While there are no guillotines on Milwaukee’s Cathedral Square, many people are having their cake (or beignets) and eating it too this weekend.
The annual Bastille Days celebration features French food and culture, along with a traditional evening run to storm the Bastille in honor of the French Revolution.
While there are plenty of ethnic fests that are held on the lakefront Summerfest grounds, Bastille Days is uniquely placed in the heart of the city, surrounding Cathedral Square Park. Celebrating its 34th year, Bastille Days was the idea of a Pfister employee and downtown merchants who wanted to include a French festival amidst Milwaukee's summer events.
"Whether you're Polish or German or Irish, who doesn't love Paris?," East Town Association Executive Director Kim Morris says.
Bastille Days is put on every year by the East Town Association, bringing French, Cajun, Creole and French Canadian influences to the food, art and wine.
"We try to have something for everyone, so it's not just going to be escargot lollipops," says Morris.
Bastille Days opens Thursday with the Storm the Bastille run and continues through Sunday, July 12 at Cathedral Square.
