Bastille Day Celebration And Pétanque Tournament 2014 On Smith Street

Though the holiday marking the beginning of the French Revolution is celebrated on July 14th in France, Smith Street's annual Bastille Day Celebration and  Pétanque Tournament is scheduled for Sunday, July 13th at 12pm.. Good thing! That means we all get to take part.

With teams from around the world competing, it is the largest pétanque tournament in North America.
So come out and celebrate, watch the players, drink pastis, eat great food and listen to live music.

The games starts at noon, but the sand will be delivered at 10 am and  it is always great fun for the kids to see it being dumped in the middle of the street.

Please register your pétanque team  at Bar Tabac, 128 Smith Street, 718 923 0918

From the organizer:

Take the largest Petanque (it’s like bocce) Tournament in the world outside of France……..
Add the World Cup Final on a giant truck mounted TV screen……
Mix with Food & Drink from some of Smith Street’s best establishments……..
Sprinkle with live music, joie de vivre, and dancing in the streets………
And you have two blocks of Smith Street’s Bastille Day Party

Our neighborhoods around Smith Street have become very French – one hears it spoken in the streets and even our public elementary school is French/English bi-lingual – so it is only natural that we celebrate the French equivalent of our July 4th with a French themed party.

Food & Drink this year will come from Bar Tabac, White Oak, Char#4, Kittery, Union Grounds, Bar San Miguel, Bien Cuit, Pane e Vino, One Girl Cookies, Britain Indian Restaurant, & Les Bretons.

XL Airways will again hold a raffle for R/T tickets for 2 NY-Marseille-NY – Try Your Luck!!.

Live Music will be coming from Lipbone Redding again this year by popular demand.

The arrival of the antique Quadrozzi Cement mixer Truck at 10AM and the subsequent spreading of the sand as it spews out of the truck and is raked into Petanque Courts is truly a sight to behold. This is the 12th year Quadrozzi has supplied the sand for Bastille Day.

But probably the best thing about the day is the people. The way they dress, the way they play, the team spirit, the sense of community, the good vibes. One wishes the whole world could be like this every day.

Read more

REMINDER: Come Celebrate Smith Street's 7th Bastille Day And Pétanque Tournament

What can be better than pairing Pétanque, Pastis and Smith Street?

If you agree, you must, and I repeat, you must come out to Smith Street for Bar Tabac's Bastille Day Celebration 2009 on July 12th. This is by far one of the funnest, most unique events in the neighborhood and I can't wait! I had a blast last year.
Of course the great music, delicious food and drinks are reason enough to love this event, but what makes it super fun is the Pétanque tournament. It is North America's largest tournament, with more than 80 teams taking part in 2009. For that purpose, a few blocks of Smith Street will be closed and turned into a giant sandbox, or rather, Pétanque courts.

Bar Tabac is at 128 Smith Street at Dean Street. The Bastille Day celebration will start at 12 PM and will continue till 10pm.
For further information, go to Bar Tabac's web site or check out the official Brooklyn Boule Blog

To hold you over, here is a wonderful little video clip taken from Marcel Pagnol's movie Fanny, featuring the great French comic actor César as Rému.

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read more

The Champs-Élysées? Mais, non! It's Fifth Ave. On Bastille Day 2008

Non, non, this shot of a Frenchman smoking a Gauloise , standing in front of a row of brightly colored Solexes and a collection of vintage Citroën 2 CV's, was not taken on the Champs-Élisées, but on Fifth Avenue for the Greater New York Citroën And Velosolex Club's Rendez-Vous.

The anti-dote to the S.U.V., the 2 CV boasts the incredible power of, you guessed it, 2 horse power. The car is affectionately called the French duck. Though the car has not been produced for decades, the 2 CV still has fans everywhere in the world and those lucky enough to own one treasure them for their quirky appearance and features .

Now, for those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, you know the affection I have for the Solex. I happen to own an old one back in France , but unfortunately, the brakes are shot and I have not been able to ride it for a long time. So, I admired the ones lined up on Fifth Avenue and 60th Street with just a tinge of jealousy.
May you keep a secret, dear reader? I am actually very tempted to purchase a new one here in America. because you see, a brand new model of Solex is being produced and they are available right here in America.
They are ever so cool. Couldn't you just see me riding down Court Street with one of these motorized bicycles?

Related Reading:

Bastille Day Rendez-Vous 2008: Pétanque, Bal Musette And... The Solex

Brooklyn, Forget The Vespa. The Velosolex Is Infinitely Cooler!


Post Linked Here:

Mmmm, French Fries, French Toast, French.... ( New York Times)



Back To Pardon Me For Asking Home Page
Read more