History
The festival began in 1982 as a way to promote the downtown business district and encourage visitors to explore this neighborhood. At the time, the President of the East Town Association was a French transplant to Milwaukee and the group decided to create a festival that celebrates the French heritage present in Milwaukee. Today Milwaukee is known affectionately as the city of festivals and a variety of ethnicities are represented throughout the summer.
Specialties
2013 Bastille Days- July 11-14, 2013 Bastille Days, Milwaukee's popular French festival and one of the nation's largest French-themed celebrations, returns to downtown Milwaukee's Cathedral Square Park, July 11 - 14. The free, four-day bash attracts over 250,000 visitors annually who enjoy live music, an international marketplace, chef and wine demos, French and Cajun cuisine, roaming busker entertainment and a signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica offering hourly light shows. Run through the streets of Downtown Milwaukee with 5,000 of your closest friends! Runners and walkers kick off Bastille Days with the annual BMO Harris Bank Storm the Bastille 5K run/walk, in memory of the 18th century attack on the Bastille prison in Paris. The 5-K run and 2-mile walk will take place on opening night of the festival, Thursday, July 11th at 9pm. In addition to roaming buskers, mimes and other Parisian performers, fest-goers will find an eclectic mix of music across four stages.