Bastille Day | Downtown Sarasota, Florida | French-inspired Food | Dinner, Mingling, event, celebration | French Wine | Fête Nationale

Convivialité, Solidarité, Amitié

What is la fête nationale ? Bastille day (Le 14 juillet) is the national holiday of France commemorating two historical dates: the fall of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, and the subsequent Fête de la Fédération on July 14, 1790, which marked the first celebration of the revolution and national unification. Thus because of these significant events, the 14th of July continues to be erected as a day in which we celebrate France’s independence from tyranny and the fight for fundamental rights. Values that still remain at the core of French culture to this day.

Like our Fourth of July, the French National Holiday celebrates the revolution that created a nation. In 1789 the French stormed the Bastille prison, marking the birth of the modern French nation. The storming of the Bastille symbolizes the key values of Liberté, Fraternité, and Egalité, values which continue to resonate today.