Brooklyn's Bastille Day , 2010: Smith Street Goes Oh-So-French!

Bastille Day, the celebration of French independence, came to Smith Street in Boerum Hill Sunday and je ne sais quoi was breaking out all over the place.

From the petanque tournament to the little glasses of Lillet, to the food, music and song (don't forget the guillotine), this year's party was just so cooly French.

Smith Street was covered in sand for the petanque games, played with tennis ball-sized metal balls (boules). Competitors try to throw their boules so they will land close to a little ball called a "pig" (cochonnet).

You didn't have to be French to play. 80 teams from around the world competed this year.

Do people really wear these hats in France?

Ricard, a sponsor, must have given out hundreds of them.

For those not competing in the petanque, the Foosball games were pretty fierce.

Plenty of good food and drink. Bar Tabac is a major sponsor (along with Robin des Bois and Ricard). Bar Tabac set out extra tables this year and there were all kinds of French refreshments up and down the street.

 Good wine, good times.

Skateboarders competed at the north end of Smith Street again for the fourth year, courtesy of the Homage skateboarding shop.

Previous posts on this topic:
- Brooklyn's 2010 Bastille Day Celebration Looking Big
- Brooklyn Bastille Day 2009 -- Great Day, Big Crowds
- Bastille Day 2009 in Brooklyn
- Bastille Day in Brooklyn: The French Conquer Smith Street
- Brooklyn's Bastille Day: Smith Street, Sunday
- Bastille Day in Brooklyn -- La Rue de Smith Sautait!


Photos copyright MK Metz

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