Bastille Day in NYC 2020 guide

French-ify your life during Bastille Day—NYC celebrates France with outdoor parties with wine, cheese and streamed performances

By Tazi Phillips and Jennifer Picht Posted: Tuesday July 7 2020

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Bastille Day may look a little different this year, but it'll still be red, white and blue!

Francophiles can celebrate Bastille Day—NYC’s annual celebration that usually includes street fairs, dance events and performances (the cancan!)—through a number of smaller parties and live events, including Time Out's Bastille Day Instagram Live and French Institute Alliance Française's 25th annual Bastille Day Celebration, which is going online this year.

So don your beret and red, white and blue outfit and settle in for some French-themed fun.

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to things to do in the summer in NYC

When is Bastille Day?

The holiday is always held on July 14 to celebrate French National Day (July 14, 1789). When the French holiday does not fall on a Sunday, NYC celebrations are held either the Sunday before or after. This year, the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) is hosting its celebration on July 11-14.

What is Bastille Day?

Bastille Day, also known as French National Day, is a holiday celebrating the beginning of the French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille.

Where is Bastille Day?

While the most popular Bastille Day celebration usually takes place on 60th Street between Lexington Avenue and Fifth Avenue on Sunday, when there are multiple fetes that happen all over the city during (a normal) summer.

This year, it's wherever you access the internet!

Best things to do for Bastille Day

Photograph: Shutterstock

1. Join Time Out for an all-day celebration of French culture

News City Life

This Bastille Day, we’ll be celebrating the best of the best of it all day long on our Instagram account. We’ve partnered with JP Linguistics for a jam-packed day of French-themed Instagram Lives highlighting amazing things you can do both at home and around the city. Click through to see the full schedule, which includes a French toast cooking class, a tour of the adorable Albertine bookstore, a French Cheese Board workshop, a live DJ set and much more.