How to Go to the New York City Bastille Day Celebration

One of the largest Bastille Day celebrations outside of France takes place in New York City every year, during the "French for a Day" Festival. Held along Sixtieth Street, between Fifth Avenue and Lexington, the New York City Bastille Day Celebration is sponsored by the French-American Chamber of Commerce and features a large street fair and an open-air picnic.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hotel accommodations
• Transportation

1. Contact the Bastille Day USA sponsors for information on the dates, locations and events when you go to the New York City Bastille Day Celebration. While many of these activities are held on Bastille Day, July 14, the parades and fairs may be held on the closest weekend in order to draw the largest crowds. In addition, Bastille Day USA also sponsors events in nearby locations, such as Brooklyn.
2. Find airfare and hotel accommodation well in advance when you go to the New York City Bastille Day Celebration. New York City is notorious for having a shortage of hotel rooms on normal days, and reservations certainly fill up during any sort of special event. You may opt to get a room just outside of the city, and take the subway or a taxi cab to get close to the main activities.
3. Purchase tickets well in advance for the Bastille Day Ball, which is usually held at the Spotlight Live Club on Broadway. While you may be able to buy tickets at the door for this special event, you will be able to save a few dollars off admission by pre-booking in advance.
4. Watch or participate in the Tour de France bicycle race along Sixtieth Street, which is a smaller tribute to the real Tour de France race that coincides with Bastille Day. You may even wish to enter one of the many stationary bike races held along Sixtieth Street as well.
5. Log onto the official website for Bastille Day USA to go to the New York City Bastille Day Celebration (see Resources below). The site will give you all the information you need to attend the celebration, and you can even purchase commemorative t-shirts online.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't forget to enter the raffle for the New York City Bastille Day Celebration, which offers a grand prize of a vacation for two to Paris for the Bastille Day celebration the following year.