MILWAUKEE – A miniature Eiffel Tower sits in the heart of Cathedral Square Park, as the annual Bastille Days festival gets underway downtown.
The yearly celebration invites musicians, local vendors and the public at large to share in a celebration of French culture. The official holiday is July 14th and commemorates the storming of the Bastille, a military post and symbol of royal authority, during the French Revolution. Milwaukee’s celebration is put on by the East Town Association and began in the summer of 1982.
James Rutley is the Security Operations Director for Bastille Days, and said he thinks its a beloved celebration because its an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy summertime.
“…Entertainment, especially. We’ve got four or five different stages out here so you get to listen to different music and relax,” Rutley said. “Milwaukee has been going through a lot but its’ definitely going to be a good time.”
The celebration is happening just a few blocks away from where the Republican National Convention will begin on Monday, July 15th. But for people like Rutley, Bastille Days is an oasis away from politics.
“We really are not focused on the RNC portion of it. We know its’ going to bring a big crowd to downtown Milwaukee, but we are going to still make sure that Bastille Days is rockin’.”
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The festival will feature dozens of vendors, performance groups and musicians. The Storm 5K will take place Thursday, July 11th, at 9 P.M., beginning at North Jefferson Street and going to the Third Ward. Bastille Days will conclude on Sunday, July 14th.
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