Brooklyn's Bastille Day Party On Smith Street This Sunday (July 10, 2011)

The biggest Bastille Day party in the U.S. is coming to Smith Street this Sunday, July 10. (See 2012 information here.) This will be Brooklyn's ninth-annual celebration of all things French -- French music, French food, Ricard, and especially the renowned petanque tournament, for which a sizable chunk of Smith Street is covered with sand.

Petanque is 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).

Some news this year, according to the Brooklyn Eagle. Two bands will provide live music: The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, a jazz, swing and blues band, will play from 2 to 6 p.m.; and François Weiss will perform from 6 to 10 p.m.

The Eagle also breaks the sad news that the event's skateboarding tournament won't take place this year. While it may not have been very French, it was always a fun part of the celebration.

The festival takes place on Smith Street between Bergen and Pacific streets (and part of Dean Street) from 11 a.m. till 8 p.m. (See the Eagle for more details.)

The event was founded by Bette Stoltz of the South Brooklyn Local Development Corporation along with restaurants Bar Tabac and Robin des Bois, and is sponsored by French apéritif company Ricard.

UPDATE: Here are photos from the 2011 Bastille Day celebration.

Photos copyright MK Metz

Previous posts on this topic:
- Brooklyn's Bastille Day, 2010
- 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!
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