Bastille Day Options!

Photo courtesty of PAUL bakery

From emails:

What: BASTILLE DAY BAGUETTE RELAY RACE at PAUL Bakery and Café in Penn Quarter

To commemorate France’s National Holiday, PAUL – France’s leading bakery – invites the public to come have some fun and participate in our 2nd Annual “Baguette Relay Race” which will take place in front of PAUL in Penn Quarter, where relay team members will take turns fast-walking a lap around the plaza of the US Navy Memorial with a baguette in hand, in lieu of a traditional baton.

We’ll divide up racers into four teams of six people. (And this year, we’ll even have a Kids race!) Each team will be led by a PAUL employee. Each racer will quick-walk one lap around the circle of the US Navy Memorial and then hand off his/her baguette (baton) to the next teammate. All members of each winning team will get a $25 gift card to PAUL. We’ll be encouraging relay racers to sign up in advance on our FB page: Facebook.com/Paul1889.usa

When: Saturday, July 14, 2001 at 10:30am (Kids Race), and 11am (Adult Race)

Where:
PAUL Bakery and Café in Penn Qtr. (at the US Navy Memorial)
801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC

and

L’Enfant Cafe & Bar’s 2012 Bastille Day French Maid Races and Masquerade Ball

In celebration of their 8th Annual Bastille Day Block Party and French Maid Race, L’Enfant Café Bar announces it has added an animated appearance by celebrity DJ Lady Miss Kier (of Dee-Lite) and a raffle for two round-trip tickets to Paris, France courtesy of U.S. Airways to its popular Bastille Day street party and masquerade ball. The annual party, DC’s largest annual July event after A Capital Fourth celebration is so popular, the café-bar will again close an entire city block. Co-hosted by King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette – who bear a striking resemblance to L’Enfant’s co-owners Jim Ball and Christopher Lynch – the Bastille Day Block Party will take over Vernon Street, NW, between 18th and 19th Streets. Gates open at 3p.m. and the street party concludes at 11p.m. Newcomers need look no further than the corner bar at 18th Street Northwest (at Vernon Street) decorated with an Eiffel Tower and a dead giveaway, a guillotine.

Entry to D.C.’s most revolutionary summer party is $5 for commoners. Guests are invited to chill to DJs and enjoy street bars serving Stella Artois and Leffe, red and white wine and vodka cocktails. A food truck pavilion and beer garden be available, including popular purveyors such as Adams Morgan Wine Shop, The Cajunator, Cap Mac, DC Slices, Localat and P.O.R.C.

Schedule of events:

3 p.m. Bastille Day Block Party Kicks Off

5:45 p.m. Can-can dance performance on Stella Artois main stage

6 p.m. Arrival of King Louis XIV and French Maid Race on Vernon Street

6:30-8:30 p.m.DJ appearance by Lady Miss Kier of Dee-Lite

8:45 Can-can dance performance on Stella Artois main stage

8:50 p.m. Drawing for two round-trip economy class tickets courtesy of
US Airways from Washington, DC go Paris, France

8:55 p.m. Arrival of Queen Marie Antoinette and her courtiers

9 p.m. DC’s largest annual masquerade ball (Vernon Street NW between
18th and 19th Streets)

10:55 p.m. Last dance.

New this year, an appearance by the inimitable DJ and personality Lady Miss Kier (Dee-Lite) between 6:30-8:30 p.m. and a raffle, courtesy of U.S. Airways, at 8:50 p.m. for two economy class, round trip tickets from Washington (DCA) to Paris (CDG).

French maid race will start at 6 p.m. L’Enfant will provide costumes for up to 40 competitors. Racers must don the short, frilly black and white lace apron dress to participate. The winner of the race will be the first to fill a Champagne glass with soup spoons of water by running back and forth between the coupe and a bucket. The champion will win prizes including a magnum of Champagne. Says co-owner Jim Ball, “Liberté! Egalité! Insanité!”

After the race, DJ booths will be rolled into Vernon Street and Queen Marie Antoinette will gift all attendees with a mask. The dancing on the street will conclude at 11p.m.

L’Enfant Café Bar, 2200 18th Street, NW

and from Mintwood Place:

Bastille Day weekend celebration at Mintwood Place [1813 Columbia Rd NW] taking place on July 13th – 15th. In addition to French foods already included on the menu like flammekueche and steak frites, Cedric and team will also be featuring items like: gougeres, warm Provençal quiche, country pate, soupe au pistou, frisee salade au lardon, moule mariniere, French cheese plate, chocolat mousse, and peach melba vacherin. We will also be offering French wines at 15% off and some classic french cocktails like the Rose: french dry vermouth, kirschwasser and Chambord.