Grab a pitchfork and storm the walls!
Whether you’re a revolutionary or an
aristocrat, there’ something for you in
this celebration of all things french!
Don’t forget to dress as a French peasant
or aristocrat!
14th Annual
Eastern State Penitentiary
Bastille Day Festival
Saturday, July 12th, 2008
Fairmount French Fling Weekend
Thursday, July 10 – Sunday, July 13, 2008
Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité!
Thursday, July 10
Fairmount French Fling Bar Crawl
Starts at 7:00pm at:
Buy a Kroenenbourg and get a French pick-up line pin, collect all four.
La Crêperie du Trio – Enjoy an evening of the savory and the sweeter side of life as Trio pays homage to the orignal “wrap”. BYOB
Come to Rembrandt’s on Thursday for $3 Kronenbourg 1664 beer specials and $5 Tableau Noir “blackboard” menu items including Croque-Monsieur and Poulet Croquets.
At The Belgian Café, use your Kronenburg 1664 to wash down the Belgian-style Pomme Frites (with our famous Monk’ Bourbon Mayo) and delicious beef and vegan burgers.
Fairmount French Fling Bar Crawl
Starts at 7:00pm at:
Belgian Café – 21st & GreenKronenbourg 1664 Beer Specials
Bishop’s Collar – 24th and Fairmount
London Grill – 23rd and Fairmount
Rembrandt’s – 23rd and Aspen
St. Stephen’s Green – 1701 Green Street
Urban Saloon – 2120 Fairmount Avenue
Buy a Kroenenbourg and get a French pick-up line pin, collect all four.
La Crêperie du Trio – Enjoy an evening of the savory and the sweeter side of life as Trio pays homage to the orignal “wrap”. BYOB
Come to Rembrandt’s on Thursday for $3 Kronenbourg 1664 beer specials and $5 Tableau Noir “blackboard” menu items including Croque-Monsieur and Poulet Croquets.
At The Belgian Café, use your Kronenburg 1664 to wash down the Belgian-style Pomme Frites (with our famous Monk’ Bourbon Mayo) and delicious beef and vegan burgers.
Visit Urban Saloon for a Kronenbourg 1664 and Le Hamburger with Caramelized onions, Cornichons, Dijon fraisse and melted brie or Grilled Chicken Roulade stuffed with herbs and goat cheese, artichokes in a tarragon burre blanc. Also try a Kir, Kir Royale and Sorbet Cassis, specialty drinks with the classic French liquor Crème de Cassis.
Friday, July 11
Fairmount Goes French!
Fairmount Goes French!
French wine tasting dinners, French wine specials, Kronenbourg 1664 specials, and French menu items at participating Fairmount Restaurants and Bars.
Try your luck with French Trivia Wheel of Fortune at London Grill. Earn a chance to win dinners for two, bottles of wine and more.
Dine at Rembrandt’s featuring a $34.94 prix-fix French menu including a glass of champagne. Start with Vichyssoise, then Escargot, followed by your choice of an entrèe and sweet fruit crêpes for dessert.
French Wine Pairing Dinner at Trio - BYOB Style. Enjoy a 3 course dinner with expertly paired French wines (that you haven’t overpaid for.) Check www.triobyob.com the week of the French Fling for the recommended French wines and menu selections, along with where to purchase the wines at the best price.
The Belgian Café will feature chilled potato leek soup, crispy potato endive and red onion has toped with smoked salmon and crème fraiche appetizer, roasted beet and goat cheese napoleon on a bed of balsalmic greens, leg of lamb with mint yogurt dressing with pomme de terre puree and shoestring veggies.
Urban Saloon’s chef goes French featuring dijon, rosemary and lemon buttered pork chop served with grilled ratatouille.
Cinema Francaise from Friends of Eastern State Penitentiary
Free Film Screenings on the lawn behind Eastern State Penitentiary
7:30 – Ratatouille
9:30 – Pepe Le Pew Cartoons
10:00 – Paris Je T’aime
Saturday, July 12
Bastille Day Street Festival
2:00 – 6:00pm
Free!
Register your ~4-8 year old in the Tricycle Tour de France, prizes from LifeSport, Fairmount Art Center and B101 for all pre-registered kids, winners and best French-decorated bikes – contact tricyclerace@easternstate.org.
Bring your own tricycle, bike or big wheel.
Bastille Day Street Festival
2:00 – 6:00pm
Free!
- Tours of the Bastille (@ Eastern State Penitentiary - Admission fee: $9)
- Live music from Musette
- Pet Parade 2pm
- Activities for Kids including Crafts, Face Painting and the Tricycle Tour de France at 3 pm
- Exhibit Tents: Mouton Caden & Wine School of Philadelphia French Wine Tips, How to Say it in French, Book Haven’s French Books and Whole Foods’ French Cheese Tips
- French fare including crêpes from Rembrandt’s, baguette sandwiches, pastries and desserts from Fairmount Restaurants and Bars.
Register your ~4-8 year old in the Tricycle Tour de France, prizes from LifeSport, Fairmount Art Center and B101 for all pre-registered kids, winners and best French-decorated bikes – contact tricyclerace@easternstate.org.
Bring your own tricycle, bike or big wheel.
Storming of the Bastille!
5:30pm – ???
5:30pm – ???
Grab a pitchfork and storm the walls! Armed troops will capture Marie Antoinette (tossing over 2,000 Butterscotch Krimpets from the prison’ medieval towers), and, ignoring her mocking cries of “Let them eat TastyKake”, drag the monarch to a real, functioning guillotine and deliver her into the hands of the “Executioner”. The crowd will decide her fate!
Marie Antoinette will be portrayed by Terry McNally, co-owner of Fairmount‘s London Grill. The Executioner will be portrayed by Jan Zarkin, owner of Rembrandt‘s. The French revolutionaries will be portrayed by reenactors from the Old Fort Mifflin Historical Society.
But anyone can start a revolution! The public is invited to attend the celebration dressed as French peasants or aristocrats!
Twilight Tours of Eastern State Penitentiary
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Admission: $5.00
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Admission: $5.00
The penitentiary will reopen after the storming of the Bastille for rare evening tours! This is the only time evening tours will be offered this season.
Tours last about 20 minutes, and are meant to be a quick introduction to the penitentiary and its history.
Bastille Day “After Parties”!
6:30pm – ???
6:30pm – ???
After the Storming, the entire neighborhood of Fairmount will feature Revolutionary happenings as area restaurants and businesses celebrate all night long!
Reservations are highly recommended for dinner.
London Grill Street Party - Following the assassination of Marie Antoinette, London Grill will help on-lookers regain their appetites with champagne, Marie Antoinette cocktails and a special menu of festive French dishes created by Executive Chef Michael McNally, including French Sausages served on baguette, traditional French culinary mainstay Coq au Vin, and London Grill’s own home-made charcuterie plate. While the popular plate’s charcuterie choices rotate frequently, some recent options have included Guanciale, Lomo Curado, Wild Boar Pepperoni and Smoked Duck Pastrami. French Cream Puffs will be available as well, paying playful homage to the busty queen.
Let them eat French Fare in Fairmount at Trio. Dinner packages for the Bourgeoisie and the Aristocrats. Think vichyssoise, escargot, rack of lamb, soufflés, and chocolate mousse. BYOB.
At Rembrandt’s enjoy live music from “Guys with Ties” and French specials.
The Belgian Café will feature chilled potato leek soup, crispy potato endive and red onion has toped with smoked salmon and crème fraiche appetizer, roasted beet and goat cheese napoleon on a bed of balsalmic greens and entrée of leg of lamb with mint yogurt dressing with pomme de terre puree and shoestring veggies.
Try Le Hamburger at Urban Saloon with Caramelized onions, Cornichons, Dijonfraisse and melted brie. Also try the Sorbet Cassis spiked with Crème de Cassis and vodka. Crème de Cassis is a sweet, blackcurrant-flavored liqueur. The modern version of the drink first appeared in the Burgundy region of France in 1841.
Sunday, July 13
French Champagne Brunch at participating Fairmount establishments.
London Grill – Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar; Champagne specials; Crêpes and Beignets as well as all the other famous London Grill’ Brunch Specials including Creme Brulee French Toast, Eggs Benny and Vegetarian Scrapple.
Join us at Rembrandt’s for French inspired Brunch Specials including French toast, savory crêpes and great live music (weather permitting)!
At Trio, enjoy a very Special Brunch with “French” toast, crêpes, and tart tatin. BYOB
The Belgian Café will be serving up Petit Dejeuner with Croque Madame, Eggs Benedict, Smoked Duck Salad, Charcuterie mussels and more for Brunch.
Urban Saloon will feature French Toast with Nutella, Omelettes, a roasted pulled duck club with lettuce, yellow tomato, bacon and Dijon fraise and deux crepes - strawberries and blackberries with Grand Marnier whipped cream and ham with roasted shallots, crimini mushrooms and brie with a hollandaise whipped cream.
Book your dinner reservations now!
The Belgian Café
The Belgian Café celebrates Fairmount’s Storming of the Bastille, the Start of the French Revolution. Belgium, a country of texture and contrasts with big cities, small villages, coastal lands and mountains, finally got rid of those Austrians after the French Revolution and became annexed by France, whose food and wine was so much better. Strong French & Flemish influences are constantly vying for control in this small country with beer being the unifier. Beer is as important to Belgian culture and cuisine as wine is to the French. And baby, we love those Belgian beers! While our emphasis is on Belgian beer, we also offer an amazing selection of beers from the rest of the world. Sit back, relax and enjoy. Cheers.
Bishop's Collar
Relax after the Storming with great food and drink specials at "The Collar!"
The Doghouse
706 N. 24th Street
(267) 514-1949
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Tour Philadelphia's own Bastille!
Fairmount Art Center
A creative resource for individuals, families, and the community.
London Grill
The guillotine can't keep Marie from hosting a Bastille Day after-party at London Grill! We'll be grilling sausages, sipping Pommery "POP" champagne or Kronenbourg beer and listening to live French music. Details on our website.
Mugshots
Offering a full menu of fair-trade coffee, teas, juices, smoothies & shakes. Extensive vegetarian/vegan options. Look for us in front of the store at 21st and Fairmount!
Rembrandt's
Join us at Rembrandt's as we celebrate French Independence over four days. $3.00 Kronenbourg specials all four days. Friday features a $34.94 French prix-fix dinner including a glass of champagne. The Bastille Day After-Party features live music from “The Guys with Ties” on the sidewalk And of course another die hard effort once again by me, Jan Zarkin (the guillotiner), to behead the notorious and unscrupulous, and might I add unsavory, Marie Antionette. It's a fun time for all.
St. Stephen s Green
Designed in Ireland and built by Irish craftsmen, St. Stephen’s has ornate woodwork, relaxing fireplaces, comfortable seating, and an inviting atmosphere that all will enjoy. Whether you are looking for a good meal to share, a pint or two to raise with friends, or a fun place to watch your favorite team, St. Stephen‘s Green is the place for you.
Trio
Enjoy the creativity of our staff as Trio offers French pecials throughout the Fairmount French Fling Weekend. Check www.TrioBYOB.com for more details.
Urban Saloon
Urban Saloon’s goal is to provide a fun, comfortable environment no matter what facet we are taking on that day. Football, Brunch, DJ's, Dinners, Happy hour, Cookies with Santa - we provide an environment that everyone can fit into!
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc.