Milwaukee’s Bastille Days festival will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend. The festival, billed as “one of the nation’s largest French-themed celebrations,” will take place from July 13-16.
East Town Association executive director Eddie Stuckey tells WTMJ that Bastille Days 2023 comes with a return to full strength.
“Last year was a very chaotic reboot season done in an extremely short amount of time,” he said. “This year we actually had a chance to breathe and rebuild closer to what it was in 2019 before the pandemic.
The festival will feature five stages, 20 restaurants, and 80 marketplace vendors as well as street performers and the iconic Eiffel Tower returning to Cathedral Square Park. Stuckey said another old favorite is making a return.
“Of course, we have Storm the Bastille this Thursday,” he said.
The 5K run/walk will kick off the festival starting on North Jefferson St. Registration will be underway up until the start of the race at 9 p.m.
Bastille Days isn’t the only festival celebrating a major anniversary this weekend – Harley-Davidson Homecoming celebrates the iconic motorcycle maker’s 120th anniversary, and runs at the same time as Bastille.
Stuckey said that’s not a problem – in fact, the East Town Association is collaborating with Harley-Davidson to ensure a fun weekend at both festivals.
“We’re gonna have dedicated motorcycle parking on site Friday through Sunday this week right on Lower Jefferson Street,” he said. “So for anyone who’s going to the Harley festivities, they’re welcome to come park at our festival, enjoy a beignet and a beverage, and then make their way down to Veterans Park for Green Day and Foo Fighters this weekend – and come on by afterwards!”
This is only Stuckey’s second Bastille Days as executive director at the East Town Association, but he said he already feels the history and tradition present from the 40 years of the event.
“A lot of our suppliers, a lot of our various partners, some of them have been around since the very beginning,” he said. “It’s really been great to hear the stories and just the history of the festival itself and how important it is to the east side of Milwaukee.”