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If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly event in Dallas, be sure to head over to Oak Cliff for Bastille on Bishop! The annual Bishop Arts celebration of Bastille Day.
Bastille Day is the English-given name for France’s Independence Day on July 14th, 1789. The name refers to when the French revolutionaries stormed the Bastille in Paris, seizing the prison and its weapons and gunpowder, and officially starting the revolution. Bastille Day is celebrated worldwide, especially wherever French roots can be found.
The origin of Bastille on Bishop is actually quite strange and exciting! Dallas’ French roots can most notably be traced back to La Reunion Colony which arrived in the city on June 16, 1855. This was a group of Belgian, Swiss, and, of course, French immigrants who sought to create a socialist utopia near the Trinity River. Unfortunately for them, the effort failed only a few years in and the group dispersed across Dallas, but their heirs can still be found here today! In fact, one of their heirs is the namesake for Reverchon Park.
There have been several Bastille Day events in Dallas over the decades, but it appears the annual Bastille on Bishop event, having started in 2010, is the first one to remain consistent in the city. The event is on July 14th, from 5 pm to 10 pm, and is free to attend (except for when purchasing food, drink, or products from vendors). If you love wine, you can buy a ticket for a wine glass that you can carry around outside while you roam the festival (the ticket also comes with tokens that can be redeemed for wine or beer).
The event is sure to be a blast! Prepare to see plenty of fun French attire, gymnastic performances on the street, mimes, and artists, and all sorts of entertainment! Visit https://www.gooakcliff.org/bastille for tickets and more information.
Photo by Joe deSousa on Unsplash
Sources:
https://oakcliff.advocatemag.com/2013/06/act-like-you-know-the-history-of-bastille-day-in-dallas/