Happy Thursday!
Just popping in with a friendly PSA reminding you that this Saturday, July 18, there’s a big Bastille Day celebration happening in Downtown Montgomery!
The festivities take place from 12 – 11 p.m. all along Downtown Montgomery between Remington and Cooper Roads.
There will be two stages, with live entertainment for both kids and adults; food trucks and street vendors with tons of refreshments, and a kids’ area with pony rides, face painting and games!
Plus — Blessid Union of Souls, will be there you guys. If you’re in your 30s or 40s (like, ahem, me), you know who Blessid of Union of Souls is. Did you know they hail from Morrow? If the name doesn’t sound familiar, the song “I Believe” will!
If you’re wondering why German-centric Cincinnati has a holiday celebrating the French Revolution, you’re not alone. I was curious, too. So I did a little research, and discovered that Montgomery has a French sister city, Neuilly-Plaisance. Like Montgomery, Neuilly-Plaisance is a suburb of a larger city; in the latter’s case: Paris!
In the same way that Independence Day is so important to Americans, this French holiday is crucial to French history and French people. The Bastille was a prison in Paris that represented all that was wrong with the monarchy and the king’s rule. On July 14, 1789 soldiers stormed the Bastille and took it over. This signaled the start of the French Revolution. Three years later, the French Republic was formed.
There are roughly U.S. 50 cities that hold Bastille Day celebrations. It’s celebrated in many historically French-settled cities in the U.S., but not exclusively. This holiday celebrates justice and freedom, so it makes sense for Americans to celebrate the cause! And, in Montgomery’s case, the city is also showing support of its “sister.”
This year marks the 26th anniversary of Montgomery’s Bastille Day — so come out for free family fun, delicious cuisine and soul-ful (I couldn’t resist) entertainment!
Vive la France!
Photo Credit: City of Montgomery.
