Celebrating Bastille Day Bayside
Bastille Day commemorates the historic Storming of the Bastille which sparked the French Revolution in 1789, and is an important day for France - celebrating its culture, freedom and independence. This Thursday, July 14th, Paris will see one of the world’s largest military parades marching down the Champs-Élysées – and while we can’t be there to witness it, we do have a few ideas about how you, can celebrate ‘la fête nationale’ in the Bayside area of Melbourne.
Visit the Bastille Day French Festival Melbourne
Taking place on the weekend following Bastille Day, this year’s French Festival will explore the themes of ‘French Explorers in Australia’ and ‘Innovative France.’ Head down to the State Library of Victoria on July 16 or 17 to take part in the enjoyment of food, drinks and entertainment – there’ll be stalls, conferences, masterclasses, movie screenings and a range of activities for kids as well. Entry is free! View the program here.
Learn French with the Alliance Française
The Alliance Française de Melbourne is a not-for-profit association that exists to promote the French language and culture in Australia. It’s based in the beautiful Eildon Mansion on Grey Street in St Kilda, and they’ve been teaching French in Melbourne since 1890! So if you’re ready to learn something new, enroll here. Otherwise, they’ll be opening their doors for Open House Melbourne on July 31, a fabulous event which you can learn more about here.
Bastille Day Dinner at Luxembourg Bistro
What’s ‘la fête nationale’ without real French cuisine? Award-winning St Kilda restaurant, Luxembourg, will be serving a delicious five course dinner, with the option of carefully selected wines to match. Think hors d’oeuvres followed by pan-fried rock flat head, diamond shell clams, local mussels and bouillabaisse sauce, finished with a traditional Paris-Brest pastry. For bookings, contact the restaurant on 03 9525 4488, or book online here.
And if you can’t make it to any of the wonderful events listed in this blog, why not celebrate quietly with a pastry from one of the delicious cake shops on Acland Street in St Kilda? Check out Time Out Melbourne’s ‘Acland Street Cake Crawl’ list for some inspiration here.
Vive la France!
