Bastille Days is located in Downtown Milwaukee centered around Cathedral Square Park providing a unique setting that both residents and visitors of East Town, always find charming. 

The event is known for the impromptu street performers, roaming minstrels, a variety of interactive and musical entertainment, and the signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica.

Visitors to Bastille Days are invited to explore this Parisian playground, participate in mini-French lessons, see an authentic French mass, laugh at the spills and thrills of the Waiter/Waitress race and make sure to have a beignet before heading home.

Of course it wouldn't be Bastille Days if there weren't a Storming of the Bastille, which in Milwaukee translates into a 5k "fun run" which kicks off the festival each year on the Thursday evening at 9pm.

The festival began in 1982 as a way to promote the downtown business district and encourage visitors to explore this neighborhood.  At the time, the President of the East Town Association was French and the group decided to create a festival that celebrates the French heritage in Milwaukee. Today Milwaukee is known affectionately as the city of festivals and a variety of ethnicities are represented throughout the summer.