Like every year, Washington is welcoming a number of celebrations for July 14. Here is a small sampling of what’s coming.
At the French Embassy
The Comité Tricolore Washington DC invites lovers to France to celebrate Bastille Day with the theme “La Savoie” on the premises of the Maison Française, Friday July 16 from 7pm to 10pm (4101 Reservoir Rd NW). The event will consist of a dinner with a selection of dishes prepared by the best local chefs, a silent auction, and a concert to assure a musical ambiance. Tickets range from $150-950.
As announced earlier, the miniature Lady Liberty is en route to Washington DC, where she will be installed for a period of at least ten years, in the gardens of the residence of the French ambassador, in the Kalorama neighborhood. The statue’s inauguration will take place on July 14, for the occasion of la fête nationale française.
A virtual picnic with the Alliance française of Washington DC
The AFDC will celebrate July 14 with a picnic, including a cooking class with Anina Belle Giannini, to learn how to properly bake a baguette. Grab your berets! Saturday, July 10, on Zoom, from 3pm to 5pm. Register online: this event is free for members of the AFDC, $5 for non-members.
A glass of wine at DC Bonjour Books
The organization Ktown Ladies in Kensington is organizing a July 14 celebration at Kensington’s French bookstore, Bonjour Books DC. What’s more French than drinking a glass of wine and reading literature in the language of Molière while buying specialty treats made in France? The organization encourages participants to bring a bottle of French wine or champagne to share. July 14 from 7pm to 9pm at Bonjour Books, 3758 Howard Ave, Kensington, MD.
Music and restaurants in Virginie and Maryland
When you name your restaurant “Bastille”, you have to celebrate July 14! The owners, Christophe and Michelle Poteaux, will offer a three-course menu for $49 between July 14 and 17. 606 N. Fayette Street, Alexandria, VA.
Another restaurant, Normandie Farm, is organizing a concert around the theme of “Bastille Day on Saturday, July 10, with the singer Cindy Moses. From 7pm to 11pm at 10710 Falls Road, Potomac, MD.
Always singing, the mezzo soprano Elizebeth Barnes will sing French opera at Secret Garden at the Rectory in an evening honoring France on Saturday, July 17. Two concerts will take place, one at 4pm and the other at 7pm. For tickets, count $149 per person. On the program, “La chanson bien douce” by Ernest Chausson, “Chanson D’avril” by Georges Bizet, and even “Nuit d’Etoiles” by Claude Debussy. 711 Princess Street, Alexandria, VA.
