celebration of the French national holiday and will feature a street fair on Madison Avenue from 59th to 63rd Street, live music performances, rosé & bubbly parties, prizes, family activities, a special film screening, and more than 50 booths offering the best of French food and culture.

Two rose & bubbly parties will take place at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the FIAF Skyroom, located at 22 East 60th Street. Guests will be able to taste a variety of wines, madeleines, macarons, and cheese. Live music will be provided by Saint Martin’s own steel drum band, the Jolly Boys. Tickets cost $75 for students and members of FIAF and $85 for the general public.

The film screening will present Louis Garrel’s The Innocent at 5:30 p.m. in Florence Gould Hall, located at 55 West 59th Street. Tickets cost $14 for students and members and $17 plus fees for the general public. A more detailed lineup of the celebration can be found here.

17th Annual Greater New York Velosolëx Club Rally & Rendezvous
Sunday, July 10
The Greater New York Velosolëx Club Rally & Rendezvous, the annual French automobile and bike rally, is returning to NYC this year in celebration of Bastille Day. This year’s rally kicks off at 10 a.m. on July 16th at Riverside Drive South and 122nd Street before traveling down through Manhattan. One of the rally’s stops will be at FIAF’s Bastille Day street fair on Madison Avenue, where all of the cars and bicycles will be parked for visitors to see. The rally’s full route for this year’s event can be found here.

Bastille Day in Jersey City
The French American Academy, 209 3rd Street, Jersey City
Friday, July 14 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Jersey City’s annual Bastille Day celebration is returning on July 14th. Every year the French American Academy hosts a day full of fun activities for children and families accompanied by delicious French food and drink.

Films on the Green 2023
Hosted by the French Embassy, Villa Albertine, FACE Foundation, and NYC Parks, Films on the Green is an annual free outdoor French film festival. The festival takes place at a number of public parks across Manhattan and Brooklyn and runs through September 8. This year’s festival features a variety of film styles and settings that are tailored to audiences of all ages and backgrounds, including La Femme et le Pantin, Casablanca Beats, and more. A list of the festival’s full schedule can be found here.

Image courtesy of Carreau Club

Industry City’s “La Brooklynaise” Pétanque Tournament
Sunday, July 16 at 11 a.m.
68 34th Street, Brooklyn
Brooklyn’s Carreau Club is hosting its third annual “La Brooklynaise” open pétanque tournament on Sunday, July 16 at 11 a.m. in Industry City. Both inexperienced and adept pétanque players are welcome to sign up for the tournament. Registration costs $25 for individuals and $75 for teams of three. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games, with prizes from Brooklyn Grange, Brooklyn Made, Romilly Cider, and D’Artagnan awarded to the top finishers in both brackets.

RESTAURANT SPECIALS

Liberty Bistro
225 Liberty Street, Battery Park City
Located inside Brookfield Place, Liberty Bistro is offering a variety of specials in celebration of Bastille Day. On July 14, the restaurant will be offering all-day specials, including $40 for a dozen oysters, $15 for frozen cocktails, $50 for a bottle of rose Miraval, and $100 for a bottle of Moet & Chandon. There will also be live music from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. provided by accordionist Mary Knapp and DJ Greg Dangeroso. Guests will be able to enter a raffle for a chance to win dinner for two at L’appart, dinner for two at Liberty Bistory, a 1.5-liter bottle of Miraval, and a sailboat cruise for two. More information about the event can be found here.

Marseille
630 Ninth Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen
Friday, July 14
Hell’s Kitchen’s Marseille wants to transport you to the French countryside with a special culinary experience in celebration of Bastille Day. For $59 per person, guests can enjoy a three-course meal and a welcome drink, with live music, giveaways, and specialty cocktails provided by beverage director Aviram Turgeman.

Levant on Smith
223 Smith Street, Cobble Hill
Friday, July 14 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cobble Hill’s Levant on Smith restaurant is inviting patrons to a memorable Bastille Day celebration with great food, drinks, and specials. From 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., guests can take advantage of deals like the Sunset Hour Magic Deal, which for $55 for two people includes a pitcher of cocktails, sangria, mimosa, bellini, or a bottle of wine, and any two of the restaurant’s delectable Petites Bouchées. Other specials include $10 for cocktails and wine, $8 for food bites, and $5 for beer. You can make a reservation here.

Sofitel New York
45 West 44th Street, Midtown
Friday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sofitel New York is hosting an unforgettable Bastille Day celebration on the 14th, which coincides with the hotel’s 23rd anniversary. From 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. guests will be able to enjoy Bulles et frites aux truffles, or parmesan and truffle fries, for just $23 at the hotel’s Mademoiselle Gaby Bar. The hotel’s Gaby Brasserie will be offering a special $60 prix fixe dinner for the course of French Restaurant Week, which spans from July 10 through July 16.